Making sense of Trump’s State of the Union

Immigration, legislation, investigation: 3 scholars respond to Trump's State of the Union [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 6 February 2019 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech featured admiration for war heroes, disdain for Congressional oversight and a hefty dose of American exceptionalism. “We do the incredible, we defy the impossible, we conquer the unknown,” he proclaimed. We asked [three scholars to each take a quotation from the speech]( and give their insight into those passages. For a very different political story, consider the discovery of the Periodic Table of Elements, that evolving chart of the elements that lays out the building blocks of the universe. To mark the International Year of the Periodic Table, Kelling Donald, a theoretical chemist from the University of Richmond and an avid history-of-science buff, describes the table’s messy history and [the fight to claim credit for its creation](. Despite the personal and professional benefits of learning a foreign language, courses in foreign languages are becoming less common at America’s colleges and universities. Kathleen Stein-Smith, author of a book about the nation’s “foreign language deficit,” [discusses the importance of reversing the trend](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society Top stories Trump before delivering the State of the Union address with Pelosi and Pence. Doug Mills/The New York Times/Pool via REUTERS [Immigration, legislation, investigation: 3 scholars respond to Trump’s State of the Union]( Matthew Wright, American University School of Public Affairs; Lisa Garcia Bedolla, University of California, Berkeley; Robert Speel, Pennsylvania State University Three scholars weigh in on President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech, exploring his statements on immigration, the border wall and the investigations into his campaign. Random arrangement of the elements. arleksey/Shutterstock.com [The politics of the periodic table – who gets the credit and why]( Kelling Donald, University of Richmond 2019 is the International Year of the Periodic Table. The person who typically gets credit for its creation is Dimitri Mendeleev. But there were many more chemists who should be recognized. Only 1 in 5 American students take a foreign language before college. pathdoc from www.shutterstock.com [Foreign language classes becoming more scarce]( Kathleen Stein-Smith, Fairleigh Dickinson University Despite increasing globalization, foreign language programs in US colleges have become less common. A foreign language expert says America needs to step up its efforts to turn things around. Ethics + Religion - [3 philosophers set up a booth on a street corner – here’s what people asked]( Lee McIntyre, Boston University Three philosophers put up a booth at the entrance to a New York City subway, so people could come to them with questions. They got hit with some real zingers. Science + Technology - [Why do people still use fax machines?]( Jonathan Coopersmith, Texas A&M University It's 2019. And yet faxing is still often more secure, easier to use and better suited to existing work habits than computer-based messaging. 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Their bad behavior poses a threat to real democracies, as the United States recently learned. - [Violence and killings haven’t stopped in Colombia despite landmark peace deal]( Alexander L Fattal, Pennsylvania State University A 2016 accord with the FARC guerrillas was supposed to end Colombia's 52-year civil war. But a deadly car bomb in Bogotá shows that armed insurgents still threaten the South American country. Most read on site - [CBD: Rising star or popular fad?]( Jenny Wilkerson, University of Florida; Lance McMahon, University of Florida Cannabidiol, or CBD, is being touted in popular culture as a miracle cure-all. From creams to gummies and more, CBD has exploded onto the health scene. But what does the science actually say? - [Why Jamal Khashoggi’s murder took place in a consulate]( Victoria Reyes, University of California, Riverside Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder happened at a consulate, a space not subject to the laws of the host country, Turkey. That means the alleged murderers did not fear interference by local authorities. - [Salt doesn’t melt ice – here’s how it actually makes winter streets safe]( Julie Pollock, University of Richmond When it snows, it pours – but why do municipalities treat the roads with salt? A chemist explains how salt affects water and ice. Today’s quote [Unfortunately, the excitement about stem cells has outpaced the science in many areas of health care.]( [Stem cell treatments for arthritic knees are unproven, expensive and potentially dangerous]( Mark Miller University of Virginia [Mark Miller] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111