Predictive policing AI is on the rise − making it accountable to the public could curb its harmful effects
By: Maria Lungu, Postdoctoral Researcher of Law and Public Administration, University of Virginia The 2002 sci-fi thriller “Minority Report” depicted a dystopian future where a specialized police unit was tasked with arresting people for crimes they had not yet committed. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, the […]
Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach
By: Riley Drake, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has attempted to bar teachers from discussing racism and sexism in K-12 schools and order all schools that receive federal funding to recognize only two gender identities – male and female – potentially barring teachers from acknowledging the existence of nonbinary, gender queer and transgender […]
The sudden dismissal of public records staff at health agencies threatens government accountability
By: Reshma Ramachandran, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Yale University Mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services are continuing as the agency makes good on its intention, announced on March 27, 2025, to shrink its workforce by 20,000 people. Among workers dismissed in early April were several teams responsible for fulfilling requests for […]
23andMe is potentially selling more than just genetic data – the personal survey info it collected is just as much a privacy problem
By: Kayte Spector-Bagdady, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan As soon as the genetic testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy on March 23, 2025, concerns about what would happen to the personal information contained in its massive genetic and health information database were swift and widespread. A few days after, a U.S. judge ruled […]
More than just chips: Chinese threats and Trump tariffs could disrupt lots of ‘made in Taiwan’ imports − disappointing US builders, cyclists and golfers alike
By: Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor Questrom School of Business, Boston University What would the United States stand to lose economically if its current access to the Taiwanese market were upended or totally restricted? This seemingly theoretical question about the longtime U.S. trading partner has taken on more relevance in the past several weeks. […]
Shop smarter, not harder. How gentle messaging can help the planet more than tough talk
By: Jasmine Mohsen, Doctoral Researcher in Consumer Psychology and Consumer Behaviour, University of Leeds Fast fashion is booming, but so is its environmental toll. With up to 10% of global carbon emissions linked to the industry, the over-consumption of cheap clothing has made sustainability campaigns more vital than ever. Yet, even as awareness of fast fashion’s environmental […]
Rising house prices don’t just make it harder to become a homeowner – they also widen the racial wealth gap
By: Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland Homeownership – long a cornerstone of the “the American dream” – is increasingly out of reach for the average American. Over the past four decades, U.S. house prices have risen by 75% in real terms, pushing the costs of homeownership for the typical first-time homebuyer […]
Home ownership is slipping out of reach. It’s time to rethink our fear of ‘forever renting’
By: Dorina Pojani, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland A wide range of voices in the Australian media have been sounding the alarm about the phenomenon of “forever-renting”. This describes a situation in which individuals or families are unable to transition from renting to home ownership, due to rising property values and wages that can’t […]
When AI plays favourites: How algorithmic bias shapes the hiring process
By: Asit Kumar Mishra, Research Fellow in School of Public of Health, University College Cork A public interest group filed a U.S. federal complaint against artificial intelligence hiring tool, HireVue, in 2019 for deceptive hiring practices. The software, which has been adopted by hundreds of companies, favoured certain facial expressions, speaking styles and tones of voice, […]
From sunscreen to essential oils, why some personal care products could be harmful to your health
By: Asit Kumar Mishra, Research Fellow in School of Public of Health, University College Cork Each time you apply sunscreen to your face, you may inhale somewhere between 10 to 30 milligrams of ethanol, the type of alcohol used in alcoholic drinks. While the ethanol in sunscreen may not give you a buzz, it could make […]