diff --git a/app/models/conference.rb b/app/models/conference.rb
index 8f306380..2e63e4ee 100644
--- a/app/models/conference.rb
+++ b/app/models/conference.rb
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ class Conference < ApplicationRecord
   resourcify :roles, dependent: :delete_all
 
   default_scope { order('start_date DESC') }
-  scope :upcoming, (-> { where('end_date >= ?', Date.current) })
-  scope :past, (-> { where('end_date < ?', Date.current) })
+  scope :upcoming, (-> { where(end_date: Date.current..) })
+  scope :past, (-> { where(end_date: ...Date.current) })
 
   has_paper_trail ignore: %i(updated_at guid revision events_per_week), meta: { conference_id: :id }
 
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 993d4892..dace4655 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
     where('last_sign_in_at > ?', Date.today - 3.months).where(is_disabled: false)
   }
   scope :unconfirmed, -> { where('confirmed_at IS NULL') }
-  scope :dead, -> { where('last_sign_in_at < ?', Date.today - 1.year) }
+  scope :dead, -> { where(last_sign_in_at: ...(Date.today - 1.year)) }
 
   # Include default devise modules. Others available are:
   # :token_authenticatable, :confirmable,