In the News
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November 24, 2025
“I think one of the big issues is, frankly, transparency. Communities as well as people across the state want to understand what’s happening,” said Liesl Eichler Clark, director of climate action engagement at the School for Environment and Sustainability, on the tension between communities and large AI data centers, the warehouse-style facilities that store and move digital information people use every day.
WKAR Radio -
November 21, 2025
“As artificial intelligence researchers exhaust the supply of real data on the web and in digitized archives, they are increasingly turning to synthetic data, artificially generated examples that mimic real ones,” wrote Ambuj Tewari, professor of statistics. “But AI has no sense of what is real or true. The desire to stay in touch with reality and to seek truth belongs to people, not machines. Human judgment and oversight in the use of synthetic data will remain essential for the future.”
The Conversation -
November 21, 2025
Last winter’s flu season was extreme, and with a new variant in the mix this year, experts say we’re on track for a repeat. “I am concerned that we could have a big flu season this year based on what we’re seeing in other parts of the world, and particularly Europe and elsewhere,” said Adam Lauring, professor of microbiology and immunology and of ecology and evolutionary biology. “It’s not too late. Go and get your flu shot. And be alert that it’s out there.”
CNN -
November 21, 2025
“Some say diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to die, but killing off the benefits of DEI alongside its limitations is a threat to American lives,” wrote Rachel Bergmans, research assistant professor of anesthesiology. “In medicine, we must focus on marginalized perspectives and patient experience to ensure clinical trials and other studies can reveal the true risks and benefits of new treatments. DEI is not the problem. The problem is that our health care system often fails those who need it most, and fixing it requires intentional effort.”
TIME -
November 20, 2025
“Instead of behaving aggressively toward neighbors or strangers, we often go out of our way to help them. We frequently provide support to people suffering from famine or natural disasters, even when they are complete strangers. This kind of aid is never seen in chimpanzees or any other nonhuman animal,” said John Mitani, professor emeritus of anthropology, who studies “coordinated violence” among groups of monkeys who fight largely to gain territory.
Popular Science -
November 20, 2025
“The fact that it feels good to buy stuff isn’t going anywhere. People still have this expectation that they should be able to buy these things. They will just be more and more mad about how much they cost,” said Stephanie Preston, professor of psychology, about the rising prices of cheap goods from China and Vietnam due to higher tariffs.
The Wall Street Journal -
November 20, 2025
One Republican proposal to make health care more affordable would redirect enhanced subsidies into tax-free Flexible Spending Accounts, which Americans could use for deductibles, co-pays or direct health care expenses. FSAs are “great for buying eyeglasses and going to the dentist, but if you have a catastrophic health event they’re not going to help,” said Thomas Buchmueller, professor of business economics and public policy.
The Washington Post -
November 19, 2025
Research by Michelle Meade, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, found that only 18% of participants over 65 saw themselves as having a disability — even though half the 65-to-74 group reported disabilities, as did about two-thirds of those over 75. Identifying as a person with a disability provides benefits, can mean avoiding isolation and “being part of a community of people who are good problem-solvers, who figure things out and work in partnership to do things better,” she said.
The New York Times -
November 19, 2025
The Trump administration’s elimination of electric vehicle and battery incentives will hurt Republican states and districts. “The state politics of this are really complicated. Most congressional districts are in such safe territory, it’s hard to see any partisan shift of control in them,” said Barry Rabe, professor emeritus of public policy, environment and political science. Yet there are GOP-controlled House districts that have seen broad benefits from clean energy investments where “this really could be a factor.”
The Detroit News -
November 19, 2025
Soft drink lovers are trained to associate these products with certain events and moments due to decades of intense product marketing by beverage companies, said Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology. “They want to inundate every single domain of your life,” she said. “Just like a chain smoker is dosing themselves with nicotine all day, you’re dosing yourself with a naturally delivered sweet taste day after day because whenever it’s not there, a part of you feels slightly depressed and slightly dissatisfied.”
USA Today
