The Conversation

President Biden's plan for free universal preschool – 5 questions answered

Written by Christina J. Weiland, Associate Professor of Education, University of Michigan

High-quality preschools are both play-based and academic.Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

From New York City to Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma to Colorado, a handful of U.S. cities and states have opted to fund universal preschool for their youngest residents. That benefit may soon be available to every 3-year-old and...

Agnolotti, bucatini and the innovative new 'cascatelli' – a brief history of pasta shapes

Written by Jeffrey Miller, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management, Colorado State University

There are hundreds of varying shapes of pasta. AngiePhotos/E+ via Getty Images

There are at least 350 shapes of pasta you can buy. Food blogger Dan Pashman apparently thought we could use one more.

Enter cascatelli – which means “waterfall” in Italian – the world’s newest pasta shape. Pashman developed the shape to...

How America’s partisan divide over pandemic responses played out in the states

Written by Julie VanDusky-Allen, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have widened the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans on health care. John M. Lund Photography/Getty Images

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a partisan divide has existed over the appropriate government response to the public health crisis. Democrats have been more likely to favor stricter policies such...

Domestic violence isn't about just physical violence – and state laws are beginning to recognize that

Written by Lisa Aronson Fontes, Senior Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Intimate partner abuse isn't about just physical violence. It's about domination and control. Malte Mueller/Getty Images

Three or more U.S. women are murdered every day by their current or former intimate partner.

That may in part be due to a failure of state laws to capture the full range of behavior that constitutes domestic abuse. The law...

Myanmar's anti-coup protesters defy rigid gender roles – and subvert stereotypes about women to their advantage

Written by Ei Hlaing, Assistant Professor of Psychological Science, University of Lynchburg

Young women are on the front lines of the anti-coup protesters in Myanmar, defying traditional gender roles. STR/AFP via Getty Images

One of the first signs of the military coup that overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected civilian government was a Facebook Live video of regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han being arrested, which was posted by her...

US approves its first big offshore wind farm, near Martha's Vineyard – it’s a breakthrough for the industry

Written by Erin Baker, Professor of Industrial Engineering Applied to Energy Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Building a U.S. offshore wind industry will require more than just fast-tracking permits. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The United States’ offshore wind industry is tiny, with just seven wind turbines operating off Rhode Island and Virginia. The few attempts to build large-scale wind farms like Europe’s have run into long delays, but...

I spent a year and a half at a 'no-excuses' charter school – this is what I saw

Written by Joanne W. Golann, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education, Vanderbilt University

The strict discipline of 'no-excuses' charter schools can often make students feel stressed out. Image Source/Getty Images

Charter schools are 30 years old as of 2021, and the contentious debate about their merits and place in American society continues.

To better understand what happens at charter schools – and as a sociologist who focuses...

How do I talk to my child about violence? 4 essential reads

Written by Jamaal Abdul-Alim, Education Editor, The Conversation

Discussing violence with children can be challenging for a parent.SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

Children are exposed to images of violence almost every day, whether through the media or in real life. Consumption of violent imagery can take a harmful toll on a child’s mental and emotional well-being, research shows. Parents, especially...

How the Texas Top 10% Plan failed to attract more students to the state's flagship colleges

Written by Kalena E. Cortes, Associate Professor, The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University

The plan sought to broaden high schools sending students to public colleges in Texas.qingwa via iStock/Getty Images Plus

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

The big idea

A 22-year-old Texas initiative – meant to broaden the pool of high schools whose graduates attend public universities after affirmative action...

Robert Owen, born 250 years ago, tried to use his wealth to perfect humanity in a radically equal society

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

The utopian community modeled on the industrialist's principles lasted only two years.Corbis Historical/Getty Images

Do you have a work schedule that leaves you with enough time off the clock to rest up and handle your other responsibilities?

If so, you might owe something to Robert Owen, a wealthy industrialist who was born in Wales on May 14, 1771....