The Conversation

Hurricane Matthew approaches the eastern US: Six essential reads

Written by Martin LaMonica, Deputy Editor, Environment & Energy Editor, The Conversation

Editor’s note: The following is a roundup of stories related to hurricanes and storms.

Mandatory evacuations have begun in coastal areas of Florida and other southern states as Hurricane Matthew continues its slow ascent from Haiti and Cuba toward the mainland U.S.

Even as we wait to see the effects from this category 4 hurricane, it’s...

What displaced Colombians living abroad think about the peace efforts

Written by Jeffrey D. Pugh, Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution, University of Massachusetts Boston

The peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group was rejected by less than a 0.5 percent margin in a referendum on Oct. 2.

This outcome shocked the world and defied the expectations of most external observers. The signed agreement to end the violence seemed all but complete, so...

What the Trump Foundation controversies reveal about the candidate and his business acumen

Written by Philip Hackney, James E. & Betty M. Phillips Associate Professor of Law, Louisiana State University

A surprising feature at the forefront of this year’s presidential election has been the philanthropic endeavors of the candidates.

The scrutiny of the Clinton Foundation is understandable given its large scale and worldwide focus. The attention surrounding Donald Trump’s charitable endeavors comes from different reasons: primarily a...

The Nobel Prize for Physics goes to topology – and mathematicians applaud

Written by Kevin Knudson, Professor of Mathematics, University of Florida

Math doesn't get its own Nobel, but is the foundation for much Prize-winning research.Tim Ereneta, CC BY-NC

David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz received the 2016 Nobel Prize for Physics for their work on exotic states of matter. They were inspired by the observation that some materials have unusual electrical properties –...

Why one-size-fits-all approach does not work for teacher quality

Written by Gerald K. LeTendre, Professor of Education, Pennsylvania State University

What is teacher quality?Jeremy Wilburn, CC BY-NC-ND

Most of us know the difference a good teacher makes in the life of a child. Many global institutions working to improve access to education, such as the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Education International agree that “teacher quality” is...

In parts of the world, bride price encourages parents to educate daughters

Written by Natalie Bau, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Toronto

Cultural norms play an important role in determining whether girls will be send to schools.Global Partnership for Education - GPE , CC BY-NC-ND

Education is one of the engines of economic growth and development. More education leads to higher incomes. For individuals living in low-income countries, an additional year of education increases wages by...

Biofuels turn out to be a climate mistake – here's why

Written by John DeCicco, Research Professor, University of Michigan

Soybeans and corn are two of the most widely planted crops in the United States and the main feedstocks used to make biofuels.www.shutterstock.com

Ever since the 1973 oil embargo, U.S. energy policy has sought to replace petroleum-based transportation fuels with alternatives. One prominent option is using biofuels, such as ethanol in place of...

How saying you're multiracial changes the way people see you

Written by Robert L. Reece, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, Duke University

Race and perceived beauty are closely intertwined.'Faces' via www.shutterstock.com

Last month, rapper Kanye West posted a controversial casting call for his clothing line, Yeezy, mandating “multiracial women only.” Many objected, arguing that West had insulted darker-skinned black women.

But Kanye was only adhering to something fairly...

Should NSA and Cyber Command have separate leadership?

Written by Stuart Madnick, Professor of Information Technology and Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Should one person lead two different government agencies?U.S. government images

The National Security Agency is the nation’s digital spying organization. U.S. Cyber Command is a military unit focused on cyberwarfare. Does it make sense for one person to lead them both at the same time?

That has been the case since Cyber Command’s...

Tired of getting stuck with needles? Ask your doctor to just say 'once.'

Written by Christopher Moriates, Assistant Dean for Healthcare Value, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin

Patient and doctor in hospital room.From www.shuttertock.com

There are few worse ways to awake a person than with a needle stick in the arm to draw blood. If you have ever spent the night in a hospital, chances are the first thing that happened in the morning was a vampiric nurse or lab technician, following doctor’s orders, standing over...