Race isn’t a ‘biological reality,’ contrary to recent political claims − here’s how scientific consensus on race developed in the 20th century

An executive order critiques the idea that race is a human invention. But that’s exactly what modern science supports.

John P. Jackson, Jr., Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, Michigan State University • conversation
April 10, 2025 • ~11 min

Hundreds of 19th-century skulls collected in the name of medical science tell a story of who mattered and who didn’t

Marked with numbers, demographic information and provenance – though not name – these skulls tell a story of racist hierarchies but also diversity in the early United States.

Pamela L. Geller, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Miami • conversation
Nov. 14, 2024 • ~10 min

Offensive names dot the American street map − a new app provides a way to track them

A newly released app allows users to search for discriminatory roadway names, helping communities grasp the ubiquity of inequalities embedded in everyday spaces and the harm they cause.

Joshua F.J. Inwood, Professor of Geography and Senior Research Associate in the Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State • conversation
Aug. 14, 2024 • ~10 min

A packed Baltimore trolley illustrates the ups and downs of US public transit

When US cities offered low-cost, high-quality public transit during World War II, buses and trains were full. Some cities are trying to revive that formula, after decades of disinvestment.

Nicholas Dagen Bloom, Professor of Urban Policy and Planning, Hunter College • conversation
Aug. 9, 2024 • ~4 min

Heat risk isn’t just about the highs: Large daily temperature swings can harm human health – maps show who is affected most

Mapping daily temperature variations across the US revealed stark differences between wealthy and poor neighborhoods, and large differences by race.

Emily Smith-Greenaway, Associate Professor of Sociology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • conversation
Aug. 7, 2024 • ~8 min

Buses weren’t the only civil rights battleground in Montgomery – the city’s parks still reflect a history of segregation

Montgomery once closed all of its parks rather than desegregate them. Today, the city’s long history of racial inequality is still reflected in the state of its parks and green spaces.

Binita Mahato, Assistant Professor of Community Planning, Auburn University • conversation
July 22, 2024 • ~9 min

How ghost streams and redlining’s legacy lead to unfairness in flood risk, in Detroit and elsewhere

Mapping where water once flowed is important for managing flood risk today in Detroit and elsewhere.

Jacob Napieralski, Professor of Geology, University of Michigan-Dearborn • conversation
March 19, 2024 • ~8 min

For minorities, biased AI algorithms can damage almost every part of life

Data used to train AI systems often reflects the racism inherent in society.

Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Professor in Global Thought and Comparative Philosophies, SOAS, University of London • conversation
Aug. 24, 2023 • ~6 min

When homes flood, who retreats and to where? We mapped thousands of FEMA buyouts and found distance and race play a role

Two disaster response experts mapped who gets FEMA buyouts and where they go.

Zheye (Jay) Wang, Senior Spatial Research Analyst, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University • conversation
June 15, 2023 • ~9 min

When homes flood, who retreats and to where? We mapped thousands of buyouts and found the average move is only 7 miles, and race plays a role

Two disaster response experts mapped who gets FEMA buyouts and where they go. It turns out, they don’t go far.

Zheye (Jay) Wang, Senior Spatial Research Analyst, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University • conversation
June 15, 2023 • ~9 min

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