The Conversation

Worries about spreading Earth microbes shouldn't slow search for life on Mars

Written by Alberto G. Fairén, Research Scientist at Centro de Astrobiología, Spain, and Visiting Scientist in Astronomy, Cornell University

The Viking landers in the 1970s were the last to look directly for life on Mars.NASA/JPL, CC BY

There may be no bigger question than whether we are alone in our solar system. As our spacecraft find new clues about the presence of liquid water now or in the past on Mars, the possibility of some kind of life there looks more likely. On Earth, water...

Tax 'reform' for the rich: Trump's plan abandons his working-class supporters

Written by Steven Pressman, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

Trump's tax plan will cost trillions. AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin

President Donald Trump heralded his new tax plan as relief for the middle class, revenue-neutral and a “middle-class miracle.”

Yet the proposal, announced on Sept. 27, does none of these things. Instead, it is a scam not fit to become law of the land because it will enrich the...

Trump's tax plan would weaken faith in fairness of US tax system

Written by Gil B. Manzon Jr., Associate Professor of Accounting, Boston College

Trump unveiled his tax cut in Indianapolis.AP Photo/Michael Conroy

President Donald Trump and GOP leaders just released a plan to significantly change the taxation of individuals and businesses in what would be the biggest overhaul of the tax code in decades.

Among its many elements is a proposal to change the way the government taxes so-called...

Should we worry that half of Americans trust their gut to tell them what's true?

Written by R. Kelly Garrett, Associate Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University

Gustavo Frazao

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’ll bet that’s true,” before you had all the facts? Most people probably have at some point.

Where people differ is in how often they do so. A 2016 survey that my colleague Brian Weeks and I conducted found that 50.3 percent of all Americans agreed with the statement...

Why higher ed needs to get rid of the gender gap for 'academic housekeeping'

Written by Cassandra Guarino, Professor of Education and Public Policy, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside

Academia requires a lot of work outside the lecture hall. Matej Kastelic/Shutterstock.com

With the academic year entering full swing, I find myself concerned about the quality of my female colleagues’ lives as they face a mountain of what is known as “service work” in addition to their teaching and research responsibilities.

As...

Shrinking and altering national monuments: Experts assess Interior Secretary Zinke's proposals

Written by Robert B. Keiter, Wallace Stegner Professor of Law, University Distinguished Professor, University of Utah

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has proposed shrinking Oregon's Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and allowing more public access and road maintenance. Bob Wich/BLM, CC BY

Editor’s note: On April 26, 2017, President Trump ordered Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review 27 national monuments that had been created or expanded since 1996 and...

Beyond bleach: Mold a long-term problem after flooding and disasters

Written by Katherine Allen, County Extension Director and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent IV, University of Florida

Florentina Amaya of Houston looks at mold damage to her home, Sept. 5, 2017. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

One of the biggest issues surrounding flooding after natural disasters is mold, a problem that can stay with a structure long after floodwaters have receded. Considering that over 17 percent of homes already have some physical condition that...

Healthy choices are neither good or bad; only thinking makes them so

Written by Elliot Berkman, Associate Professor, Psychology, University of Oregon

Healthy choices are more complicated than a devil-angel contest suggests.Serggod/Shutterstock.com

Doing healthy things can feel like a battle between the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The devil impels me to order the bacon burger for lunch, but the angel nudges my hand toward the salad.

This dichotomy goes way back in Western...

Is partisan gerrymandering illegal? The Supreme Court will decide

Written by Jonathan Entin, Professor Emeritus of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Case Western Reserve University

One person, one vote.David Goldman/AP Photo

One of the first cases that the Supreme Court will hear this term could make a huge difference in how legislative and congressional districts are drawn. In Gill v. Whitford, Wisconsin Democrats claim that Republicans drew lines that virtually guarantee GOP control of both houses of the state legislature.

A...

Defying Trump, Alabama elects Roy Moore – and embraces the same old politics of rage

Written by David Hughes, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Auburn University at Montgomery

The Roy Moore and Luther Strange Republican primary runoff in Alabama wasn’t quiet, staid or dignified.

Set against the backdrop of Strange’s appointment by the former – and now disgraced – Gov. Robert Bentley, Strange and Moore jockeyed to position themselves as President Donald Trump’s most reliable Senate...