The Conversation

People hand over plastic bottles to be refilled with water

Calls for a ‘green’ Ramadan revive Islam’s long tradition of sustainability and care for the planet

in recent years, Muslim communities around the world have used the period to rally around themes of social awareness. And this includes understanding the perils of wastefulness and embracing the link between Ramadan and environmental consciousness. As a historian of Islam, Noor Zaidi, assistant professor of history, sees the “greening” of Ramadan as entirely in keeping with the traditions of the faith, and in particular the observance of Ramadan. Continue Reading Calls for a ‘green’ Ramadan revive Islam’s long tradition of sustainability and care for the planet

Man standing with his arms crossed in front of a backdrop of flags from around the world and students sitting.

Studying abroad is poised to make a post-pandemic comeback – here are 5 questions students who plan to study overseas should ask

Before the pandemic struck in 2020, the number of U.S. students studying abroad had been pretty much rising steadily each year. The global spread of COVID-19, however, brought the steady growth in study abroad to a screeching halt in early 2020. Continue Reading Studying abroad is poised to make a post-pandemic comeback – here are 5 questions students who plan to study overseas should ask

A coquí frog sitting on top of a person's index and thumb fingers

Mini creatures with mighty voices know their audience and focus on a single frequency

A great number of calls exist throughout the animal kingdom – and many are used to attract mates or defend territories. Evolution has favored those able to make sounds efficiently. The louder and more focused the energy in the call and the closer in pitch it is to the intended listener’s optimal hearing range, the farther away a potential mate or rival will hear it. Continue Reading Mini creatures with mighty voices know their audience and focus on a single frequency

A glowing green rectangular outline on a black background. Inside the rectangle are a few more glowing green lines an red dots. https://www.flickr.com/photos/64860478@N05/27460678507/

Organ-on-a-chip models allow researchers to conduct studies closer to real-life conditions – and possibly grease the drug development pipeline

Bringing a new drug to market costs billions of dollars and can take over a decade. That contributes to today’s skyrocketing health care costs and creates significant obstacles to delivering new therapies to patients. But organ-on-a-chip models offer a better way, Chengpeng Chen argues. Continue Reading Organ-on-a-chip models allow researchers to conduct studies closer to real-life conditions – and possibly grease the drug development pipeline

Woman smiling at camera standing outdoors, green grass and trees in background.

FTX’s collapse mirrors an infamous 18th century British financial scandal

In modern capitalism, it seems as if stories of companies and managers who engage in fraud occur like the changing of the seasons. In fact, these scandals can be traced back to the origins of publicly traded companies during the 1700s. As a historian of 18th century finance, I am struck by the similarities between what’s known as the Charitable Corporation Scandal and the recent collapse of FTX. Continue Reading FTX’s collapse mirrors an infamous 18th century British financial scandal

A person with cropped blond hair, wearing a grey t-shirt, stands with their arms crossed over their stomach, looking seriously. Democracy.

Americans think they know a lot about politics – and it’s bad for democracy that they’re so often wrong in their confidence

“In recent research, I studied how Americans’ perceptions of their own political knowledge shape their political attitudes,” says Ian Anson, associate professor of political science. “My results show that many Americans think they know much more about politics than they really do. Political overconfidence causes Americans to underestimate the political skill of their peers. And those who believe themselves to be political experts often dismiss the guidance of real experts.” Continue Reading Americans think they know a lot about politics – and it’s bad for democracy that they’re so often wrong in their confidence

A man with glasses stares through a window pensively

Did Twitter ignore basic security measures? A cybersecurity expert explains a whistleblower’s claims

By Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer,Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, UMBC Twitter’s former security chief, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, filed a whistleblower complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission in July 2022, accusing the microblogging platform company of serious security failings. The accusations amplified the ongoing drama of Twitter’s potential sale to Elon Musk. Zatko spent decades as an ethical hacker, private researcher, government adviser and executive at some of the most prominent internet companies and government offices. He is practically a legend in the cybersecurity industry. Because of his reputation, when he speaks, people and governments normally listen – which underscores… Continue Reading Did Twitter ignore basic security measures? A cybersecurity expert explains a whistleblower’s claims

Political crowdfunding does more than raise money – it can also rile up opponents

The success of politicians in the U.S. largely depends on the amount of funding they receive from various sources. Traditionally, volunteers went door to door to solicit donations from individuals. Today, politicians use social media to encourage their supporters to donate and eventually vote for them. Many politicians have turned to this sort of political crowdfunding. Continue Reading Political crowdfunding does more than raise money – it can also rile up opponents

Scroll to Top