The Conversation

Anti-vaccination beliefs don't follow the usual political polarization

Written by Charles McCoy, Assistant Professor of Sociology, SUNY Plattsburgh

Signs from a protest in 2015 against a California bill that prohibits parents from using a religious exemption as a reason to not vaccinate their children. The bill became law. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

When health officials learned that the 2015 measles outbreak was caused by clusters of unvaccinated children, Americans once more wanted to...

We should serve kids food in school, not shame

Written by Sarah Riggs Stapleton, Assistant Professor, Education Studies, College of Education, University of Oregon

All students deserve a healthy lunch when they go to school.Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com

For the past several years, reports have surfaced about the “shaming” of students for outstanding school meal debts. These students, often from low-income families, are being publicly humiliated because they have unpaid debt in their school meal...

The penny may be worthless, but let's keep it anyway

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Economist and Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

The 16th U.S. president has graced the penny since 1909.AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Governments have long waged a war on cash in an attempt to curb terrorism and tax evasion. Their focus has typically been on eliminating large denominations, like Europe’s €500 bill or India’s 1,000 rupee note.

Two U.S. lawmakers have a much smaller...

As climate change warms the Northeast, some snowshoe hares stay brown all year

Written by Duane Diefenbach, Adjunct Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Leader, Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Pennsylvania State University

Denali National Park, Alaska.Tim Rains/NPS, CC BY

The quintessential image of a snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) is a pure white bunny – although it is a hare, not a rabbit – nestled in powdery snow, gazing out from under the overhanging branches of a balsam fir. I can almost see my breath and hear sleigh bells just thinking about it.

Bu...

How noncompete clauses clash with US labor laws

Written by Raymond Hogler, Professor of Management, Colorado State University

Jimmy John's tried to stop its workers from toiling for other sandwich makers. AP Photo/David Goldman

Most Americans with jobs work “at-will”: Employers owe their employees nothing in the relationship and vice versa. Either party may terminate the arrangement at any time for a good or bad reason or none at all.

In keeping with that...

Arpaio pardon could encourage more civil rights violations

Written by Steven Mulroy, Law Professor in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Election Law, University of Memphis

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined by Joe Arpaio at a campaign event.AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File

President Donald Trump may pardon Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff who illegally used racial profiling to enforce immigration laws.

It’s true, Trump has the legal power to pardon pretty much anyone. But pardoning...

How quantum mechanics can change computing

Written by Jonathan Katz, Director, Maryland Cybersecurity Center; Professor of Computer Science, University of Maryland

Looking inside a quantum computer.IBM Research, CC BY-ND

In early July, Google announced that it will expand its commercially available cloud computing services to include quantum computing. A similar service has been available from IBM since May. These aren’t services most regular people will have a lot of reason to use yet. But making...

When 'man's best friend' feels more hate than love for an owner

Written by Nicholas Dodman, Professor Emeritus of Behavioral Pharmacology and Animal Behavior, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University

Let's just go our separate ways.anaxolotl, CC BY-NC

Everyone thinks that dogs worship their owners – viewing them as gods of some sort. While that may be true in the majority of cases, it isn’t always so. As a veterinarian who has focused on animal behavior and the human/canine bond for 30 years, I can confirm that sometimes, no matter...

Why is climate change's 2 degrees Celsius of warming limit so important?

Written by David Titley, Professor of Practice in Meteorology, Professor of International Affairs & Director Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk, Pennsylvania State University

Who set the guardrails on global temperature rise? Hydrosami, CC BY-SA

If you read or listen to almost any article about climate change, it’s likely the story refers in some way to the “2 degrees Celsius limit.” The story often mentions greatly increased risks if the climate exceeds 2°C and even “catastrophic”...

The best shot at overcoming vaccination standoffs? Having doctors listen to – not shun – reluctant parents

Written by Mary Politi, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University in St Louis

A recent study of medical students and residents found they were reluctant to engage with parents who have vaccination fears. But listening to parents is important. Olena Yakobchuck/Shutterstock.com

Vaccines save between two and three million lives per year by protecting individuals from diseases such as measles, mumps, diphtheria, pertussis,...