2026 In the News

Stephanie Savell offered commentary on the costs of the Iran war.

Mark Blyth provided commentary on the economic impacts of the Iran war.

In this op-ed, Lyle Goldstein argued that the Iran War is distracting the U.S. from the most pressing issue facing the global order: U.S.-Chinese relations.

Reid Pauly offered commentary in this article on how the Iran conflict could spark a new nuclear arms race.

Andrew Schrank co-authored this op-ed on AI and the future of work.

Heidi Peltier, director of programs at Brown University’s Costs of War project, offered commentary in this article.

In this op-ed, Ashutosh Varshney argues that heavy bombing will not be enough to lead to Iran's surrender, and a long, crushing war may need to be waged for that.

In this article, Lyle Goldstein discussed the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli as an example of the kinds of problems that can arise in a battle for control over a constricted waterway like the Strait of Hormuz.

This op-ed cites research from Watson's Costs of War project.

In this interview, Marc J. Dunkelman discussed the growing frustration with the government’s inability to finish major projects on time and on budget and what can be done about it.

This article on the possibility of regime change in Iran cited research by Reid Pauly.

This article on the effect of war on economic activity cited research from The Costs of War project.

Deborah Gordon will deliver a talk at the next meeting of the New Bedford Science Café on April 7.

Neta Crawford, co-director of the Costs of War project, discusses how military conflicts impact the environment and highlight the need to increase investment in renewable energy.

In this op-ed, Lyle Goldstein argued that problems in the Persian Gulf are likely to give further impetus to China-Russia energy cooperation in the Arctic.

This article cited research from a paper published in 2013 by a team led by Rose McDermott that found people were 75% more likely to divorce if a close friend divorced.

Jeff Colgan offered commentary in this article on the impact of the Iran conflict on oil prices.

In this article in the Texas National Security Review, Rose McDermott reviews her research on how the psychological proclivities of authoritarian leaders of nuclear powers can influence their decisions and behavior.

Reid Pauly offered commentary for this article on Trump's search for an exit strategy from the Iran conflict.

This article on the costs of the Iran conflict cited research by Neta Crawford, co-director of the Costs of War Project.

This article on the possibility of China attacking U.S. bases in Korea featured commentary from Lyle Goldstein.

This opinion piece cites research led by Neta Crawford, co-director of the Costs of War project at the Watson School, on the impacts of war on climate change.

Jeff Colgan spoke to Mother Jones about petro-imperialism, the role of oil in recent U.S. military actions, and the national security advantage of solar and wind power.

Stephanie Savell offered commentary on the conflict in Iran and comparisons to the war in Iraq.

Stephanie Savell provided commentary for this article on the cost of the Iran conflict.

Reid Pauly provided commentary for this article on French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France's nuclear arsenal will play a more central role in protecting the territories of European partners.

Heidi Peltier provided commentary on the cost of the war in Iran on U.S. taxpayers

Stephanie Savell offered commentary in this article about the cost of U.S. military actions in Iran.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary in this article on how China might target U.S. military assets in Asian countries in the event of a Taiwan Straight conflict.

In this interview, Mark Blyth discussed the economic grievances that have led to the rise of contemporary populism.

Stephanie Savell offered commentary on this article about the rising costs of the Iran conflict.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary in this article about Chinese Defense Chief Dong Jun's remarks that stressed prudence as the Xi-Trump summit looms, suggesting no imminent military action on Taiwan.

Ashutosh Varshney offered commentary on this article about Indian Prime Minister Modi's lack of influence over events in the Iran-U.S./Israel conflict.

A year after he left office, President Biden’s industrial policy is widely considered a failure. But the tools his administration developed are still in play and have defied a long-standing consensus about what is possible. In this paper, Andrew Schrank reevaluates the impact of "Bidenomics."

This article cites a recent report by the Costs of War project at the Watson School that estimates more journalists were killed in Gaza since the war began 2023 than during World Wars I and II combined.

Neta Crawford, co-director of the Costs of War project at the Watson School, noted that military activity contributes significantly to global emissions each year.

In this op-ed, Stephen Kinzer discusses the hope among some that Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah who was deposed in 1979, could return to power and forge a pro-American regime in Tehran.

This commentary cited the Costs of War estimates that over 185,000 Iraqi civilians were killed during the Iraq War.

John N. Friedman spoke to Gill Eapen about Opportunity Insights for the Scientific Sense podcast.

Anzhela Kalsynova, a Brown graduate student in public health and public affairs, penned an op-ed arguing that private equity purchase of Rhode Island nursing homes has resulted in a lower standard of care at most facilities.

In this op-ed, Lyle Goldstein explains how the Taiwan legislature's recent refusal to increase defense spending reveals fissures on the island regarding its approach to China. He argues Americans need to be clear-eyed and realistic about Taiwan, and urges cautious deliberation over bombast and bromides.

Jeff Colgan was interviewed by a CBC reporter about the relationship between the Iran conflict and global oil markets.

This story on U.S. aid to Israel cited research from the Watson School's Costs of War Project.

This article cites a recent report by the Costs of War project at the Watson School that estimates the military’s operations in Iran cost between $2 billion and $2.25 billion in 2025.

This op-ed mentions an article written by Ieva Jusionyte in the wake of the Dec. 13 shootings, in which she discussed the difficulties in coming to terms with the tragedy, even as a scholar of gun violence.

This article cites data from a recent report by the Costs of War project at the Watson School on U.S. military aid and arms transfers to Israel.

In this article, Jeff Colgan placed the U.S. attack on Iran in the context of other instances of U.S. aggression against an oil-producing states.

This opinion piece cites data from a 2023 report by Brown’s Costs of War project.