In the News
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October 22, 2020
“Recent public commentary has focused understandably on kindergarten and elementary school, but let me emphasize that middle and high school kids are struggling with online education as well,” said Kai Cortina, professor of psychology. “There was great hope that technology might solve the problem of schooling in the age of COVID-19. But the reality is: crashing platforms, frustrated teachers and disengaged students.”
MLive -
October 22, 2020
While it’s impossible to know whether ending the pandemic through herd immunity is even possible, experts say that attempting to achieve it without a vaccine will lead to more illness and death. “Taking the approach of herd immunity through natural infection will lead to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths,” said Aubree Gordon, associate professor of epidemiology.
Science News -
October 22, 2020
Jon Zelner, assistant professor of epidemiology, says that greater testing in the U.S. and Europe is finding additional COVID-19 cases among younger people who have no symptoms or mild illness, but more deaths may be just a matter of time. “Deaths are a very laggy indicator of transmission,” said Zelner, who expects the current surge in cases to be reflected in an increase in deaths in November.
The New York Times -
October 21, 2020
“I think people are trying to protect their own interests, which in some ways is rational. Even if it can cause what they call a ‘commons problem,’ where then there’s not enough for everybody,” said Stephanie Preston, professor of psychology, commenting on a number of countries that are stockpiling for an uncertain pandemic season amid concerns over whether the global supply chain for food can remain intact as COVID-19 cases rise worldwide.
Marketplace -
October 21, 2020
“If you are not very sick and believe you have not had contact with somebody who might have COVID, then I would not necessarily go get a test or anything like that if you have mild respiratory symptoms. (But) if you are having an illness with cough and respiratory difficulty, you better get tested,” said Arnold Monto, professor of epidemiology, who believes that testing for COVID-19, the flu or a cold should be done on a case-by-case basis.
The Washington Post -
October 21, 2020
“I think if this were 1950, his message would be perfect. The problem is it’s not 1950,” said Karyn Lacy, professor of sociology and Afroamerican and African studies, on President Trump’s pitch to try to reclaim suburban female voters by relying on an airbrushed version of America’s past.
The Associated Press -
October 20, 2020
“That the Mcity Driverless Shuttle research project resulted in high levels of consumer satisfaction and trust among riders … underscores the importance of robust preparation and oversight to ensure a safe deployment that will build consumer confidence,” said Mcity Director Huei Peng, commenting on a report that found 86 percent of riders of Mcity’s driverless shuttles said they trusted the technology after their trips.
The Detroit News -
October 20, 2020
“There is loneliness, and it’s gotten worse. … Frankly, the residential experience could become so suboptimal that it’s not worth the lift. The idea of putting thousands of people together in tight quarters is difficult. College campuses aren’t meant for social distancing, they’re meant for togetherness,” said Preeti Malani, U-M’s chief health officer and professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases.
Fortune -
October 20, 2020
Ken Kollman, professor of political science and director of the Center for Political Studies, said Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016 were two of the least popular major party presidential candidates since serious polling began in the 1950s: “Voter dislike for each was intense. In Michigan, Clinton had a more difficult time compared to previous Democratic candidates connecting with blue-collar workers, African Americans and Latinos.”
Detroit Free Press -
October 19, 2020
“It’s a very unusual object,” said Oleg Gnedin, professor of astronomy, commenting on a strange, newly measured clump of stars orbiting the nearby Andromeda galaxy that has the lowest level of heavy chemical elements ever seen in one of these mysterious star clusters. It also is surprisingly massive, challenging theories for how such clusters and some galaxies form.
Science News
