(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) The Paris climate agreement is another example of an attempted grand solution to a ...

The term wicked problem has become a standard way for policy analysts to describe a social issue whose solution is inherently elusive. Wicked problems have many causal factors, complex ...

Our world is filled with pernicious problems. How, for example, did novice pilots learn to fly without taking to the air and risking their lives? How should cities process mountains of waste without ...

Scientific research plays a big role in our lives. We have come to rely on it in so many ways. It seems that every day we hear someone say, “well, research has shown …” But we are coming up against ...