The Conversation

Tour de France: How many calories will the winner burn?

Written by John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics, University of Lynchburg

Tour de France riders have to eat constantly to replenish the energy they burn. Filip Bossuyt/Flickr, CC BY-ND

CC-BY-ND.

Imagine you begin pedaling from the start of Stage 17 of this year’s Tour de France. First, you would bike approximately 70 miles (112 km) with a gradual increase in elevation of around 1,300 feet (400 m). But you’ve...

Research that shines light on how cells recover from threats may lead to new insights into Alzheimer's and ALS

Written by Brian Andrew Maxwell, Scientist in Cell Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Ubiquitin tags in cells serve different functions depending on stress conditions.Michael Hughes, CC BY-ND

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

The big idea

Our bodies contain a special protein tag that plays a role in how cells recover from specific threats to their survival, according to new research I co-authored....

Schools must act carefully on students' off-campus speech, Supreme Court rules

Written by Katy Harriger, Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Wake Forest University

The Supreme Court ruled that a school could not punish a student for a profane Snapchat post made off campus.Eshma/iStock / Getty Images Plus

For decades, U.S. courts have ruled that public school students “do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression at the schoolhouse gate,” as the Supreme Court said in...

Why it's such a big deal that the NFL's Carl Nassib came out as gay

Written by John Affleck, Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society, Penn State

After Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out as gay, his jersey became a top-seller on Fanatics, an online retailer of sportswear.Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The video was short and simple, but for America’s gay community it was a blockbuster event.

In an Instagram post, Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib announced...

Conversion therapy is discredited and increases risk of suicide -- yet fewer than half of US states have bans in place

Written by Donna Sheperis, Professor of Counseling, Palo Alto University

Gov. Andy Beshear is in favor of making Kentucky the 21st state to ban conversion therapy.AP Photo/Bryan Woolston

Pride Month is being marked by some lawmakers in Kentucky with a renewed push to ban “conversion therapy – the discredited practice of trying to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

If successful, th...

The behind-the-scenes people and organizations connecting science and decision-making

Written by Stephen Posner, Director of Policy, University of Vermont

Listening to science is a lot easier for politicians when behind-the-scenes intermediaries are there to help.Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images

The role of science in society has never been more important. Scientific perspectives are critical for understanding complex issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, access to higher...

Ransomware, data breach, cyberattack: What do they have to do with your personal information, and how worried should you be?

Written by Merrill Warkentin, James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems, Mississippi State University

Credit bureau Equifax announced in 2017 that the personal information of 143 million Americans – about three-quarters of all adults – had been exposed in a major data breach.AP Photo/Mike Stewart

The headlines are filled with news about ransomware attacks tying up organizations large and small, data breaches at major brand-name...

How palm oil became the world's most hated, most used fat source

Written by Jonathan E. Robins, Associate Professor of Global History, Michigan Technological University

Oil palm fruit in North Aceh, Indonesia.Fachrul Reza / Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Palm oil is everywhere today: in food, soap, lipstick, even newspaper ink. It’s been called the world’s most hated crop because of its association with deforestation in Southeast Asia. But despite boycott campaigns, the world uses more palm oil than...

Why choosing the next dalai lama will be a religious – as well as a political – issue

Written by Brooke Schedneck, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Rhodes College

The current dalai lama was enthroned when he was about 4 years old.AP Photo/Antonio Calanni

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader of Tibet, is turning 86 on July 6, 2021. With his advancing age, the question of who will succeed him has become more pressing.

One of the most recognizable faces of Buddhism, the dalai lama is an...

How the billions MacKenzie Scott is giving to colleges attended by students of color will help everyone in America

Written by Ivory A. Toldson, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Howard University

Scott is giving dozens of predominantly nonwhite schools their biggest donations ever, including Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

When billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced her third round of charitable gifts in June 2021, she said she was giving US$2.7 billion to 286...