Forget Zuckerberg: The country is run by college grads

Edition: US - Today's top story: The myth of the college dropout [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 20 April 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Mark Zuckerberg was in the news again, revealing the latest in Facebook’s augmented reality plan. The 32-year-old CEO is also slated to deliver Harvard’s commencement address this year, 13 years after he dropped out of Harvard. Zuckerberg may have become a billionaire without ever finishing college, but [don’t let his story fool you](. Educational researchers Jonathan Wai and Heiner Rindermann looked at more than 11,000 of the most successful people in the U.S. and found that Zuckerberg is, in fact, an anomaly. 94 percent have at least a Bachelor’s degree—50 percent of them from the country’s most elite universities. As the days tick down to [President Donald Trump’s 100th day]( in office, Robert Speel of Penn State University considers why evaluating a president’s productivity during the beginning of his presidency is a thing, and how nearly a century of presidents have fared. When Ella Fitzgerald – who turns 100 next week – was launching her career, drugs were beginning to be seen as a societal ill. [She needed to make a decision](: maintain a squeaky-clean image, or follow the lead of her jazz contemporaries and croon about marijuana and cocaine. Kaitlyn Chantry Editor Top story Mark Zuckerberg is, quite famously, a college dropout. But his case is the exception – not the rule. AP Photo/Paul Sakuma [The myth of the college dropout]( Jonathan Wai, Duke University; Heiner Rindermann, Chemnitz University of Technology While the media glamorizes famous college dropouts like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, the reality is that most successful people in the U.S. went to – and finished – college. Science + Technology - [Can March for Science participants advocate without losing the public's trust?]( Emily Vraga, George Mason University The research community tends to assume advocacy doesn't mix with objectivity. One study suggests there's room for scientists to make real-world recommendations without compromising their trusted status. - [Calculating where America should invest in its transportation and communications networks]( Anna Nagurney, University of Massachusetts Amherst When planning major infrastructure investments, it's important to know which road, freight and information networks are most important – and which proposals might make things worse, not better. Politics + Society - [Will a conservative Supreme Court give new life to the death penalty?]( Daniel LaChance, Emory University Trump's promise to appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court could mean the fate of the death penalty rests in the court of public opinion. - [Trump and the history of the 'First 100 Days']( Robert Speel, Pennsylvania State University Franklin D. Roosevelt is famous for really getting a lot done fast. Will history remember Trump so kindly? Ethics + Religion - [Explainer: The Trumps' conflict of interest issues]( Beth A. Rosenson, University of Florida Conflict of interest laws are often not cut and dried. They involve interpretation by lawyers within the Justice Department and judges. - [“Conflict of interest issues are not new in America. The fear and reality that government officials may be unduly swayed by their personal interests has existed since Colonial-era customs officials took bribes to reduce penalties for smuggling.”]( Beth A. Rosenson University of Florida [Read more]( [Beth A. Rosenson] Economics + Business - [How companies like United and Wells Fargo can win back consumer trust]( John Hauser, MIT Sloan School of Management Wells Fargo and United Airlines have both been facing an onslaught of negative publicity and will have a tough time restoring trust with their customers. Here's a good place to start. Arts + Culture - [Ella Fitzgerald's flirtation with reefer songs]( Adam Gustafson, Pennsylvania State University Just as Fitzgerald's career was taking off, jazz was under attack for its purported connection to drug culture. If she wanted to become a mainstream superstar, she needed to make a choice. Environment + Energy - [The state of US forests: Six questions answered]( Thomas J. Straka, Clemson University Forests are valuable for many uses, including timber, clean water, wildlife habitat and recreation. Stresses on U.S. forests include wildfires, pest invasions and development of private lands. - [The extraordinary return of sea otters to Glacier Bay]( Perry Williams, Colorado State University; Mevin Hooten, Colorado State University Sea otters had been absent from this Alaskan national park for at least 250 years. By marrying math and statistics, scientists map this animal's successful comeback. Health + Medicine - [Why your child still needs vaccines, even if you may not know someone with the disease]( Edward Bell, Drake University You may not know anyone with an infectious disease covered by the immunizations on the 2017 list of recommended vaccines. Here's why that doesn't matter, and why children still need to be protected. Trending On Site - [How much power can an image actually wield?]( Nicole Smith Dahmen, University of Oregon; Paul Slovic, University of Oregon Will recent photos of chemical attack victims in Syria provoke a short-term emotional reaction or a sustained humanitarian campaign? - [The three ‘B's’ of cybersecurity for small businesses]( Scott Shackelford, Indiana University Nearly half of cybercriminals target small businesses. An expert explains how sole proprietors and entrepreneurs can boost cybersecurity without breaking the bank. - [Medieval medical books could hold the recipe for new antibiotics]( Erin Connelly, University of Pennsylvania A team of medievalists and scientists look back to history – including a 1,000-year-old eyesalve recipe – for clues to new antibiotics. [The Conversation is a non-profit and your donation is tax deductible. Help knowledge-based, ethical journalism today.]( [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. 625 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA