Are Islamic State recruits more street gang members than zealots?
With terrorists striking again in Spain and in Finland, one cannot help but ask -- again -- why people want to follow the Islamic State. Some new theories are emerging.
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How religion motivates people to give and serve
Religious values, deeply rooted in texts, serve as an important motivator for giving. Religious Americans volunteer more, give more, and give more often.
The Confederate statue debate: 3 essential reads
Should they stay or should they go?
Harvard study strengthens link between breast cancer risk and light exposure at night
Study uses satellite data to add to growing evidence that nighttime light exposure raises risk of breast cancer, with the strongest link among young women.
More states are allowing guns on college campuses
More and more states are passing legislation requiring that students and faculty be permitted to carry concealed weapons on campus. But shouldn't universities have a choice when it comes to campus safety?
Curbing climate change: Why it’s so hard to act in time
Why is it so hard to reach consensus about how to slow climate change? Multiple time lags get in the way: some make it hard to convey the risk, while others prolong the search for solutions.
Explaining polygamy and its history in the Mormon Church
Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, taught that a righteous man could help numerous women and children go to heaven by being 'sealed' in plural marriage. Norms have been revised, but tensions remain.
Making driverless cars safe for people on foot
Pedestrians ensure their safety by making eye contact with human drivers. Autonomous cars will have to communicate with nearby people in other ways.
Is Ryan Kelly’s iconic photograph an American ‘Guernica’?
Ryan Kelly's iconic photograph from Charlottesville evokes a 'Unite the Right' moment from 1937 – and the anti-war masterpiece by Picasso that emerged from it.
Charlottesville and the politics of fear
Trump is a master of using anger to motivate his base. An anti-terrorism researcher explains how to stem the tide.
Why state-level single-payer health care efforts are doomed
With Obamacare in peril and no health care plan in sight, it's logical to ask whether states could design their own single-payer health insurance plans. Efforts in California show why it's unlikely.
Why tourists go to sites associated with death and suffering
In recent years, the number of people traveling to sites of death, natural disaster, acts of violence, tragedy and crimes against humanity has dramatically increased. Is it immoral?
How ancient cultures explained eclipses
The sun was worshiped as a deity in many cultures – and witnessing it get extinguished could be a particularly terrifying event.
How union stakes in ailing papers like the Chicago Sun-Times may keep them alive
Giving labor unions a financial stake in a company such as a newspaper can offer unique advantages that could benefit employees, society and the bottom line.
FirstNet for emergency communications: 6 questions answered
A multibillion-dollar effort is just beginning to build an all-new nationwide wireless broadband network for emergency responders. How will it work, why do we need it and how will it last 25 years?
Trump’s rejection of national climate report would do more damage than exiting the Paris Agreement
The Trump administration's decision to dismiss or accept a government-prepared climate report will have life-or-death consequences, says a climate scientist involved in the previous report.
How much longer will Maduro’s grip on power last? Look to the military
The loyalty of Venezuela’s soldiers is getting shaky. History shows from the Arab Spring to Latin American coups, when the military withdraws support for a leader, a fall from power is imminent.
How subversive artists made thrift shopping cool
Over the past 100 years, discarded and secondhand goods have been used by artists to reject mainstream aesthetics.
Are you lonesome tonight? Why we, like Elvis, turn to food for comfort
Perhaps no one entertainer from the 20th century influenced pop culture as much as Elvis. And yet, by his own admission, the King turned to food for comfort. Here's why food takes on added meaning.
How a British royal’s monumental errors made India’s partition more painful
The partition of India led to a genocide that was unprecedented in scale. How far was one man, Lord Mountbatten, who hurriedly drew the new borders, responsible?
Disarming North Korea means making concessions
A former Department of Defense and State Department official explains why a hardline approach on North Korea will likely fail, as it did with Iran.
Tracing the sources of today’s Russian cyberthreat
The Russian cyberthreat goes back over three decades, extends into the country's educational systems and criminal worlds, and shows no signs of letting up.
Bait and switch: Anchovies eat plastic because it smells like prey
A new study shows that anchovies – key food for larger fish – are attracted to plastic trash because it smells like food. This suggests that toxic substances in plastic could move up through food chains.
Trump’s threat to withdraw from NAFTA may hit a hurdle: The US Constitution
As the Trump team begins renegotiating NAFTA with Canada and Mexico, a key plank in its strategy – a threat to withdraw – may be a hollow one.
How parents can help their freshman teens cope with stress
School can always be stressful, but starting high school for the first time comes with its own fears and anxieties. Here's some simple advice for parents to help their freshmen navigate the new year.