The Conversation

Where's your county seat? A modern mathematical method for calculating centers of geography

Written by Peter Rogerson, Professor of Geography, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Ten states need to move the markers.Nicolas Henderson, CC BY

People have long been intrigued by figuring out the center of the places where we live.

You’re probably familiar with the concept of center of population. Imagine placing an equal weight at the residential location of each individual; the center of population would be the single...

How should World War I be taught in American schools?

Written by Kyle Greenwalt, Associate Professor, Michigan State University

Modern high school students are learning two very different approaches to World War I.Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com

April 6 marks the centenary of the United States’ entry into World War I. But how should Americans remember the war?

In Hungary, for example, World War I is often remembered for the Treaty of Trianon, a peace treaty that...

As the US entered World War I, American soldiers depended on foreign weapons technology

Written by David Longenbach, Lecturer in History, Pennsylvania State University

American troops drive French Renault FT tanks to the battle line in the Forest of Argonne, France, September 26, 1918.U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war against Germany and entered World War I. Since August 1914, the war between the Central and Entente Powers had devolved into a bloody...

How World War I sparked the artistic movement that transformed black America

Written by Elizabeth J. West, Professor of English, Georgia State University

Aaron Douglas. "Aspects of Negro Life: From Slavery to Reconstruction." Oil on canvas, 1934. The New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Art and Artifacts Division.

Though we often discuss World War I through the lens of history, we occasionally do it through literature. When we do, we’ll invariably go to the...

How better definitions of mental disorders could aid diagnosis and treatment

Written by Miri Forbes, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Minnesota

From www.shutterstock.com

Mental disorders are currently defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which includes hundreds of distinct diagnostic categories, but a new study we worked on suggests we could do better.

Each category in the DSM has a checklist of criteria. If you meet “enough” (often, just...

Fractal patterns in nature and art are aesthetically pleasing and stress-reducing

Written by Richard Taylor, Director of the Materials Science Institute and Professor of Physics, University of Oregon

A fern repeats its pattern at various scales.Michael , CC BY-NC

Humans are visual creatures. Objects we call “beautiful” or “aesthetic” are a crucial part of our humanity. Even the oldest known examples of rock and cave art served aesthetic rather than utilitarian roles. Although aesthetics is often regarded as an...

Was Chuck Berry the lone genius he's made out to be?

Written by Tim McFarlin, Fellow, Elon University

Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry performs in 1980.AP Photo

In the days following Chuck Berry’s death, commentators have trampled over each other in a race to honor him as the “Father of Rock and Roll,” the art form’s lodestone and mastermind. They’ve marveled at his songs, not just because of how witty, influential and...

How understanding animals can help us make the most of artificial intelligence

Written by Heather Roff, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics & International Relations, University of Oxford; Research Scientist, Global Security Initiative, Arizona State University

Autonomous cars aren't smarter than this.X posid

Every day countless headlines emerge from myriad sources across the globe, both warning of dire consequences and promising utopian futures – all thanks to artificial intelligence. AI “is transforming the workplace,” writes the Wall Street Journal, while Fortune magazine tells us...

Peace dividends of military alliances go farther than you'd think

Written by Skyler Cranmer, Carter Phillips and Sue Henry Associate Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University

Armed forces in Iraq, January 2017.

In life, we often find the friend of a friend likable.

In a recent study, our interdisciplinary team of researchers found that this logic applies to military alliances as well. The study – produced by a team of researchers with combined expertise in political science, statistics, mathematics, physics and...

The death penalty is getting more and more expensive. Is it worth it?

Written by Peter A. Collins, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Seattle University

Alabama's lethal injection chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, 2002.AP Photo/Dave Martin

Recently, several states, including Nevada, have introduced bills that cite legal costs as one of the reasons for ending the death penalty.

National trends show the death penalty is being sought and imposed less frequently. There is also ample...