Nov 11 Answering the question that won me the Ig Nobel prize: Are cats liquid? By Marc-Antoine Fardin, The Conversation A liquid is traditionally defined as a material that adapts its shape to fit a container. Under certain conditions, cats seem to fit this definition. Continue reading
Nov 10 How the tax code overhaul could slam higher ed By Ted Afield, The Conversation The tax code overhaul pending in Congress is littered with provisions that would make it a lot harder for most Americans to go to college or grad school, writes Ted Afield, director of the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic… Continue reading
Nov 05 What draws ‘lone wolves’ to the Islamic State? By James L. Gelvin, The Conversation Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the Manhattan bike path attack, wasn't a devout Muslim. He cursed and came late to prayers. A terrorism expert explains why such a man may want to be a martyr. Continue reading
Nov 04 Is daylight saving time worth the trouble? Research says no By Laura Gant, The Conversation Advocates say daylight saving time saves energy and wins wars. But studies show that injuries and illnesses rise when the clocks change. Continue reading
Oct 29 Why we’ll always be obsessed with – and afraid of – monsters By Leo Braudy, The Conversation All the popular monsters you'll see out trick-or-treating, from Frankenstein to Dracula, were born out of fear and anxiety about change and technology. Continue reading
Oct 28 The science of fright: Why we love to be scared By Arash Javanbakht, Linda Saab, The Conversation We may pretend that we do not like fear, but Halloween proves otherwise. Many of us enjoy being scared. But why?… Continue reading
Oct 19 Analysis: Teens are sleeping less. Why? Smartphones By Jean Twenge, The Conversation By 2015, 43 percent of teens reported sleeping less than seven hours a night on most nights – meaning almost half of U.S. teens are significantly sleep-deprived. Continue reading
Oct 15 Can you be hacked by the world around you? By Jeremy Straub, The Conversation You’ve probably been told it’s dangerous to open unexpected attachment files in your email – just like you shouldn’t open suspicious packages in your mailbox. But have you been warned against scanning unknown QR codes or just taking a picture… Continue reading
Oct 14 How to combat racial bias: Start in childhood By Gail Heyman, The Conversation Racial bias is associated with dehumanizing social groups different from your own. Psychologists trained kids to differentiate individuals of another race – with lasting effects on their biases. Continue reading
Oct 07 Urban noise pollution is worst in poor and minority neighborhoods and segregated cities By Joan A Casey, Peter James, Rachel Morello-Forsch, The Conversation Nationwide, neighborhoods with higher poverty rates and proportions of black, Hispanic and Asian residents have higher noise levels than other neighborhoods. Continue reading