How Americans felt about aged leaders in 1776

What Socrates’ ‘know nothing’ wisdom can teach a polarized America

J. W. Traphagan, The University of Texas at Austin; John J. Kaag, UMass Lowell

Athens was deeply polarized over big-picture questions, and Socrates was never hesitant to question both sides’ assumptions – or his own.

Tucker Carlson’s departure and Fox News’ expensive legal woes show the problem with faking ‘authenticity’

Jacob L. Nelson, University of Utah

Tucker Carlson and his employer, Fox News, had an incredible understanding of what their audience wants: a kind of authenticity that is not genuine but instead manipulative.

Genocide resisters, long overlooked by history, step into the spotlight

Nareg Seferian, Virginia Tech

Recent studies on mass violence have turned the spotlight on the resilience of targeted individuals and communities.

South Korea, US presidents to meet in Washington – amid wary glances in the direction of Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow

Sung-Yoon Lee, Tufts University

The meeting is just the second US state visit during the Biden administration. It comes as Washington and Seoul face common concerns.

In centennial year, Turkish voters will choose between Erdoğan’s conservative path and the founder’s modernist vision

Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University

There’s a lot at stake in the May 14 presidential election. Will Turkey continue to be ruled by a populist Islamist government or return to a path of secular democratization?

White power movements in US history have often relied on veterans – and not on lone wolves

Kathleen Belew, Northwestern University

An expert in American history explains the white power movement, its impact on veterans and women and how the Vietnam War was the impetus for extremist groups to gain new members.

Social media scatters your brain, and then you buy stuff you don’t need

Matthew Pittman, University of Tennessee

Scrolling TikTok or Instagram causes mental fatigue, which can lead people to purchase items based on how many ‘likes’ an ad has instead of how much value the product will bring them.

What are stock buybacks, which critics are blaming for hastening Bed Bath & Beyond’s bankruptcy? A finance professor explains

D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University

The retailer has spent nearly $12 billion buying back its own stock since 2005, money that could have been used to invest in its business.

The dirty truth about your phone – and why you need to stop scrolling in the bathroom

From horseback to motorbike: inside the motorcycle boom in Indigenous South America

Hope is on the horizon for a malaria-free Africa