The Conversation

It's mostly mothers who pass on mitochondria – and a new theory says it's due to the first sexual conflict

Written by Arunas L. Radzvilavicius, Postdoctoral Researcher of Evolutionary Biology, University of Pennsylvania

Is this how we got the sperm and the egg?Sebastian Kaulitzki/Shutterstock

Evolutionary interests of males and females do not always coincide. This is known as sexual conflict: male innovations that allow them to reproduce more sometimes hurt females, and vice versa.

Male fruit flies, for instance, inject their partners with toxic chemicals during...

In Brazil, religious gang leaders say they're waging a holy war

Written by Robert Muggah, Associate Lecturer, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

The expression “evangelical drug trafficker” may sound incongruous, but in Rio de Janeiro, it’s an increasingly familiar phenomenon.

Charismatic Christianity is on the rise across Brazil. Even Rio, a famously libertine city, elected an evangelical mayor last year. Now, evangelical Protestantism is so far-reaching in Rio that even...

On-board computers and sensors could stop the next car-based attack

Written by Jeremy Straub, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, North Dakota State University

Existing cars can stop when they detect pedestrians.Yauhen_D/Shutterstock.com

In the wake of car- and truck-based attacks around the world, most recently in New York City, cities are scrambling to protect busy pedestrian areas and popular events. It’s extremely difficult to prevent vehicles from being used as weapons, but technology can help.

Right...

Trump names 'safe' choice to lead the Federal Reserve: 5 questions answered

Written by Greg Wright, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California, Merced

This man may soon be the world's 'second-most-powerful person.'AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Editor’s note: Markets breathed a sigh of relief after President Donald Trump named Jerome Powell his pick to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. If confirmed, Powell – considered a “safe” choice – would take over from current...

Trump picks 'safe' choice to lead the Federal Reserve: 5 questions answered

Written by Greg Wright, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California, Merced

This man may soon be the world's 'second-most-powerful person.'AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

In America's sandwiches, the story of a nation

Written by Paul Freedman, Chester D. Tripp Professor of History, Yale University

Anna_Pustynnikova

Everyone has a favorite sandwich, often prepared to an exacting degree of specification: Turkey or ham? Grilled or toasted? Mayo or mustard? White or whole wheat?

We reached out to five food historians and asked them to tell the story of a sandwich of their choosing. The responses included staples like peanut butter and jelly, as...

Brain science should be making prisons better, not trying to prove innocence

Written by Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Yale University

Neuroscience can help incarcerated brains.Donald Tong, CC BY

Every week, I wait for the cold steel bars to close behind me, for count to be called, and for men who have years – maybe the rest of their lives – to spend in this prison to come talk with me. I am a clinical psychologist who studies chronic antisocial behavior. My staff and...

How the crisis in Catalonia is helping Rajoy consolidate power

Written by Scott L. Greer, Professor, Global Health Management and Policy and Political Science, University of Michigan

Rajoy leaves the Spanish Parliament in Madrid on Oct. 25, 2017. AP Photo/Francisco Seco

The news from Catalonia is alarming and confusing. How did things come to this, in a European Union member state, in 2017?

First came a referendum vote in favor of secession with police blocking voters from balloting and a declaration of independence.

The backlash...

What the history of iconoclasm tells us about the Confederate statue controversy

Written by Henry Adams, Ruth Coulter Heede Professor of Art History, Case Western Reserve University

A Confederate statue lies on a pallet in a warehouse in Durham, North Carolina after protesters toppled and defaced it.AP Photo/Allen Breed

Over the last few months, a new American civil war seems to have broken out. It isn’t being fought with weapons. Instead, it’s being fought with statues and symbols, and at the heart of the dispute...

Is daylight saving time worth the trouble? Research says no

Written by Laura Grant, Assistant Professor of Economics, Claremont McKenna College

Falling back or staying put?Romolo Tavani/Shutterstock.com

Today the sun is shining during my commute home from work. But this weekend, public service announcements will remind us to “fall back,” ending daylight saving time by setting our clocks an hour earlier on Sunday, Nov. 5. On Nov. 6, many of us will commute home in the dark.

This...