The Conversation

The military, minorities and social engineering: A long history

Written by Richard S. Slotkin, Olin Professor of English and American Studies, Emeritus, Wesleyan University

LGBT veterans march in a Boston parade. Contrary to what some may say, the military has a long history of embracing socially marginalized groups.AP Photo/Steven Senne

President Trump’s tweeted ban on transgender persons serving in the U.S. military has restarted the perennial debate about the relation between military service and social...

Why governmental transparency will not work without strong leadership

Written by Suzanne J. Piotrowski, Associate Professor of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University Newark

President Donald Trump speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File

Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, has warned that President Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest could put America at the risk of becoming a “kleptocracy”: that is, a country led...

Why Ronald McDonald Houses should welcome homemade casseroles

Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University

When someone gives away a casserole, care and concern are among the ingredients.Elena Shashkina/Shutterstock.com

I recently learned that the Ronald McDonald House at the children’s hospital in Indianapolis where I work as a pediatric physician has banned donations of casseroles and other home-cooked dishes. Using capital letters for emphasis,...

Affirmative action around the world

Written by Michele S. Moses, Professor of Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice, University of Colorado

Educafro, a Brazilian black activist movement, protested in 2012 to demand more affirmative action programs for higher education.AP Photo/Eraldo Peres

As reports have surfaced of the Trump administration’s intent to investigate affirmative action admissions in higher education, the debate over whether and how race should be considered in...

Scientist at work: Why this meteorologist is eager for an eclipse

Written by April Hiscox, Associate Professor of Geography, University of South Carolina

Hiscox and students practice for the big day with a weather balloon.Joshua Burrack, CC BY-ND

By all accounts a total solar eclipse is a life-changing event. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never seen one. Fortunately for me and millions across the U.S., that will change this summer.

I’m not really an eclipse expert, even though I can’t...

The grand jury's role in American criminal justice, explained

Written by Peter A. Joy, Henry Hitchcock Professor of Law, School of Law, Washington University in St Louis

Special Counsel Robert Mueller.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Grand juries play a major role in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has called upon a federal grand jury to help him investigate Russia’s role in the 2016 election. It is a logical step in an investigation where there is some evidence that needs to be be...

Cities need more than air conditioning to get through heat waves

Written by Nicholas Rajkovich, Assistant Professor of Architecture, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

London plane trees, like these in Cadman Park in Brooklyn, New York, are one of the most popular species for shading urban streets.Molybdena, CC BY-SA

In May of this year, a hot spell broiled Boston. In June, extreme temperatures grounded Phoenix’s planes. Last week, Seattle suffered under record temperatures.

When a heat wave is forecast, the...

How Big Pharma is hindering treatment of the opioid addiction epidemic

Written by Robin Feldman, Professor of Intellectual Property, University of California, Hastings

Paul Wright, in treatment for opioid addiction in June 2017 at the Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic in Youngstown Ohio, shows a photo of himself from 2015, when he almost died from an overdose. AP Photo/David Dermer

“A crippling problem.” “A total epidemic.” “A problem like nobody understands.” These are the words...

How 'Bambi' paved the way for both 'Fallout 4' and 'Angry Birds'

Written by Adam Bargteil, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Realistic and stylized at the same time.Disney

When “Bambi” premiered in London on August 9, 1942, the fifth film from Walt Disney Animation Studios broke a lot of new ground. It was the first Disney film in which a character’s parent dies early in the film – which is now a common plot device, as in “The Lion...

Reengineering elevators could transform 21st-century cities

Written by Antony Wood, Executive Director, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; Visiting Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University Shanghai; Research Professor of Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology

Can technology free elevators from their up-down cages?SIAATH/Shutterstock.com

In the 160 or so years since the first skyscrapers were built, technological innovations of many kinds have allowed us to build them to reach astonishing heights. Today there is a 1,000-meter (167-story) building under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Even taller...