The hunger crises you're not hearing about

Revisiting Will Smith’s slap and what it means to protect a loved one

Neil Roberts, Williams College

By slapping Chris Rock during an internationally televised awards ceremony, Will Smith demonstrated that chivalry is not dead. But was that the protection Jada Pinckett Smith wanted or needed?

Caste doesn’t just exist in India or in Hinduism – it is pervasive across many religions in South Asia and the diaspora

Aseem Hasnain, Bridgewater State University; Abhilasha Srivastava, California State University, San Bernardino

Several US universities now recognize caste as part of nondiscrimination policies. Two scholars of South Asian studies explain how caste-based violence isn’t limited to Hinduism, or to India.

Twitter: not even Elon Musk is wealthy enough to bring absolute free speech to the platform – here’s why

Eric Heinze, Queen Mary University of London

We may be besieged by private companies in online spaces, but only up to a point.

Disease-causing parasites can hitch a ride on plastics and potentially spread through the sea, new research suggests

Karen Shapiro, University of California, Davis; Emma Zhang, University of California, Davis

Normally land-bound pathogens that cause deadly diseases for both humans and animals can cling to microplastics and end up in your seafood.

‘Great resignation’ appears to be hastening the exodus of US and other Western companies from Russia

Steven Kreft, Indiana University; Elham Mafi-Kreft, Indiana University

Two scholars of corporate do-goodery suggest a hidden driver of corporate decisions to leave Russia is the global trend in which record numbers of workers are quitting their jobs.

Elon Musk and the oligarchs of the ‘Second Gilded Age’ can not only sway the public – they can exploit their data, too

Nolan Higdon, California State University, East Bay

Media ownership has consolidated around a handful of billionaires – and that might not be great for democracy.

Rising authoritarianism and worsening climate change share a fossil-fueled secret

Eve Darian-Smith, University of California, Irvine

A new book lays out the connections between industries and politicians that are both stalling action on climate change and diminishing democracy.

Beer and spirits have more detrimental effects on the waistline and on cardiovascular disease risk than red or white wine

Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter could make its misinformation problems worse

As Ukraine war deepens great-power divisions, a revitalized non-aligned movement could emerge