How Fidel Castro changed Cuba: a small island at the centre of the world
Love him or loathe him, the Cuban leader's legacy cannot be denied.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro: Cuban conundrum fought for freedom but entrenched state power
The former Cuban leader, as seen through the eyes of Jean-Paul Sartre.
Analysis and Comment
Mexicans are migrating, just not across the US border
US elections surfaced fears of Mexicans crossing into the US. But their numbers are actually in decline. Why are they choosing to stay in Mexico? Two migration experts went there to find out.
Why literature matters in debate about race and immigrants
If police officers are sent to museums to train observational skills, shouldn't literary texts be used to teach empathy?
Misinformation on social media: Can technology save us?
If people can be conned into jeopardizing our children's lives, as they do when they opt out of immunizations, could they also be conned out of democracy?
Dear Mr. Trump: Climate policy puts lives in your hands
Many thousands, perhaps millions, of lives depend on the direction of Trump's climate policies.
What China’s ‘export machine’ can teach Trump about globalization
China’s goods are everywhere, thanks to the gains China has made from trade and foreign investment. Now that China wants to return the favor, the US may risk losing out if it chooses to turn inward.
Why so many people regain weight after dieting
Weight loss often leads to declines in our resting metabolic rate – how many calories we burn at rest – which makes it hard to keep the weight off. So why does weight loss make resting metabolism go down?
You should talk about politics this Thanksgiving – here’s why, and how
After such a difficult political experience, empathy is the key not only to feeling connected, but feeling understood – and understanding others.
100 years of the ‘gender gap’ in American politics
Clinton won women by 12 points and lost men by 12 -- creating a 24-point 'gender gap.' While that's the largest gender gap in history, the record shows that female voters were always different.
The seeds of the alt-right, America’s emergent right-wing populist movement
An academic who has studied the American far right explores whether the alt-right can become a sustained political force.
Why Trump is right, and wrong, about killing off the TPP
The United States and other countries are right to reject the TPP, but President-elect Donald Trump's claims about it are misguided.
Have reports of Black Friday’s death been greatly exaggerated?
While some pundits claim the much-hyped shopping day that follows our Thanksgiving feasts has lost its relevance, the reality is a lot more complicated, as four important facts show.
Why the Democrats won’t win the House in 2018
State legislators in 18 states are intentionally drawing congressional boundaries to favor their party, according to experts who ran thousands of simulations using open-source mapping software.
Why we have globalization to thank for Thanksgiving
A globalization expert shares two surprising tales of how the powerful winds of trans-Atlantic trade affected the quintessentially American holiday.
Can Black Friday turn green? Outdoor retailers and the paradoxes of eco-friendly shopping
REI's 'Opt Outside' campaign makes a virtue of shunning Black Friday and hiking instead of shopping. But while outdoor retailers preach sustainability, they still fuel our consuming habits.
With waning US leadership on climate, nonstate actors to play outsize role
Recent global climate talks at COP22 saw a growing role for businesses, NGOs and the state of California – a promising sign for action on climate change in the face of U.S. inaction.
Why kids younger than 12 don’t need OTC cough and cold remedies
It's only natural for parents to want to help their children when they suffer from a cold. Here's why the best treatment may be no treatment, except for natural remedies like honey and a little TLC.
How much should air traffic controllers trust new flight management systems?
The FAA's NextGen system should bring safety and efficiency to American air travel, but its users need to understand it clearly.
Trump’s immigration policy would push legal US workers down the occupational ladder
Many US voters appear to believe that deporting illegal immigrants would boost job opportunities and wages for US workers. But economic modelling suggests different conclusions.
Cyber Monday gives a big boost to mobile commerce
Do conservatives value ‘moral purity’ more than liberals?
The two men who almost derailed New England’s first colonies
How Thanksgiving tells a story of America’s pluralism
Remembering the US soldiers who refused orders to murder Native Americans at Sand Creek
It wasn’t just ‘fake news’ presenting a fake Hillary Clinton
Confirmation bias: A psychological phenomenon that helps explain why pundits got it wrong
Trump transition
What Trump’s election could mean for women: Fewer reproductive rights, new help for working families?
What will Donald Trump do for women as president? Republicans want to curb abortion rights, but Trump could break new ground and win female support by delivering on child care and paid family leave.
Donald Trump and the world: Five challenges
Can Mike Pence solve Trump’s outsider problem with Congress?
Trump may dismantle the EPA Clean Power Plan but its targets look resilient
Why repealing Obamacare may not be as easy as Trump thinks
Trump may reverse US climate policy but will have trouble dismantling EPA
Sanctuary spaces
What’s the history of sanctuary spaces and why do they matter?
Students and faculty are demanding universities declare themselves sanctuary campuses. Historically, sanctuary offered both legal and moral protection for the vulnerable.
Here’s how undocumented students are able to enroll at American universities
Twenty states not only accept undocumented students in higher education institutions, but also provide them with financial support.
US health care
Three reasons the US doesn’t have universal health coverage
As Obamacare premium prices rise, many are asking why the U.S. doesn't have universal health care in the first place. The reasons may surprise you.
Marijuana
With legal pot comes a problem: How do we weed out impaired drivers?
We have a reliable and easy-to-use test to measure blood alcohol concentration. But right now we don't have a fast, reliable test to gauge whether someone is too doped up to drive.
Marijuana legalization: Big changes across country
Big Tobacco loses tax battle in California, but Big Marijuana is on the rise
What counts as ‘medical marijuana’ varies from state to state – and that’s a problem
Decriminalization doesn’t address marijuana’s standing as a drug of the poor
Will legal marijuana lead to more addicts? Probably not
U.S. Presidential Election
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
The future of genetic enhancement is not in the West
Regulations, funding and public opinion around genetically enhancing future generations vary from country to country. Here's why China may be poised to be the pioneer.
Five things that explain Donald Trump’s stunning presidential election victory
The pundits and polls got it wrong. Here's why.
Facebook’s problem is more complicated than fake news
Even if fake articles could be curbed and filtered news modified, there's something built into Facebook's anatomy that foments partisan rage.
This election was not hacked – but it was attacked
Though there is no indication hackers affected the outcome of the election, we still must act to improve the cybersecurity of American elections.
Why understanding Native American religion is important for resolving the Dakota Access Pipeline crisis
A scholar explains what makes landscapes sacred in Native American religion and why there needs to be a better understanding of the ties to the land.
The perils of a life in isolation
When human contact is cut off, the brain begins to act in strange ways to preserve its sanity.
Here’s why daylight saving time isn’t worth the trouble it causes
Daylight saving time advocates say it conserves energy and wins wars. But studies show that injuries and illnesses rise when we switch the clocks. One solution: staying on DST year-round.
When ‘energy’ drinks actually contained radioactive energy
Back in the early 1900s, if you felt a bit sluggish you could reach for a beverage enhanced with radioactive elements to really add some pep to your step. It wouldn't be a healthy choice, though.
Why the Native American pipeline resistance in North Dakota is about climate justice
What is the months-long North Dakota Access Pipeline protest really about? A Native American scholar connects the dots to environmental justice and the legacy of U.S. colonialism.
Why do science issues seem to divide us along party lines?
Social scientists investigate when and why liberals and conservatives mistrust science. The apparent split may be more about cultural and personal beliefs than feelings about science itself.
Can Trump create millions of jobs? Don’t bet on it
A study of the three casinos Donald Trump owned in Atlantic City shows they performed far worse than their rivals, losing more jobs and revenue.
A military view on climate change: It’s eroding our national security and we should prepare for it
Politicians are still debating whether climate change is real, but military planners call it a serious threat. A retired rear admiral explains how climate change affects U.S. national security.
Why isn’t science better? Look at career incentives
Embracing more rigorous scientific methods would mean getting science right more often than we currently do. But the way we value and reward scientists makes this a challenge.
Fixing US elections
Republicans want voter ID laws. Democrats want more access to the ballot. Why do we have to choose?
How vulnerable to hacking is the US election cyber infrastructure?
With the DNC email leak and Trump calling on Russia to hack Clinton's emails, concern about foreign meddling in the 2016 presidential election process is rising. Is e-voting the next cyber battleground?
Most Read past week
- Pleasure is good: How French children acquire a taste for life
- Why kids younger than 12 don’t need OTC cough and cold remedies
- It wasn’t just ‘fake news’ presenting a fake Hillary Clinton
- The seeds of the alt-right, America’s emergent right-wing populist movement
- Why so many people regain weight after dieting
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