By Amaarah DeCuir, American University | – Ramadan – the Islamic month of fasting – is expected to begin at sunset on March 10, 2024. The likely first day of fasting will be Monday, March 11. Amaarah DeCuir, who researches Muslim student experiences, offers insights into how public schools can move toward greater recognition of […]
Israeli Peace Activists agree War must end with some form of Democracy for All
By Atalia Omer, University of Notre Dame | – (The Conversation) – The months since Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, have been excruciating ones for Israeli peace activists. As the country rallies behind the war effort, critics have been arrested and condemned by opponents who say the attacks proved how misguided the peace movement […]
The War in Gaza is wiping out Palestine’s Education and Knowledge Systems
By Chandni Desai, University of Toronto | – (The Conversation) – Gaza’s education system has suffered significantly since Israel’s bombardment and assault on the strip began. Last month, Israel blew up Gaza’s last standing university, Al-Israa University. In the past four months, all or parts of Gaza’s 12 universities have been bombed and mostly destroyed. […]
My Malaysia Ordeal shows how Religion can Fuse with Nationalism to Silence Dissent
By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – (The Conversation) – I hadn’t expected my book tour in Malaysia to end with a confrontation with men who identified themselves as police in a Kuala Lumpur airport. I arrived in the Muslim-majority country in early January 2024 to promote the Malay translation of my […]
How Climate Change is Messing up the Ocean’s Biological Clock, a Potential Catastrophe
By Frédéric Cyr, Memorial University of Newfoundland | – Every year in the mid-latitudes of the planet, a peculiar phenomenon known as the phytoplankton spring bloom occurs. Visible from space, spectacular large and ephemeral filament-like shades of green and blue are shaped by the ocean currents. The phytoplankton blooms are comprised of a myriad of […]
More than 100,000 Michigan voters pick ‘uncommitted’ over Biden − does that Matter for November?
By Michael Traugott, University of Michigan | – Joe Biden won the 2024 Michigan Democratic primary, but “uncommitted” ran a spirited campaign. More than 100,000 Michiganders voted “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, 13% of the Democratic electorate. Listen to Michigan organized the uncommitted campaign in Michigan, promoting it as a way to express dissatisfaction with […]
Four Ways AI could Help us Respond to Climate Change
By Lakshmi Babu Saheer, Anglia Ruskin University | – (The Conversation) – Advanced AI systems are coming under increasing critcism for how much energy they use. But it’s important to remember that AI could also contribute in various ways to our response to climate change. Climate change can be broken down into several smaller problems […]
How Renewable Energy Innovation Makes us Richer while Saving the Planet
By Deborah de Lange, Toronto Metropolitan University | – (The Conversation) – As the climate crisis escalates, there are urgent and difficult choices that need to be made to drastically reduce our carbon emissions before more irreparable damage is done. Many have argued the energy industry needs to change to reduce carbon emissions, but one […]
Why Planting Forests alone is no Panacea for the Climate Crisis
By James Weber, University of Reading; and James A. King, University of Sheffield | – (The Conversation) – Tackling climate change by planting trees has an intuitive appeal. They absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the atmosphere without using expensive technology. The suggestion that you can plant trees to offset your carbon emissions is […]