By Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University
Patrick van Esch, Associate Professor of Marketing, Coastal Carolina University
AI agents are poised to do your online shopping for you, with major consequences for the e-commerce industry – and your ability to make choices.
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By Ibrahim Al-Marashi, Adjunct Professor, IE School of Humanities, IE University; California State University San Marcos
August 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Just a month after the attacks, on 19 October 1945, George Orwell published an essay in the London Tribune, entitled “You and the Atom Bomb”. In it, he surmised what if “the great nations make a tacit agreement never to use the atomic bomb against one another?” He wrote that what would emerge is a “peace that is no peace”, and “a permanent state of ‘cold war’”, introducing…
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By Navid Tahvildari, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University
Storm surge is the No. 1 cause of deaths and damage during a hurricane, yet detailed storm surge forecasts are difficult to create. AI could turn that around.
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By Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor Questrom School of Business, Boston University
Halloween is a fun, scary time for children and adults alike – but why does the holiday seem to start so much earlier every year? Decades ago, when I was young, Halloween was a much smaller affair, and people didn’t start preparing until mid-October. Today, in my neighborhood near where I grew up in Massachusetts, Halloween decorations start appearing in the middle of summer.
What’s changed isn’t just when we celebrate but how: Halloween has evolved from a simple folk tradition to a massive commercial event. As a business…
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By Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College
From 19th century British navy to US destroyers in the Caribbean, diplomacy at seas has been accompanied by military might.
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By George Anastasia, Adjunct Professor of Law and Justice Studies, Rowan University
The bloody mob war that is the focus of the new Netflix series “Mob War: Philadelphia vs. The Mafia,” which premieres Oct. 22, 2025, is full of the murder and mayhem, treachery and deceit that have been the hallmarks of the nation’s Cosa Nostra family conflicts.
What was different in Philadelphia was that the FBI had it all wired for sound.
Electronic surveillance has been a major tool in the government’s highly successful war against the Mafia…
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By Charles Vanthournout, Ph.D. Student in Ancient History, Université de Lorraine
There was a reason Southern businessmen and thinkers were inspired by ancient Egypt: To them, it served as proof that all great civilizations were hierarchal societies sustained by enslaved labor.
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By Michael Watson, Interim Associate Chair and Instructor of Retailing, University of South Carolina
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.
“Why are ladies’ shoes so pointy? Feet and toes aren’t pointy, most of men’s shoes aren’t pointy, and they hurt my feet.” – Bunny, age 13, Mizpah, New Jersey
While people’s actual feet are rounded on the…
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By Jordan Bretzfelder, Postdoctoral Fellow, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
A planetary scientist who has participated in analog missions describes their value for planning space exploration – and learning about extreme environments on Earth.
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By Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of International Relations and International Development, Department of International Relations, University of Sussex
Early in his second presidency, Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs was met with widespread scepticism. Critics warned of economic decline and a global backlash. Yet the current landscape for the United States paints a more complex picture.
Less than a year into his second term in office, the White House claims that Trump is bringing manufacturing back to…
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