NewsPronto

 
Times Advertising


.

The Conversation

The new coronavirus is hitting colleges and universities hard, but donors can help

  • Written by William Plater, Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Public Affairs, Philanthropy, and English; Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties Emeritus, IUPUI
At Columbia University and hundreds of other schools, all students are suddenly learning online.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Amid concerns about the deadly coronavirus pandemic, a rapidly growing number of colleges and universities are closing their classroom doors, forcing faculty to teach students online instead of in person.

The risks posed by...

Read more: The new coronavirus is hitting colleges and universities hard, but donors can help

Ancient bird skull found in amber was tiny predator in the time of giant dinosaurs

  • Written by Lars Schmitz, Associate Professor of Biology, Claremont McKenna College
Amber holds the secret to the tiny world of the age of dinosaurs.Xing Lida, CC BY-ND

In 2016, our colleague Xing Lida held up a small piece of polished, deeply yellow amber. As sunlight shone through the ancient resin, Lida saw the outline of a pristinely preserved, amazingly small skull. There was a prominent eye socket, a dome-shaped crown of the...

Read more: Ancient bird skull found in amber was tiny predator in the time of giant dinosaurs

Biden's big night with moderates, African Americans and Baby Boomers

  • Written by Luke Perry, Professor of Government at Utica College, Utica College
Vice President Joe Biden enters a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio on March 10.AP Photo/Paul Vernon

Editor’s note: With the race for the Democratic nomination narrowed to two front-runners, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, six states went to the polls on March 10: Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington. We asked...

Read more: Biden's big night with moderates, African Americans and Baby Boomers

Why public universities are chasing rich kids from out of state

  • Written by Robert Massa, Adjunct Professor, Rossier School of Education, USC, University of Southern California
College recruiters target high schools where kids are from well-off families.Hill Street Studios/Getty Images

There are many high-achieving, low-income students who are well qualified for admission to the nation’s top public colleges and universities. The problem is admission officers appear to spend little time trying to find them.

That much...

Read more: Why public universities are chasing rich kids from out of state

There's plenty of toilet paper in the US – so why are people hoarding it?

  • Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Senior Lecturer, Questrom School of Business, Boston University
Almost 150 U.S. companies make toilet paper.Studio Dagdagaz/Shutterstock.com

The other day I went into Costco to buy some toilet paper. It came as a small shock when I couldn’t find a single roll.

The new coronavirus is inspiring panic buying of a variety of household products such as toilet paper in cities across the U.S. and world.

While it...

Read more: There's plenty of toilet paper in the US – so why are people hoarding it?

Can gambling juice fandom for women's sports?

  • Written by Adam Cohen, Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney
Members of the University of Oregon's basketball team embrace before the final of the Pac-12 women's tournament.AP Photo/John Locher

Every March Madness, thousands of tweets and articles dissecting seedings, potential upsets and favorable matchups flood the feeds of sports fans.

According to ESPN, over 70 million people will fill out a bracket....

Read more: Can gambling juice fandom for women's sports?

Newborn babies weigh less today – possibly due to the increased popularity of cesarean sections and induced labor

  • Written by Andrea Tilstra, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology, University of Colorado Boulder
Cesarean sections have become more common in the U.S. Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock.com

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

The big idea

The decline in U.S. birth weight has been somewhat of a puzzle for public health researchers. Between 1990 and 2017, average birth weight declined from 7.36 pounds to 7.19 pounds.

There...

Read more: Newborn babies weigh less today – possibly due to the increased popularity of cesarean sections...

Why so few young Americans vote

  • Written by John Holbein, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education, University of Virginia
Not all of Bernie Sanders' young supporters are showing up at the polls.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The United States has one of the lowest rates of youth voter turnout in the world. The gap between 18- to 29-year-olds and those over 60, a common measuring stick, is more than twice as large here than it is in comparable democracies, like Canada and...

Read more: Why so few young Americans vote

Indian Country leaders urge Native people to be counted in 2020 Census

  • Written by Kirsten Carlson, Associate Professor of Law and Adjunct Associate Professor of Political Science, Wayne State University
Alaska Native girls prepare to dance in honor of the beginning of the 2020 Census in rural Alaska. The Census count begins in this state out of necessity and tradition.AP Images/Gregory Bull

Native Americans living on reservations and in traditional villages were the most undercounted people in the 2010 U.S. Census. This year, tribal leaders through...

Read more: Indian Country leaders urge Native people to be counted in 2020 Census

When safety measures lead to riskier behavior by more people

  • Written by Alex Horenstein, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Miami
Protective measures and their safety assurances can change how people act around risk.Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP

Coronavirus fears triggered a recent surge in sales of protective masks, as well as disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. Now there’s a shortage and concern that even health care providers who must wear face masks won’t...

Read more: When safety measures lead to riskier behavior by more people

More Articles ...

  1. If I get sick with coronavirus, can Donald Trump make me stay home?
  2. A coronavirus recession may be coming: Here's what to do with your money
  3. Protecting mangroves can prevent billions of dollars in global flooding damage every year
  4. 7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety
  5. Graphic novels help teens learn about racism, climate change and social justice – here's a reading list
  6. Black turnout in primaries might make Democrats think twice about swing voter strategy
  7. Mennonites helped turn Paraguay into a mega beef producer – indigenous people may pay the price
  8. A geriatrician offers 4 tips for seniors to stay connected during coronavirus outbreak
  9. How a tech-based program on health brought African American kids and parents together
  10. Does screening travelers for disease and infection really work?
  11. Malnourished bugs: Higher CO2 levels make plants less nutritious, hurting insect populations
  12. Will sick leave protect me if I get ill from coronavirus? 5 questions answered
  13. Can I take time off if my child's school is closed for coronavirus? 5 questions on sick leave laws answered
  14. Why the US still hasn't had a woman president
  15. The candidate you like is the one you think is most electable
  16. From border security to climate change, national emergency declarations raise hard questions about presidential power
  17. How technology can combat the rising tide of fake science
  18. I was in China doing research when I saw my Uighur friends disappear
  19. Dung beetles help rainforests regrow – but extreme drought and wildfires in the Amazon are killing them off
  20. Should you listen to music when you work?
  21. What's the difference between pandemic, epidemic and outbreak?
  22. Speeches, both scripted and off the cuff, turn Biden's campaign around
  23. How big will the coronavirus epidemic be? An epidemiologist updates his concerns
  24. Why some Americans don't trust the census
  25. Crisis communication researcher shares 5 key principles that officials should use in coronavirus
  26. Washington's recession-fighting toolbox is nearly empty as US economy braces for possible coronavirus outbreak
  27. 'Internet of things' could be an unseen threat to elections
  28. Why having fewer OSHA inspectors matters
  29. How to stop using food to reward and punish your kids
  30. How women dress for other women
  31. Autonomous vehicles can be fooled to 'see' nonexistent obstacles
  32. Coronavirus fears put a halt to the Muslim pilgrimage of umrah – but not yet the hajj
  33. Love in the time of the coronavirus: Do you turn your back when someone offers you a hand, a kiss or a hug?
  34. Why it took Congress 40 years to pass a bill acknowledging the Armenian genocide
  35. Americans still trust doctors and scientists during a public health crisis
  36. What The Satanic Temple is and why it's opening a debate about religion
  37. Do wasps have a queen like bees do?
  38. ​Tornadoes that strike at night are more deadly and require more effective warning systems
  39. Less than one-fifth of reported rapes and sexual assaults lead to arrests
  40. Biden's resurrection was unprecedented – and well-timed
  41. What really works to keep coronavirus away? 4 questions answered by a public health professional
  42. Vaccines without needles – new shelf-stable film could revolutionize how medicines are distributed worldwide
  43. Super Tuesday results show how Latino voters, moderate Democrats and Trump supporters are shaping the election
  44. Spring is arriving earlier across the US, and that's not always good news
  45. The Fed's 'surprise' interest rate cut: 5 questions answered
  46. There’s no easy exit for the US in Afghanistan
  47. A simple way to promote HPV vaccination among Asian American women: Storytelling
  48. Why so many epidemics originate in Asia and Africa – and why we can expect more
  49. Why colleges should think twice before punishing student protesters
  50. What schools can do to reduce the risk that teachers and other educators will sexually abuse children