Participating in democracy
Small modular nuclear reactors can help meet energy, emission goals
Interest in small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, is skyrocketing with tech companies including Google, Amazon and Microsoft investing in the emerging low-carbon energy technology. It has the potential to help these companies and the country meet their emissions goals while satisfying growing energy demands. But the United States has yet to power up its first SMR and the technology faces substantial deployment challenges with its cost and complexity. Still, new research from the University of Michigan shows that SMRs are economically viable and poised to start living up to their potential by 2050. The study predicts that enough SMRs could be deployed by then to reduce the country’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by up to 59 million metric tons. To get there, though, they’ll need some help from the government and the industries building and implementing the technology. Read more about this study.
Most couples share political beliefs, but few bridge partisan divide
The U.S. elections have polarized both political parties, causing many people to end connections with family and friends. But what about romantic relationships? In a new U-M study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, researchers sought to answer that question. They analyzed data from more than 4,000 people to see how common it is for partners to differ politically, what factors might lead to such differences, and how these differences affect relationships. Nearly 1 in 4 couples — or 23% — had different political party affiliations, and less than 8% were made up of one Democrat and one Republican. This means that most couples in the study shared similar political beliefs, whether it was their party preference or overall political ideology, said the study’s lead author Amie Gordon, assistant professor of psychology. Read more about this study.
How animal tracking data can help preserve biodiversity
Today’s ecologists have more data than ever to help monitor and understand the world’s biodiversity. Yet researchers are still working to get more detailed information to better combat declining animal populations that can eventually lead to species extinctions, said animal ecologist Scott Yanco, a research fellow at the School for Environment and Sustainability. Yanco said he believes that change is on the horizon thanks to advances in animal tracking technology. Researchers affix these devices to individual animals to monitor their locations and other information over time. With these technologies, scientists are accumulating more detailed information throughout the lives of individual animals to understand the specific impacts of threats like pollution, climate change, and habitat loss and fragmentation. Read a Q&A with Yanco.
The Artist Pay Project seeks to uncover the financial realities of artists
The Artist Pay Project is an anonymous journalistic series that examines how artists survive and thrive through anonymous “money diaries.” Developed by Makeda Easter, a 2022-23 Knight-Wallace and Ford Center for Racial Justice Fellow, the series includes interviews with more than 30 artists from various disciplines — including visual arts, dance, film and drag — to understand how much artists are paid for their work, how work is priced, and how artists feel about their overall financial security. Making it: $napshots from the Artist Pay Project is a visually immersive, physical manifestation of this work, advocating for both the value of art in our society and higher wages for working artists. An opening reception for the project is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Ross Impact Studio in Jeff T. Blau Hall. RSVP at myumi.ch/zXW64. Learn more about the project online.
— Compiled by James Iseler, The University Record
