In the News
-
November 9, 2021
“Light is the most powerful regulator of our internal clock, also known as our circadian rhythm, and some people may not even adjust to the time change after several months. Chronic misalignment between the internal clock and occupational, family and social activities can be very disruptive,” said Anita Shelgikar, associate professor of sleep medicine and neurology.
The New York Times -
November 8, 2021
Because it targets both prices paid to authors and prices paid by consumers, a Justice Department lawsuit to stop a major book publisher merger shows a possible new direction for antitrust regulators, says Daniel Crane, professor of law: “There’s a desire to think very comprehensively about all the interests that could be harmed. It raises lots of interesting questions about publishing and about competition in publishing.”
The Associated Press -
November 8, 2021
“There are a lot of things that people can do in their everyday life to improve climate change, but we need … national policies that make climate mitigation easy,” said Patricia Koman, assistant research scientist in environmental health sciences. “People don’t want to think about heroic action. They want to just turn on their lights … and they don’t want to harm somebody with that action. And so we need our electric grid and our utilities to use renewable energy and quickly make that transition.”
Michigan Climate News -
November 8, 2021
Some scholars have promoted admission lotteries as a possible solution to the inequities of competitive college admissions. But research by Michael Bastedo, professor of education, shows that systematic inequalities in GPAs and test scores will be baked into the results of lotteries: “We find dramatic and negative potential effects … on the participation of students of color, low-income students and men.”
Inside Higher Ed -
November 5, 2021
Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy, says vaccine hesitancy is complex and sometimes may not be hesitancy at all: “There’s a lot more that can be done than simply lumping everyone together and focusing on convincing people or demonizing them.” Sarah Zimmerman, lecturer of business communication, says, “It really has to happen at the dinner tables of America. It’s going to happen on a person-to-person level with people they already know and trust in their community.”
MLive -
November 5, 2021
“As a president tries to use unilateral executive powers, there are immediately a set of hurdles. It’s not going to be an easy transition,” said Barry Rabe, professor of public policy and the environment, on the Biden administration’s plan to limit methane coming from roughly one million existing oil and gas rigs across the United States.
The New York Times -
November 5, 2021
“If countries don’t get on board with us, leaving out the people who steward a lot of the lands, it’s not just a moral issue anymore. It will have a devastating effect on the speed at which the rest of the world will get to sustainability,” said Kyle Whyte, professor of environment and sustainability, whose research shows that centuries of forced migration has left native people more exposed to hazards posed by climate change.
NBC News -
November 4, 2021
Horror literature is useful in the ways that it reflects human anxieties, fears and biases, says Gina Brandolino, lecturer in English language and literature and at the Sweetland Center for Writing: “There are so many ways that we can understand more about ourselves by explaining who, and what, we consider monsters and, in a way, the monster shows us who we are more than it reveals anything about itself.”
WDET Radio -
November 4, 2021
“The scientific and medical community is finding that psychedelic drugs, often in combination with therapy, can be beneficial across various psychiatric and neurologic diseases,” said George Mashour, professor of anesthesiology, neurosurgery and pharmacology. “Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic pain are just a few areas of current focus. The science on psychedelics is exploding.”
PBS NewsHour -
November 4, 2021
“A public university is beholden to truth-seeking and truth-speaking, and neither can possibly be subject to direct political control. A university that bars its faculty from criticizing the government in court has abandoned its core mission and tossed what should be its most fundamental values to a foul-smelling wind,” wrote Silke-Maria Weineck, professor of German studies and comparative literature.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
