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School of Arts & Sciences
Centennial of Nelson Mandela’s birth
Centennial of Nelson Mandela’s birth
It has been 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, elected as South Africa’s first black president after being imprisoned by the apartheid government for nearly three decades. Penn Professor Tukufu Zuberi of the School of Arts and Sciences discusses Mandela’s legacy and his continuing impact today.
Crowding between the book covers
Crowding between the book covers
In her new book, English professor Emily Steinlight focuses on overpopulation as a central theme of 19th-century British novels.
Piecing together an ancient biblical site, bone by bone
Piecing together an ancient biblical site, bone by bone
In the lab of Penn Museum’s Janet Monge, rising senior Fiona Jensen-Hitch is sorting and photographing ancient human remains to shed light on the people of ancient city of Gibeon.
Penn filmmakers capture less-told stories of climate change
Penn filmmakers capture less-told stories of climate change
As part of two CURF grants, students Kyle Rosenbluth and Daniel Fradin traveled to the Arctic to explore a Canadian Inuit community for a documentary—and came back with ample story to tell.
A gentle nudge at the right moment can curb unnecessary spending online
A gentle nudge at the right moment can curb unnecessary spending online
It turns out, reminding people of their financial goals before they start online shopping can reduce unnecessary spending of this kind by almost 25 percent.
Q&A with Mary Frances Berry:
“History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times”
Q&A with Mary Frances Berry:
“History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times”
The civil rights activist, historian, and author discusses her new book “History Teaches Us to Resist: How Progressive Movements Have Succeeded in Challenging Times.”
Greening vacant lots reduces depression in city dwellers
Greening vacant lots reduces depression in city dwellers
People living within a quarter mile of greened lots had a 41.5 percent decrease in feelings of depression and a nearly 63 percent decrease in self-reported “poor mental health,” compared to those who lived near the lots that received no intervention.
Talking philosophy, privacy, and race with Anita Allen
Talking philosophy, privacy, and race with Anita Allen
On July 1, the Vice Provost and professor of Law and Philosophy became the first female African-American president of the American Philosophical Association’s Eastern Division.
Pardon power: Rogers Smith on presidential privilege
Pardon power: Rogers Smith on presidential privilege
The political science professor discusses the legality of the current president applying the power of presidential pardon to himself, and concludes that there's no definitive constitutional answer.
A physics treasure hidden in the pattern of wallpaper
A physics treasure hidden in the pattern of wallpaper
Charles Kane and Andrew Rappe of the School of Arts and Sciences were part of an international team that has identified a new form of insulating material that may one day provide a basis for quantum computing. The patterns found in everyday wallpaper played a role in the discovery.
In the News
Associated Press
Here’s why experts don’t think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai’s downpour
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that many people blaming cloud seeding for Dubai storms are climate change deniers trying to divert attention from what’s really happening.
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Associated Press
In death, three decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America’s racial divides
Camille Charles of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Black Americans have grown less likely to believe in a famous defendant’s innocence as a show of race solidarity.
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The Wall Street Journal
‘Slouch’ review: The panic over posture
In her new book, “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America,” Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces society’s posture obsession to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
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Salon.com
“Record-shattering” heat wave in Antarctica — yep, climate change is the culprit
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that persistent summer weather extremes like heat waves are becoming more common as people continue to warm the planet with carbon pollution.
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The New Yorker
The truth behind the slouching epidemic
Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces the history of a poor-posture epidemic in the U.S. which began at the onset of the 20th century.
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