What critical race theory is – and what it isn't

+ the U.S. drug industry used to oppose patents – what changed? US Edition - Today's top story: Critical race theory: What it is and what it isn't [View in browser]( US Edition | 30 June 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Conservative state legislators are introducing bills to ban the teaching of critical race theory. Fox News loves to hate critical race theory. A fight broke out at a school board meeting in Virginia over critical race theory; one man was arrested and the meeting was adjourned. If you’re confused about critical race theory, it’s because a lot of people talk about it, a growing number condemn it – but few understand it. That’s why we asked University of Memphis scholar David Miguel Gray to write [an explanation](. Gray, a philosopher of race and racism, writes that “through the study of law and U.S. history,” critical race theory “attempts to reveal how racial oppression shaped the legal fabric of the U.S.” Where there’s been a lot of heat, Gray shines a light. Also today: - [Search and rescue tech, explained]( - [What’s in that UFO report to Congress]( - [The link between wildfires and the Fourth of July]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society President Lyndon Johnson signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which aimed to do away with racial discrimination in the law. But discrimination persisted. AP file photo [Critical race theory: What it is and what it isn’t]( David Miguel Gray, University of Memphis A scholar of race and racism explains what critical race theory is – and how many people get it wrong. Science + Technology - [An expert on search and rescue robots explains the technologies used in disasters like the Florida condo collapse]( Robin R. Murphy, Texas A&M University At building collapse sites, aerial drones and ground robots can extend the eyes and ears of search and rescue personnel to places people can't go – above and inside the rubble pile. - [Pentagon UFO report: No aliens, but government transparency and desire for better data might bring science to the UFO world]( Chris Impey, University of Arizona In 2020, Congress ordered the Pentagon to produce a report on UFOs. The nine-page report doesn't say what the 144 sightings from 2004 to 2021 are, but does say that the government wants to learn more. Environment + Energy - [Over 100 fire scientists urge the US West: Skip the fireworks this record-dry Fourth of July]( Philip Higuera, The University of Montana; Alexander L. Metcalf, The University of Montana; Dave McWethy, Montana State University; Jennifer Balch, University of Colorado Boulder Every year, the number of wildfires caused by humans spikes on Independence Day. There are safer ways to celebrate amid the heat and drought. - [To make agriculture more climate-friendly, carbon farming needs clear rules]( Laura van der Pol, Colorado State University; Dale Manning, Colorado State University; Francesca Cotrufo, Colorado State University; Megan Machmuller, Colorado State University Policymakers want to pay farmers for storing carbon in soil, but there are no uniform rules yet for measuring, reporting or verifying the results. Four scholars offer some ground rules. Economy + Business - [The US drug industry used to oppose patents – what changed?]( Joseph M. Gabriel, Florida State University The pharmaceutical industry overall has been deeply opposed to waiving COVID-19 vaccine patents, but a historian of the industry explains that drug companies once opposed patents altogether. Politics + Society - [China’s ‘one-child policy’ left at least 1 million bereaved parents childless and alone in old age, with no one to take care of them]( Lihong Shi, Case Western Reserve University China limited families to one child from 1980 to 2015 to curb population growth. The policy paid off economically for the country, but it left couples whose only child died grieving and impoverished. - [When a Black boxing champion beat the ‘Great White Hope,’ all hell broke loose]( Chris Lamb, IUPUI Johnson’s victory, in the manliest of sports, contradicted claims of racial supremacy by whites and demonstrated that Blacks were no longer willing to acquiesce to white dominance. - [The Declaration of Independence wasn’t really complaining about King George, and 5 other surprising facts for July Fourth]( Woody Holton, University of South Carolina A scholar of early US history celebrates the country's 245th birthday with six under-appreciated ideas about the founding document. Ethics + Religion - [The ethical questions raised by COVID-19 vaccines: 5 essential reads]( Matt Williams, The Conversation Should people be compelled to take the vaccine? Should you feel guilty for skipping the line? And what about parts of the world where vaccines aren't readably available? Ethicists have it covered. Trending on site - [The neuroscience behind why your brain may need time to adjust to ‘un-social distancing’]( Kareem Clark, Virginia Tech Ready to party post-pandemic, but at the same time feeling shy? Here's how social isolation affects the brain – and what research suggests about the effects of resocialization. - [Does outer space end – or go on forever?]( Jack Singal, University of Richmond Astronomers know a lot about what's in outer space – and think it's possible it never ends. - [How palm oil became the world’s most hated, most used fat source]( Jonathan E. Robins, Michigan Technological University Palm oil is responsible for widespread deforestation and labor abuses, but it's also cheap and incredibly useful. That's why many advocates call for reforming the industry, not replacing it. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s graphic [The chart shows the total number of fires each day from 1992-2015. The data show how fires from human sources spike on July 4.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451