Mark Zuckerberg is, quite famously, a college dropout. But his case is the exception – not the rule.AP Photo/Paul SakumaWhen Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was asked to give this year’s commencement address at Harvard, he asked for advice from Bill Gates.
Zuckerberg said, “They know we didn’t actually graduate,...
What happens to their credibility when scientists take to the streets? February 2017 Stand Up for Science rally in Boston.Adam Salsman, CC BY-NC-NDAs the March for Science nears, questions about whether scientists can and should advocate for public policy become more important. On one hand, scientists have relevant expertise to contribute to...
Read more: Can March for Science participants advocate without losing the public's trust?
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina.Tjss99/Flickr, CC BY-NCEditor’s note: The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, catalyzed a wave of laws to protect the environment and natural resources. Here Thomas Straka, a professor of forest economics and management and former industrial forester, answers questions about the current state of U.S....
Jon Ossoff speaks to supporters during an election-night watch party.AP Photo/John BazemoreThe past month has been fun for me.
Not only am I a political scientist who researches Congress and congressional elections, but I also live in Georgia’s 6th House district, which has been the focus of national attention for the past month or so. On...
Read more: Georgia's special election: What does a runoff mean for 2018?
When the French presidential elections begin on April 23, the world will be watching closely.
Polls are tightening up, but Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Front (FN) Party, seems likely to get through to the second, runoff ballot on May 10. Will the xenophobic populism that brought Brexit to the U.K. and Donald Trump to the White House...
Read more: Why the French presidential candidates are arguing about their colonial history
A tumor under the microscope.Cropped from cnicholsonpath/flickr, CC BYTwo years ago, former President Barack Obama announced the Precision Medicine initiative in his State of the Union Address. The initiative aspired to a “new era of medicine” where disease treatments could be specifically tailored to each patient’s genetic code....
Mormon missionaries pray before the start of a class in Mandarin Chinese language at the Missionary Training Center, in Provo, Utah.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, FileIn an era where traditional church attendance has declined and the fastest-growing religious affiliation in America is the “nones” – those who claim no affiliation with an...
Read more: Why it's time for the Mormon Church to revisit its diverse past
Public goods come in many forms, from highways to magnificent mountains. Road sign via www.shutterstock.comAll Americans are lucky to live in a country brimming with public resources that everyone can share.
Many are provided by government and funded with our tax dollars, such as the highways that crisscross the country, the 84 million acres of...
Read more: 'Public goods' made America great and can do so again
Technology can help workers in many ways.Romero, Stahre, Wuest, et al., CC BY-NDThe Fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived. The first was the steam engine-driven Industrial Revolution; the second involved the innovations from Henry Ford’s assembly line. Third, microelectronics and computer power appeared on factory floors. Now,...
Read more: Introducing 'Operator 4.0,' a tech-augmented human worker
When lawyers submit forensic evidence in court, is there legit science to back it up?AP Photo/Pat SullivanScience and the law are not natural partners. Science seeks to advance our understanding of the natural world. The law is tasked with ensuring public safety and making sure justice is properly served. Over time, science became another tool...
Read more: Now who will push ahead on validating forensic science disciplines?