When image trumps ideology: How JFK created the template for the modern presidency
Reagan, Clinton, Obama and Trump would all pull from the Kennedy playbook, from mastering the media to exuding masculine vitality.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
JFK's 100th Birthday
JFK at 100: Why we still cherish his memory
John Fitzgerald Kennedy consistently ranks as one of America's most popular leaders. A presidential historian argues that didn't just happen – it was the result of an effort to create an image.
Analysis and Comment
Why Montana just elected Greg Gianforte, a man charged with assault, to Congress
The race pitted a singing cowboy against a millionaire software entrepreneur – and it got ugly at the end.
When Trump met NATO: Blunt talk and meaningful silences
Candidate Donald Trump called NATO 'obsolete.' Since becoming president he has reversed that view, but what he said – and didn't say – during his recent visit will not have put NATO leaders at ease.
Poor and middle-income families need a better way than 529s to save for college
More than half of American families aren't able to save a dime to cover the cost of college, and the 529 college savings plan has done almost nothing to change that.
How would engineers build the Golden Gate Bridge today?
It's been 80 years since this beloved landmark opened to San Francisco traffic. In the interim, technology has advanced – is there a better way to span this strait?
Homeless vets with families: An untold part of veterans’ struggles
Homelessness among veterans overall is on the decline. But researchers see an increasing number of homeless vets who are single mothers or supporting young families.
Who are the Coptic Christians?
Among the Christians of the Middle East, the largest number – some eight million or so – is of Egypt’s Copts. Here's their story.
How do the chemicals in sunscreen protect our skin from damage?
Energy from the sun's rays can cause skin damage and cancers. Sunscreens can absorb or reflect the dangerous UV light. Here's how it works.
Why a monthly period is especially hard for millions of women and girls around the world
For millions of girls and women, menstruation is a burden. Here's why helping displaced and poor women and girls with their periods is a way to show true respect for them.
Designing games that change perceptions, opinions and even players’ real-life actions
Readers read, viewers watch and players do. That level of engagement gives games real power to influence people both within and outside the play itself.
Trump says the IRS regulates churches too much. Here’s why he’s wrong
President Trump claims that churches suffer from the over-regulation of their political speech. In reality, oversight is lax for religious groups and secular tax-exempt nonprofits alike.
The song that had one British politician wishing for the Sex Pistols’ ‘sudden death’
Banned from the BBC, denied its rightful place on the charts, 'God Save the Queen' – released 40 years ago this month – remains one of the most controversial protest songs of all time.
Brazil plunges once more into political crisis, jeopardizing economic recovery
Brazil's president, who came to power after his ex-boss was impeached, now finds himself embroiled in corruption charges, which threaten to derail the economic recovery he has championed.
Iraq and Afghanistan: The US$6 trillion bill for America’s longest war is unpaid
In past wars, taxes were increased to cover some of the extra spending. That's not the case for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the costs are adding up fast.
America’s worsening global reputation could put billions in US exports at risk
Surveys show Trump's election is damaging America's reputation abroad, which research suggests could deal a sharp blow to US trade.
Scientists at work: Forecasting the Atlantic hurricane season
Two atmospheric scientists explain how they weigh evidence such as ocean temperatures, wind speeds and other climate patterns to predict how many Atlantic hurricanes are likely to form this year.
How Google Street View became fertile ground for artists
In the 10 years since Google Street View launched, the platform has provided ample fodder for artists, who have used it to comment on surveillance, poverty and gentrification.
Building resilience early in life can help children cope with trauma
Poor experiences in childhood can have a lifelong effect on health. How can caregivers help prepare children to handle past and future trauma?
If Israeli lawmakers demote the Arabic language, then what?
A linguistics scholar explains why the loss of Arabic in Israel would be a loss of history, culture and possibly human rights.
Political chaos in Libya makes it a haven for radical terrorist groups
Of all the places for a jihadist militant group to operate, it would be hard to find a more conducive country than Libya.
Why it was once unthinkable for the president to be seen with the pope
The GOP was once the political home of anti-Catholicism. And the Vatican, it was believed, would use a Catholic president as a way to meddle in US politics.
How data is transforming the music industry
Does musical taste even matter anymore? Or does a data-driven feedback loop – where what you enjoy in the past shapes what you hear today – influence what you'll like in the future?
Understanding tornadoes: 5 questions answered
More tornadoes occur in the United States than in any other country, mainly in the Great Plains, the Midwest and southern states. Two meteorology professors explain what causes these dangerous storms.
Yale grad students’ hunger strike can’t turn the tide for labor
Graduate students are on hunger strike, demanding that Yale negotiate with their newly elected union. But Trump appointees could change the landscape of collective bargaining for everyone.
What Trump missed in his address on tolerance - American Muslims
Trump avoided many of the missteps his critics feared, but he failed to acknowledge the presence of America's large Muslim population and its contribution to American society.
FBI
Mueller’s threats to resign reveal his character
How will Mueller perform as special counsel? A historian compares his actions with another former FBI director to find out.
Memorial Day
Military-funded prosthetic technologies benefit more than just veterans
Devices created for service members and veterans also help civilian children, elderly people and young adults maximize their mobility.
What veterans’ poems can teach us about healing on Memorial Day
An Army veteran and professor of rhetoric explores poetry written by veterans about a divisive holiday born of the Civil War.
Health care debate
Beyond the CBO score: How Trump Budget and the AHCA are dismantling America’s safety net
The CBO analysis of the new health care bill not only shows that tens of millions would lose insurance. It is a major shift in this country's attitudes and policies toward helping the poor.
How Trump and Tom Price can kill Obamacare without the Senate
Why the US does not have universal health care, while many other countries do
Why America needs a ‘do-over’ on Medicaid reform
How did health insurance get so complicated? Here are some answers
How pre-existing conditions became front and center in health care vote
Manchester attack
The Islamic State group has weaponized children
To the terrorist, children have become but a means to an end. Weapon and target.
What is terrorism? What do terrorists want?
Manchester attack: now is the time to properly talk about ‘radicalisation’
How social ties make us resilient to trauma
Manchester attack: a sophisticated operation that increases pressure on security services
Manchester attack: we are in an ‘arms race’ against ever adapting terror networks
Here’s how witnessing violence harms children’s mental health
Memorial Day
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Impeachment: It’s political
Could Trump be removed from office? Answering that question is less about understanding the law and more about counting votes.
New public database reveals striking differences in how guns are regulated from state to state
How have state firearm laws changed over time? Over the past 27 years, some states have loosened the rules for gun owners and the gun industry, while others are getting stricter.
Why Ramadan is called Ramadan: 6 questions answered
There are many myths around Ramadan. A scholar explains the religious observance and its spiritual significance.
Beyond just promise, CRISPR is delivering in the lab today
Researchers are starting to harness the potential of this much-hyped gene editing technique – with coming applications in medicine, biology and agriculture.
Are solar and wind really killing coal, nuclear and grid reliability?
Energy Secretary Rick Perry wants to know if wind and solar are compromising the reliability of the grid and hurting coal power. The answer lies in his home state of Texas.
How African-Americans disappeared from the Kentucky Derby
Black jockeys won more than half of the first 25 runnings of the Kentucky Derby. Then they started losing their jobs.
How crossing the US-Mexico border became a crime
Trump's administration plans to ramp up prosecution of unauthorized border crossings. Here's the story of how it became illegal in the first place.
Can Bill Nye – or any other science show – really save the world?
Popular programming that focuses on science tends to not actually be all that popular. Bringing in new audiences who aren't already up to speed on science topics is a challenge.
Physics of poo: Why it takes you and an elephant the same amount of time
New parenthood got our fluid dynamics experts thinking about what ends up in the diaper. They headed to the zoo and the lab to come up with a cohesive physics story for how defecation works.
Why big-data analysis of police activity is inherently biased
Crime data reflect only what crimes are identified by the police – not all the crimes that occur. So decisions based on crime data are necessarily biased and incompletely informed.
Medieval medical books could hold the recipe for new antibiotics
A team of medievalists and scientists look back to history – including a 1,000-year-old eyesalve recipe – for clues to new antibiotics.
Child anxiety and parenting in the Trump era
With emotionally charged rhetoric from both sides of the aisle and many parents in a heightened state of distress, children are more vulnerable than ever to anxiety. What can parents do?
The myth of the college dropout
While the media glamorizes famous college dropouts like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, the reality is that most successful people in the U.S. went to – and finished – college.
Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter?
Kindergarteners are under tremendous pressure – doing as many as 15 academic activities in a day, with a shorter recess time. What is the long-term impact?
Most Read past week
- New public database reveals striking differences in how guns are regulated from state to state
- What’s behind the fidget spinner fad?
- Why do only some people get ‘skin orgasms’ from listening to music?
- Why dads can’t be the dads they want to be
- America’s worsening global reputation could put billions in US exports at risk
Pitch an idea
Got a news tip or article idea for The Conversation?
Our Audience
The Conversation has a monthly audience of 4.8 million users, and reach of 35 million through Creative Commons republication.
Want to Write?
Write an article and join a growing community of more than 50,700 academics and researchers from 2,042 institutions.
Make a Donation
The Conversation relies on university, foundation and reader support. If you would like to help us have even better conversations, then you may like to make a one-off or on-going donation.