With white supremacist violence on the rise nationwide, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas sociologist is studying how the Internet can turn hateful feelings into deadly actions.

In his office at UNLV, sociology professor Simon Gottschalk tapped his keyboard.

Perusing through websites filled with threads espousing hatred toward Jews and other minorities isn’t exactly the sort of reading UNLV sociologist Simon Gottschalk enjoys.

UNLV researchers wanted to understand what moves people from expressing their private thoughts to like-minded individuals online to violent actions off line.

How does the echo chamber of online chats groups transform hate speech into hate crimes?

UNLV sociologist Simon Gottschalk says social networks that cater to fascism and white supremacy should be shut down until authorities better understand their influence.

What is it about Americans that makes us so afraid of admitting that people ought to have free time — both for their own sake as individuals, and for the betterment of society?

I recently attended a large meeting of faculty to discuss graduate students’ evaluation, recruitment and retention. “Let the data drive your goals,” one of the speakers repeated, mantra-like – with genuine enthusiasm and conviction – and I couldn’t help but wince.