Navigating a bumpy election season | Top 10

+ owning your own biases US Edition - Today's top story: How religion and politics will mix in 2024 – three trends to track [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 January 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [‘Designated contrarians’ could improve nonprofit boards by disrupting the kind of consensus and groupthink that contributed to the NRA’s woes]( - [Jan. 6 was an example of networked incitement − a media and disinformation expert explains the danger of political violence orchestrated over social media]( As the new year begins, so does the 2024 election season, with the first nominating contest a little more than a week away on Jan. 15, in Iowa. Readers are already paying very close attention, at least based on two of last week’s most engaging stories on our website. Although on different if overlapping themes, both articles follow our coverage plan, focused on equipping readers to navigate what’s likely to be a very messy and long election cycle. Religion frequently plays a large role in U.S. elections, and religious voters will help determine the next president. Tobin Miller Shearer, a historian and a religious studies scholar at the University of Montana, for example, [highlights three key ways religion will play out]( on the campaign trail: “intensified end-times rhetoric, more claims of divine support and relative silence from the evangelical community on the rise in Christian nationalism.” Pundits are another group that plays an outsized role in elections. But is their role good for democracy or are they partisan spewers of opinion who destroy trust? The answers, according to University of Colorado Boulder journalism professor Mike McDevitt, [depend on what’s motivating their verbal combat](. “Pundits can play a productive role by focusing on issues rather than identities,” he writes. “Recent scholarship has demonstrated that issue polarization is less of a problem as long as opponents see humanity in the other side.” Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks Attendees at evangelist Franklin Graham’s ‘Decision America’ tour in Turlock, Calif., in 2018. The tour was to encourage Christians to vote. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images [How religion and politics will mix in 2024 – three trends to track]( Tobin Miller Shearer, University of Montana The 2024 elections may see a more intense end-times rhetoric, claims of divine support and a failure to condemn the rise in Christian nationalism, writes a religion scholar. - [Pundits: Central to democracy, or partisan spewers of opinion who destroy trust]( Mike McDevitt, University of Colorado Boulder Pundits are everywhere, giving their analyses of current events, politics and the state of the world. You’ll hear a lot more from them this election year. Is their rank opinion good for democracy? - [The Lotus Sutra − an ancient Buddhist scripture from the 3rd century − continues to have relevance today]( Megan Bryson, University of Tennessee For many Buddhists today, both in East Asia and across the world, the Lotus Sutra offers religious support for various gender identities. - [AI is here – and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024]( Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University; Casey Fiesler, University of Colorado Boulder; Kentaro Toyama, University of Michigan Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and the tech industry is racing along to develop ever more powerful AIs. Three scholars look ahead to the next chapter in this technological revolution. - [Radiation therapy takes advantage of cancer’s poor DNA repair abilities – an oncologist and physicist explain how]( Behzad Ebrahimi, University of Chicago; Mark Korpics, University of Chicago Radiotherapy takes many forms: from directing powerful high-energy beams toward specific areas of the body to placing radioactive seeds right next to tumors. Editors' picks Many commercial fishing boats do not report their positions at sea or are not required to do so. Alex Walker via Getty Images [We used AI and satellite imagery to map ocean activities that take place out of sight, including fishing, shipping and energy development]( Jennifer Raynor, University of Wisconsin-Madison A new study reveals that 75% of the world’s industrial fishing vessels are hidden from public view. - [Economic lookahead: As we ring in 2024, can the US economy continue to avoid a recession?]( D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University; Brandy Hadley, Appalachian State University And will the vibecession ever end? - [Keeping a streak alive can be strong motivation to stick with a chosen activity]( Danny Weathers, Clemson University A streak can motivate you to keep on keeping on with behaviors ranging from praying to running to sharing pictures on social media. Here’s what goes into making them so compelling. - [The curious joy of being wrong – intellectual humility means being open to new information and willing to change your mind]( Daryl Van Tongeren, Hope College Intellectual humility includes owning your own biases and the possibility that you’re wrong about your beliefs or worldview. It means being open to changing your mind in response to new information. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on Iowa, Israel, the economy and the pope. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](