The Conversation

Activists, state authorities and lawsuits filed by survivors are putting pressure on the 'troubled teens' industry to change its ways

Written by Heather E. Mooney, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, Wayne State University

Paris Hilton, front left, is the most visible leader of a movement to crack down on alleged abuses at treatment centers.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

Many Americans who spent time as teenagers in residential facilities that rely on “tough love” treatments to change behaviors are becoming more vocal in denouncing what they say are institutional...

Gun control fails quickly in Congress after each mass shooting, but states often act – including to loosen gun laws

Written by Christopher Poliquin, Assistant Professor of Strategy, University of California, Los Angeles

After mass shootings, there are more calls for gun control. Here's one in Boulder, Colo., where 10 people died in a shooting.Jason Connolly / AFP/Getty Images

Recent mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia and a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado have renewed calls for new gun legislation.

The U.S. has been here before – after...

Many QAnon followers report having mental health diagnoses

Written by Sophia Moskalenko, Research Fellow in Social Psychology, Georgia State University

Data indicates QAnon believers may be more likely to be mentally ill.AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma

QAnon is often viewed as a group associated with conspiracy, terrorism and radical action, such as the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. But radical extremism and terror may not be the real concern from this group.

QAnon followers, who may number in the millions,...

Why corporate climate pledges of ‘net-zero’ emissions should trigger a healthy dose of skepticism

Written by Oliver Miltenberger, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Economics, The University of Melbourne

Some companies' net-zero plans include continuing to emit climate-warming greenhouse gases for decades.Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Hundreds of companies, including major emitters like United Airlines, BP and Shell, have pledged to reduce their impact on climate change and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. These plans sound ambitious,...

Culture matters a lot in successfully managing a pandemic - and many countries that did well had one thing in common

Written by Leah Cathryn Windsor, Research Assistant Professor, University of Memphis

Leaders can make rules in a pandemic, but it takes everyone's compliance for them to work.Ada daSilva via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Culture matters more than a leader’s gender in how a nation survives a global pandemic, according to a study I conducted on gender and COVID-19...

Why you should get a COVID-19 vaccine – even if you've already had the coronavirus

Written by Jennifer T. Grier, Clinical Assistant Professor of Immunology,, University of South Carolina

Vaccination produces a much stronger and more consistent immune response than infection. Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment via Getty Images

A few weeks ago, a message popped up in the corner of my screen. “What do you think about people who have recently had COVID–19 getting the vaccine?” A friend of mine was eligible for a COVID–19...

Who gets Cherokee citizenship has long been a struggle between the tribe and the US government

Written by Aaron Kushner, Postdoctoral Scholar, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University

A Cherokee Census card from 1904. Wikimedia Commons/U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

A recent decision by the Cherokee Nation’s Supreme Court struck down a law that freedmen – descendants of people enslaved by Cherokees in the 18th and 19th centuries – cannot hold elective tribal office. The ruling is the latest...

Robinhood app makes Wall Street feel like a game to win – instead of a place where you can lose your life savings in a New York minute

Written by James "Pigeon" Fielder, Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University

Casinos can make gambling away next month's rent feel like playing a game.mbbirdy/E+ via Getty Images

Wall Street has long been likened to a casino. Robinhood, an investment app that just filed plans for an initial public offering, makes the comparison more apt than ever.

That’s because the power of the casino is the way it makes people feel...

What the American Rescue Plan says about President Biden’s health care priorities – and what they mean for you

Written by Zack Buck, Associate Professor of Law, University of Tennessee

On the campaign trail Oct. 28, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware, Joe Biden talks about the need to build up the Affordable Care Act.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As millions of Americans receive COVID-19 vaccines, the Affordable Care Act just got a booster shot of its own.

After 11 years of existential threat and months after an argument before the...

This Passover, as in the past, will be a time to recognize tragedies and offer hope for the future

Written by Samuel L. Boyd, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

A Jewish family gathers in person and over video conferencing for Passover celebrations in 2020.Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Jewish families will gather for Passover this year in circumstances that will, like the celebration itself, reflect on dark times while holding out for better to come.

The holiday lasts from the evening of March 27 to the evening of...