The Conversation

The 4 ‘ashramas’ of Hinduism and what they can teach us about aging gracefully

Written by Nandini Bhattacharya, Professor of English, Texas A&M University

What's the secret to aging well?FG Trade/Collection E+ via Getty images

Aging is often feared, resisted, and in the cruelest of cases, mocked and even punished.

Louise Aronson, a geriatrician and author of the book “Elderhood,” puts it well when she says older people who seek health care are often made to feel superfluous even if the...

Religions talk about the value of humility − but it can be especially hard for clergy to practice what they preach

Written by Elise Ji Young Choe, Psychology Researcher, the Danielsen Institute, Boston University

It can be hard to be humble when people look to you for answers.pastie/E+ via Getty Images

Being a religious leader means wearing many different hats. At times, their congregations expect them to convey passionate confidence – to be models of faith and strength. But wise leadership also means listening and being willing to change your mind:...

Ballot measures to legalize recreational use of cannabis fail in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota

Written by William Garriott, Professor of Law, Politics and Society, Drake University

Florida's marijuana measure needed 60% of the vote to pass and got only 56%.Tina Russell for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Nov. 5, 2024, was a tough day for cannabis legalization supporters.

Recreational legalization ballot questions in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota all failed.

Two medical measures passed in Nebraska but face legal...

‘Yellowstone’ highlights Montana’s long-forgotten connection to the Confederacy

Written by Randi Lynn Tanglen, Professor of English and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, University of North Dakota

During and after the Civil War, thousands of Confederate soldiers resettled in the Big Sky State.Donovan Reese/Photodisc via Getty Images

The popular “Yellowstone” TV series, set and filmed in Montana, taps into a lesser-known chapter of the state’s history: its settlement by Confederates and ex-Confederates during and after the...

Military veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide, but targeted prevention can help reverse the tide

Written by Jordan Batchelor, Research Analyst at the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, Arizona State University

Mounting evidence shows that veterans need targeted suicide prevention services.adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images

America’s military veterans make up about 6% of the adult population but account for about 20% of all suicides. That means that each day, about 18 veterans will die by suicide.

In the U.S., the overall rate of suicide has largely...

Microplastics promote cloud formation, with likely effects on weather and climate

Written by Miriam Freedman, Professor of Chemistry, Penn State

Giant cumulonimbus clouds in Australia.Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Clouds form when water vapor – an invisible gas in the atmosphere – sticks to tiny floating particles, such as dust, and turns into liquid water droplets or ice crystals. In a newly published study, we show that microplastic particles can have the same...

America’s glass ceiling remains − here are some of the reasons why a woman may have once again lost the presidency

Written by Farida Jalalzai, Professor of Political Science; Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech

A hand fan depicting Kamala Harris lies on the sidewalk in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 6, 2024. Bastien Inzaurralde/AFP via Getty Images

Kamala Harris was a candidate of many firsts, including the first Black and South Asian woman to run for president as the Democratic nominee.

Her resounding, swift loss in the presidential race to Republican Donald...

Iran’s currency was already tumbling − and then news of Trump’s victory broke

Written by Nader Habibi, Henry J. Leir Professor of Practice in Economics of the Middle East, Brandeis University

Traders are exchanging 700,000 Iranian rials for the dollar in Tehran.Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg

As the world absorbed news of Donald Trump’s comeback victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential race, concern in Iran turned to the impact of the election on its own economy amid escalating regional tensions.

Iran’s currency, the rial, fell to an...

Now the Electoral College votes for president – 4 essential reads

Written by Jeff Inglis, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation US

The voters have cast their ballots, and after those ballots have been counted, and a winner has been projected by news organizations, that’s not the conclusion of the election. The actual outcome of the 2024 presidential election will be determined by the Electoral College.

The Conversation U.S. has had several articles explaining the history...

What Buddhism can teach in this moment of deep divisions: No person is ‘evil,’ only ‘mistaken’

Written by Jeremy David Engels, Professor of Communication, Penn State

The three wise monkeys, embodying the proverbial principle from Buddhist philosophy: 'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.'Natallia Pershaj/iStock/Getty images plus

Democracy depends upon using words wisely. With the right words, citizens can live and work together, even in disagreement – and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Today,...