Race in college admissions under fire

Editor's note

Harvard College’s admissions program was once considered a shining example of how race could be used in college admissions. But a pending case that challenges the Ivy League school’s practice could deal a death blow to efforts to diversify colleges and universities throughout the United States, argues Florida State University assistant professor of higher education Lara Perez-Falkner.

The last flu season was particularly harsh, with public health officials estimating 80,000 Americans died from influenza and its complications. Will the flu season now getting underway in the U.S. be as deadly? Indiana University biologist Patricia Foster writes that this year’s vaccine is expected to be a better match with the circulating strains of flu. She explains what goes into crafting what’s in your flu shot.

And Georgia State University’s political scientist Jeffrey Lazarus looks at the main challenges facing candidates in Georgia’s heated gubernatorial race, the latest battleground in a state presumed safely red not so long ago.

Jamaal Abdul-Alim

Education Editor

Health + Medicine

Transgender and non-binary people face health care discrimination every day in the US

Shanna K. Kattari, University of Michigan

Outed. Denied care. Openly harassed. These are just a few of the experiences reported by American transgender and non-binary individuals when seeking medical care or social services.
E-cigarettes and a new threat: How to dispose of them

Yogi H. Hendlin, University of California, San Francisco

E-cigarettes are hotly debated because of the uncertainty of whether they are a gateway to cigarette smoking for teens, or an aid to smoking cessation. One thing is clear: They are not biodegradable.

Politics + Society

Saudi Arabia is a repressive regime – and so are a lot of US allies

Jeffrey Fields, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Critics say Trump's defense of Saudi Arabia in the Khashoggi affair betrays American values. But many presidents have cozied up to dictators, ignoring human rights abuses to serve US interests.
Two Native American geneticists interpret Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test

Krystal Tsosie, Vanderbilt University; Matthew Anderson, The Ohio State University

Why is Elizabeth Warren's DNA test so controversial with Native American groups? Two Indigenous geneticists explain the history and science behind the debate.

Environment + Energy
These kids and young adults want their day in court on climate change Mary Wood, University of Oregon; Michael C. Blumm, Lewis & Clark The Trump administration is trying to spike a lawsuit against the US government arguing that there's a constitutional right to a stable climate.

Ethics + Religion
Why the Christian idea of hell no longer persuades people to care for the poor Meghan Henning, University of Dayton Hell-themed Halloween attractions play on people's fears. The early depictions of hell were meant to use fear as a moral guide to help others.

Arts + Culture
The Village Voice’s photographers captured change, turmoil unfolding on New York City’s streets Tamar Carroll, Rochester Institute of Technology; Joshua Meltzer, Rochester Institute of Technology For decades, the alternative weekly's photographers served as the eyes of the streets, working with activists to document and publicize the anguish and rage of everyday New Yorkers.

Science + Technology

Artificial intelligence will make you smarter

Terrence Sejnowski, University of California San Diego

Artificial intelligence techniques like deep learning and reinforcement learning are getting increasingly advanced and capable of helping people with a wide range of complex tasks.
A day to celebrate chemistry’s favorite unit — the mole. But what’s a mole?

Tara S. Carpenter, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Gabriella Balaa, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Chemists sure know how to party. And here is the proof. On October 23rd they celebrate their hallowed unit: the mole. Find out what that's all about.

From our international editions

How we solved an Arctic mercury mystery

Feiyue Wang, University of Manitoba

A new study demystifies regional differences in mercury levels in marine animals in the Canadian Arctic.
Australian literature’s legacies of cultural appropriation

Michael R. Griffiths, University of Wollongong

Non-Indigenous writers, if they wish to engage ethically with Indigenous culture, must learn to respect it as a form of property grounded in kinship and country.
Academic freedom: I spent four months at UAE’s national university – this is what I found

John Nagle, University of Aberdeen

The recent arrest of Durham PhD student, Matthew Hedges has exposed the UAE’s limits on academic freedom.