The Conversation

How to involve more women and girls in engineering

Written by Carolyn Conner Seepersad, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Let's see how this works.Cockrell School of Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, CC BY-NC

As millions of students of all ages return to school this fall, they are making important choices that have a strong influence on their eventual career path – which college majors to pursue, which high school classes to take, even which elementary...

Why do science issues seem to divide us along party lines?

Written by Lauren Griffin, Co-Director of Research for frank and Manager of the Journal of Public Interest Communications, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida

There's more to it than political beliefs.Buttons image via www.shutterstock.com.

Much has been made about the predictable partisan split between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on issues of science and public policy. But what about their supporters? Can Americans really be that far apart in terms of science?

That liberals...

Why inequality is the most important economic challenge facing the next president

Written by Steven Pressman, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

U.S. middle class, R.I.P.?Middle class demise via www.shutterstock.com

In a recent issue of The Economist, President Barack Obama set out four major economic issues that his successor must tackle. As he put it:

“… restoring faith in an economy where hardworking Americans can get ahead requires addressing four major structural...

Brexit and Trump are bad for our health

Written by Elizabeth Radin, Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University

Politics in America and Europe may be increasingly isolationist, but deadly pathogens aren’t. Votes for Brexit and Donald Trump may in fact be votes for worsening pandemics and fewer doctors and researchers to fight them.

This summer Brits chose to leave the EU and Americans nominated Trump as the Republican Party candidate. On both sides of...

Evangelical Christians are on the left too

Written by Timothy J. Williams, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, University of Oregon

On Oct. 3, Longwood University, a public university in Virginia, hosted the first and only 2016 vice presidential debate. In what were described as the debate’s “most sincere” and “most honest” moments, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Governor Mike Pence (R-IN) discussed their religious faiths.

Pence, a...

Why newspaper endorsements might matter more in this election

Written by Agustin Casas, Assistant Professor of Organization and Business Management, CUNEF

What do The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Columbus Dispatch have in common?

They’ve all broken from their tradition of endorsing Republican nominees and have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.

On the same note, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today and The Atlantic have also done something new this...

Thousands of people didn't evacuate before Hurricane Matthew. Why not?

Written by Jennifer Horney, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatictics, Texas A&M University

Post-Matthew flooding in eastern North CarolinaU.S. Army National Guard/Flickr, CC BY-ND

As Hurricane Matthew approached the Atlantic coast earlier this month, more than 2.5 million people were told to evacuate in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Further orders were issued last week in eastern North Carolina, where devastating...

No, Bob Dylan isn't the first lyricist to win the Nobel

Written by Alex Lubet, Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music, University of Minnesota

A portrait of Indian poet and musician Rabindranath Tagore.Cherishsantosh/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

There’s been a great deal of excitement over Bob Dylan winning the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. It’s rare for artists who have achieved widespread, mainstream popularity to win. And although Nobels often go to Americans, the last...

The Jewish vote may swing key undecided counties, study says

Written by Daniel Parmer, Research Associate, Brandeis University

Jews may account for roughly only 2 percent of the American adult population, but their concentration in a number of swing states and counties makes them a potentially pivotal demographic in this fall’s presidential election.

Between 80 and 85 percent of Jews turn out to vote in national elections – more than 20 percent higher than the...

One step toward making criminal justice less biased

Written by Shima Baughman, Professor of Criminal Law, University of Utah

How can justice be blind to race?www.shuterstock.com

Many experts and politicians believe there is, as Hillary Clinton has said repeatedly, “systematic racism throughout the criminal justice system.”

As recently as the first presidential debate, Hillary Clinton made this point a hallmark of her criminal justice agenda. She claimed that...