The Conversation

Scientific theories aren't mere conjecture – to survive they must work

Written by Tom Solomon, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Bucknell University

There wouldn't be statues acclaiming Darwin and his theory if it couldn't stand up to decades of testing.CGP Grey, CC BY

“The evidence is incontrovertible. Global warming is occurring.” “Climate change is real, is serious and has been influenced by anthropogenic activity.” “The scientific evidence is clear: Global...

Here's why your gut instinct is wrong at work – and how to know when it isn't

Written by Gleb Tsipursky, Assistant Professor of History, The Ohio State University

Should she trust her gut or her head?Job interview via www.shutterstock.com

Let’s say you’re interviewing a new applicant for a job and you feel something is off. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you’re a bit uncomfortable with this person. She says all the right things, her resume is great, she’d be a...

Draining the swamp: A guide for outsiders and career politicians

Written by Carl Abbott, Professor of Urban Studies and Planning, Emeritus, Portland State University

Illustration titled, "If you want to get rid of mosquitos, drain the swamp that breeds them." (1909)Library of Congress

What do Ron Paul, Nancy Pelosi and President Donald Trump have in common? They’ve all promised to “drain the swamp” of Washington politics.

These ambitious “hydraulic engineers” rely on a phrase that...

How to use digital devices this Lent for holy reflection

Written by Heidi A. Campbell, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

Should you be digitally fasting this Lent?Cellphone image via www.shutterstock.com

The season of Lent is upon us. This is a holy season for Christians who seek to identify with Jesus Christ’s 40 days of fasting as he prepared to be tested and later crucified. In order to identify with Christ’s self-sacrifice, Christians often join in a s...

How the US military is using 'violent, chaotic, beautiful' video games to train soldiers

Written by Scott Nicholas Romaniuk, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Trento

'Counter-Strike' has sold over 25 million units, making it one of the most popular first-person shooters of all time.Miyaoka Hitchcock/flickr, CC BY-NC

Violent video games have become embedded within American culture over the past several decades and especially since 9/11. First-person shooters, in particular, have become increasingly popular.

These...

Low-income girls often feel unprepared for puberty

Written by Marni Sommer, Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Medical Center

Many low-income girls in the U.S. don't feel prepared for puberty.Image of girls via www.shutterstock.com.

My colleagues and I have conducted research focused on understanding and addressing the gap in menstrual support in countries around the world for over a decade.

Sometimes the problem is that girls don’t have access to toilets or clean...

What fax machines can teach us about electric cars

Written by Jonathan Coopersmith, Professor of History, Texas A&M University

No common standard: CHAdeMO, CCS and Tesla Supercharger plugs.CHAdeMO: C-CarTom; CCS: Hadhuey; Tesla: Paul Sladen, CC BY-SA

Imagine if you could gas up your GM car only at GM gas stations. Or if you had to find a gas station servicing cars made from 2005 to 2012 to fill up your 2011 vehicle. It would be inconvenient and frustrating, right? This is...

Famines in the 21st century? It's not for lack of food

Written by Daniel Maxwell, Henry J. Leir Professor in Food Security, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University

Sorting bags of food dropped by air from a World Food Programme plane in Padeah, South Sudan, March 1, 2017. AP Photo/Sam Mednick

Famine killed nearly 75 million people in the 20th century, but had virtually disappeared in recent decades. Now, suddenly, it is back. In late February a famine was declared in South Sudan, and warnings of famine have...

Trump's immigration executive orders: The demise of due process and discretion

Written by Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar and Founding Director, Center for Immigrants' Rights Clinic, Pennsylvania State University

The U.S. immigration code, passed by Congress in 1952, rivals the tax code in its level of complexity.

In January, President Donald Trump signed three executive orders on immigration that have made matters more complicated for immigrants and the lawyers and advocates who fight on their behalf.

As an immigration lawyer and teacher, I have spent...

No doubt about it: smokefree laws cut heart attacks in big way

Written by Stanton Glantz, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

A no smoking sign in London. Via Flickr.kafka4prez/flickr, CC BY-SA

There is strong and consistent evidence that exposure to secondhand smoke causes heart attacks and that smokefree workplace and public place laws cut heart attacks (and other diseases). The most recent evidence comes from a large study in Sao Paolo, Brazil, where heart attack...