The Conversation

Why health savings accounts are a bust for the poor but a boost for the privileged

Written by Simon Haeder, Assistant Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University

North Carolina NAACP President Rev. William Barber, accompanied by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas, left, as activists, many with the clergy, are taken into custody by U.S. Capitol Police on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 13, 2017, after protesting against the Republican health care bill.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

When Senate Majority Leader...

Why some are applauding Donald Trump Jr's 'win at all costs' attitude

Written by Daniel M. Shea, Professor of Government, Colby College

When offered intelligence from a foreign government, Donald Trump Jr. said 'I love it.'AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

To many, the revelation that Donald Trump Jr. was anxious to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians will not come as a surprise. It is but the latest example of the take-no-prisoners, anything-goes politics of our day. Sure,...

The next step in sustainable design: Bringing the weather indoors

Written by Kevin Nute, Professor of Architecture, University of Oregon

Dancing sunlight patterns reflected onto an interior ceiling from a wind-disturbed external water surface.Kevin Nute, CC BY-NC-ND

A building’s primary purpose may be to keep the weather out, but most do such an effective job of this that they also inadvertently deprive us of contact with two key requirements for our well-being and...

Race, cyberbullying and intimate partner violence

Written by Roderick S. Graham, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Old Dominion University

Though popular culture might suggest otherwise, cyberbullying isn't just a white problem.tommaso79/shutterstock.com

Over the past two decades, cyberbullying has become a major focus for parents, educators and researchers. Stopbullying.gov lists several effects of cyberbullying, including depression, anxiety and decreased academic achievement.

Judging...

How the Catholic Church's hierarchy makes it difficult to punish sexual abusers

Written by Mathew Schmalz, Associate Professor of Religion, College of the Holy Cross

Cardinal George Pell, a top adviser to Pope Francis, returned to his native Australia July 10 to face criminal charges related to sexual assault. While the specific allegations and names of the accusers have not been made public, Cardinal Pell maintains that he has been a victim of “character assassination.” His case will be decided...

Cherishing stuff with a photo can help you let go of it

Written by Karen Winterich, Associate Professor of Marketing, Frank and Mary Smeal Research Fellow, Pennsylvania State University

Years from now, she'll probably be ready to part with her photo assistant.Angela Waye/Shutterstock.com

Picture your favorite childhood stuffed animal. Are you clinging to it even though neither you nor anyone else in your household has played with that creature in years?

If so, you’re not alone. Parting with possessions we don’t need is...

America's public housing crisis may worsen with Trump budget

Written by Lawrence Vale, Ford Professor of Urban Design and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A resident of New York City Housing Authority's Chelsea-Elliot Houses.AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

The loss of more than 80 lives in London’s Grenfell Tower fire on June 14 was tragic and wholly preventable.

It is no coincidence, though, that it happened in subsidized low-income housing.

As someone who has spent 25 years researching and writing...

The 5 faulty beliefs that have led to Republican dysfunction on health care

Written by JB Silvers, Professor of Health Finance, Case Western Reserve University

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, shown here in June, 2017, is the architect of the new version of the Senate health care bill released today. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Now that the new version of the Senate health care bill is available, an outside observer might think that Congress is just dysfunctional, lurching from one extreme to...

Energy-recycling stairs could add a spring to your step

Written by Lena Ting, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Medicine, Division of Physical Therapy, Emory University

Latching springs provide a boost.Yun Seong Song et al (2017), CC BY-ND

“Take the stairs!” we’ve all been implored, to help maintain our health. But what if taking the stairs is painful, difficult or, worse, potentially dangerous?

In most public buildings, we can opt for an elevator or escalator ride. But at home (unless you live...

How Trump's nominee for the Fed could turn central banking on its head

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

President Donald Trump on July 10 nominated Randal Quarles to be one of the seven governors of the Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States.

Before I get to Quarles and his qualifications, it’s important to understand the Fed and what it does. Its decisions are vital to every person on the planet who borrows or lends...