Author: TheConversation

By Adrian Bardon, Professor of Philosophy, Wake Forest University Americans increasingly exist in highly polarized, informationally insulated ideological communities occupying their own information universes. Within segments of the political blogosphere, global warming is dismissed as either a hoax or so uncertain as to be unworthy of response. Within other geographic or online communities, the science of vaccine safety, fluoridated drinking water and genetically modified foods is distorted or ignored. There is a marked gap in expressed concern over the coronavirus depending on political party affiliation, apparently based in part on partisan disagreements over factual issues like the effectiveness of...

By Melissa Hawkins, Professor of Public Health, Director of Public Health Scholars Program, American University After sustained declines in the number of COVID-19 cases over recent months, restrictions are starting to ease across the United States. Numbers of new cases are falling or stable at low numbers in some states, but they are surging in many others. Overall, the U.S. is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of new cases a day, and by late June, had surpassed the peak rate of spread in early April. When seeing these increasing case numbers, it is reasonable to wonder if...

By Keith M. Bellizzi, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut We are all exhausted and pushed to the limit by months of social distancing, and the recent news that cases are climbing in many states is especially scary. While you may feel like ripping off your mask and heading for a bar, there are more productive ways to deal with the challenges we face. And in fact, staying home may be the best course of action in the next couple of weeks, some experts have said. It’s also a good time to learn and practice...