Why Christian clergy see risk as part of their moral calling

Laura E. Alexander, University of Nebraska Omaha

Clergy sometimes place themselves in harm’s way for moral and religious reasons. A scholar of religious ethics explains when – and why.

As Jeff Bezos dismantles The Washington Post, 5 regional papers chart a course for survival

Dan Kennedy, Northeastern University

Other billionaires who own newspapers are doing a better job, a journalism professor explains.

Why eating cheap chocolate can feel embarrassing – even though no one else cares

Siti Nuraisyah Suwanda, West Virginia University; Emily Tanner, West Virginia University; M. Paula Fitzgerald, West Virginia University

Researchers describe what they call a consumption stigma – when you feel judged or looked down on for using certain products or services.

‘Which Side Are You On?’: American protest songs have emboldened social movements for generations, from coal country to Minneapolis

Ted Olson, East Tennessee State University

Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ within days of Alex Pretti’s killing, continuing a long tradition of songs as protest against violence and repression.

RNA is key to the dark matter of the genome − scientists are sequencing it to illuminate human health and disease

Thomas Begley, University at Albany, State University of New York; Marlene Belfort, University at Albany, State University of New York

Researchers are embarking on the RNA equivalent of the Human Genome Project, including sequencing all the chemical modifications that make cells unique.

Mapping cemeteries for class – how students used phones and drones to help a city count its headstones

Robbyn Abbitt, Miami University

Cemeteries are a treasure trove of local history and family connection. Technology and ingenuity have made mapping them easier.

Local governments provide proof that polarization is not inevitable

Lauren Hall, Rochester Institute of Technology

Partisan debates are less heated at the local level, providing lessons that might help calm the waters nationally.

How a 22-year-old George Washington learned how to lead, from a series of mistakes in the Pennsylvania wilderness

Christopher Magra, University of Tennessee

Washington’s fundamental character as a military leader was forged in the Ohio River Valley, where he also inadvertently helped ignite the French and Indian War.

Historically Black colleges and universities do more than offer Black youths a pathway to opportunity and success – I teach criminology, and my research suggests another benefit

Andrea Hagan, Loyola University New Orleans

HBCUs make up just 3% of the country’s colleges and universities. But their graduates include 40% of Black engineers and 50% of Black lawyers.

Can shoes alter your mind? What neuroscience says about foot sensation and focus

Whether it’s yoga, rock climbing or Dungeons & Dragons, taking leisure to a high level can be good for your well-being

No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ – why are so many still labeled that way?