In the News
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January 20, 2020
Aaron Kall, director of the U-M debate program, said last week’s Democratic presidential debate lacked fireworks despite the hype and added urgency of the upcoming caucus: “I don’t know it changed all that much heading into Iowa. The problem is I don’t know that anybody knows exactly how Iowans will act. … If you’re Sanders and Biden, I think you probably feel pretty good after the debate. Things are pretty bunched up at the top.”
MLive -
January 20, 2020
“We don’t have a long history of figuring out what to do in cases of human trafficking. I think this litigation and the courts are just trying to come up with the best, imperfect solution,” said Bridgette Carr, clinical professor and director of the Human Trafficking Clinic at the Law School, commenting on a lawsuit against the estate of Jeffrey Epstein that alleges he sexually abused and trafficked hundreds of young women and girls on his private Caribbean island, some as recently as 2018.
The New York Times -
January 17, 2020
Erik Gordon, clinical assistant professor of business, was interviewed about how the recent firings of individuals involved in the Houston Astros cheating scandal compares to the relative lack of individual punishment doled out in cases of corporate malfeasance. Instead, companies are usually hit with hefty fines or sanctions.
CNBC -
January 17, 2020
“The bottom line, of course, is that people in Japan have their lost property returned because of laws and norms, not some intrinsic notion of honesty. But it works,” said Mark D. West, dean of the Law School, on why Japan is so successful at returning lost property, such as a phone or wallet, to its rightful owner — thanks to the abundance of police officers and cultural traditions that prompt people to think first of others.
BBC -
January 17, 2020
Tony Reames, assistant professor of environment and sustainability and director of the Urban Energy Justice Lab, discussed his research on the growing energy divide between rich and poor Americans. He is piloting a new study in southeast Michigan to develop a more complete understanding of the health impacts of indoor winter exposure in the United States.
WEMU Radio -
January 16, 2020
“We routinely underestimate others’ willingness and ability to help. But the truth is that people actually help one another more often than you might think,” wrote Wayne Baker, professor of sociology, organizational studies, and management and organizations. “However, so many of us assume that others aren’t willing to help. We fear we’ll be rejected. Or we figure that even if others are willing to help, no one will have the time or ability.”
Business Insider -
January 16, 2020
“What I see is a more sophisticated awareness of nuclear’s costs and benefits. There are fewer hard-line approaches, more sophisticated analysis being done of the pros and cons relative to other forms of generation,” said Catherine Hausman, assistant professor of public policy, on less heated, more nuanced debate in the U.S. about whether nuclear power should be ended.
Forbes -
January 16, 2020
Forcing the body to produce more Sestrin, a protein released during exercise, could harness the benefits of a good workout — building muscle, becoming more fit and burning more fat — without ever moving a muscle, according to research by Myungjin Kim, research assistant professor, and Jun Hee Lee, associate professor of molecular & integrative physiology. Sestrin molecules are currently too big to be made into a supplement, the researchers said, so their work is ongoing.
The Daily Mail (U.K.) -
January 15, 2020
The growing number of women on company payrolls reflects a long-running evolution away from male-dominated industries like manufacturing toward the service side of the economy, where women have an edge, says Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics: “That’s what the U.S. does. We’re a service-sector economy. The service sector is really broad. It’s not just about serving coffee or taking care of children.”
National Public Radio -
January 15, 2020
“Thirty percent of the energy in the U.S. comes from natural gas. If we can generate green methane, it’s a big deal,” said Zetian Mi, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, who co-led a new artificial photosynthesis approach that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into methane — a scientific breakthrough that could help make natural-gas-powered devices carbon neutral.
The Hill
