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Michele Berger

Articles from Michele W. Berger
Where political views and fundamental beliefs intersect
Three maps of the U.S., one blue, one purple, one red, indicating partisan politics.

Where political views and fundamental beliefs intersect

Research from The Penn Primals Project debunks the idea that conservatives think the world is more dangerous than liberals, findings with implications for future research and productive political debate.

Michele W. Berger

The allure of fad diets, and why they fail
A person seated at a dining table with their elbows on the table, with one single carrot on the plate before them.

The allure of fad diets, and why they fail

In a new book, Penn nutritional anthropologist Janet Chrzan and Kima Cargill of the University of Washington, Tacoma, explain the cultural, social, and psychological fixation on fad diets and why they don’t typically succeed.

Michele W. Berger

Twitter gives conservative news greater visibility than liberal content
A crowd of people outdoors, some wearing masks, some with arms raised, some holding signs that read "Justice for George Floyd" or with a painting of George Floyd's face.

A Black Lives Matter rally in June, 2020, at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza in New York. (Image: AP Photo/Kathy Willen, File)

Twitter gives conservative news greater visibility than liberal content

This bias held even in the context of a social justice movement with left-leaning goals, according to research from Sandra González-Bailón of the Annenberg School for Communication and colleagues.

Michele W. Berger, Julie Sloane

Finding community in the Jewish High Holy Days
A cut apple and pomegranate surround a honey jar with a wooden honey stick on top. An uncut apple and pomegranate are in the background.

Finding community in the Jewish High Holy Days

Three cultural and academic leaders at Penn consider how a return to experiencing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in person offered physical and spiritual healing.

Kristina García, Michele W. Berger

Pregnancy, childbirth, the pandemic, and stress
masked mother with baby on bed

Though many of the individuals who are part of Project IGNITE knew each other from previous partnerships or overlapping research interests, no prior project matched the intended scope of IGNITE. It aims to merge research on maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, psychology, neonatology, and pediatrics

Pregnancy, childbirth, the pandemic, and stress

For two years, the interdisciplinary Project IGNITE has followed 1,000 pregnant individuals and their children to learn more about what role environmental factors play in preterm birth, poor pregnancy outcomes, and social and emotional development.

Michele W. Berger

Crime and the scientific method
workbench showcasing the forensic toolkit

Crime and the scientific method

The multidisciplinary faculty in the Department of Criminology harness diverse methodologies to improve public safety and inform policy and planning.

Blake Cole, Michele W. Berger

Reflections on the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II
Framed photo of Queen Elizabeth sits amid bouquets of flowers

A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II sits amidst floral tributes and notes outside the gates of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch died on Sept. 8 after 70 years on the throne. She was 96. (Image: AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Reflections on the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II

Five experts from the University consider the regent’s seven-decade reign, weighing everything from the changing role of media in crafting her image to the future of the United Kingdom.

Kristen de Groot, Michele W. Berger, Louisa Shepard

When curved materials flatten, simple geometry can predict the wrinkle patterns that emerge
A circular cutout with wrinkles forming in many patterns.

A circular cutout of a thin spherical cap carefully deposited onto a pool of water. The sheet forms a complex pattern of wrinkles to accommodate the change in geometry from a sphere to a plane. (Image: Monica Ripp, Paulsen Lab, Syracuse University)

When curved materials flatten, simple geometry can predict the wrinkle patterns that emerge

The findings—from a collaboration between Penn, Syracuse, and the University of Illinois Chicago—have a range of implications, from how materials interact with moisture to the way flexible electronics bend.

Michele W. Berger

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