In the News
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October 27, 2025
“The ed-tech landscape is experiencing a dangerous shift away from educator expertise toward an AI-driven, technology-first approach to digital innovation, ignoring designs for learning that are based on what we know about how people learn,” wrote Rebecca Quintana, clinical associate professor of education. “We need research-based solutions, not venture capital experiments that are no more effective than throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.”
Inside Higher Ed -
October 24, 2025
“Frequency of intake is as important if not more important than amount of intake,” said Purnima Kumar, professor of dentistry, noting that it’s better to eat sweets all at one time rather than throughout the day to reduce the effects of sugar on teeth. “If you have to eat sweets, then make sure you brush and you remove all vestiges of it from all the different crevices in your teeth that (the sugar) can sit on and stay on.”
The Scientist -
October 24, 2025
Michigan’s new state budget will limit coverage of a group of weight-loss drugs for most Medicaid patients. “It’s this amazing clinical breakthrough, particularly for patient populations that I worry about, who are most impacted by obesity-related conditions like diabetes and obesity-related cancers and heart disease. These are folks that tend to be left behind,” said Mark Fendrick, director of the U-M Center for Value-Based Insurance Design.
Bridge Michigan -
October 24, 2025
Fewer than 1 in 10 parents say their toddler or preschooler plays outside once a week or less, and 3 in 5 parents say their child watches TV or videos every day, said Sarah Clark, co-director of the Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health: “Play is the key to how young children learn and develop. Our report suggests that many families could support healthier development by encouraging a wider variety of play experiences.”
MLive -
October 23, 2025
“There is no silver bullet chronic pain medication, pretty much for anything. It’s often like, ‘Oh, I got a little benefit here and a little there.’ You’re kind of piecing together the puzzle,” said Kevin Boehnke, assistant professor of anesthesiology, noting that “many people deliberately use cannabis in place of opioids” because they find it more effective and with fewer side effects.
National Public Radio -
October 23, 2025
“This supports the idea that teens with psychological vulnerabilities are being profiled … and fed more harmful content. We know that a lot of what people consume on social media comes from the feed, not from search,” said Jenny Radesky, associate professor of pediatrics, about new research that shows teens who say Instagram regularly made them feel bad about their bodies saw three times more “eating disorder adjacent content” on the platform than those who did not.
The Economic Times -
October 23, 2025
“We should be helping students develop a functioning philosophy for living a meaningful life. That’s not just for humanities departments. Business schools need to take this seriously because of the impact our students have on society,” said Andrew Hoffman, professor of sustainable enterprise, who believes business is not just a tool for wealth creation, but also a vehicle for purpose.
Poets & Quants -
October 22, 2025
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created a moment when the West could have built a new, cooperative security framework, said Ronald Suny, professor emeritus of history: “There was a real question at that time about whether NATO should even continue. Russia over time felt humiliated that it wasn’t being listened to, that the West no longer wanted to treat it as a great power. That situation, it seems to me, led us to the war in Ukraine. We squandered that opportunity.”
WJBK/Detroit -
October 22, 2025
For older women, doing favors for close friends, like offering a ride or lending a hand, can boost happiness and provide a greater sense of purpose — but not so much for men, said Crystal Ng, research fellow at the Institute for Social Research: “Offering emotional support to friends may be linked to a lower positive mood for older men, possibly due to expressing empathy or discussing emotions. It may conflict with masculine role expectations, leading to discomfort or emotional strain.”
U.S. News & World Report -
October 22, 2025
“Long-term, regular use of these substances to get to sleep might actually lead to worse sleep problems and increased risk for use of substance use, so we think it’s really important that people understand those risks,” said Megan Patrick, research professor at the Institute for Social Research, who found that 22% of Americans ages 19 to 30 use cannabis or alcohol to help them fall asleep.
WWJ Radio
