A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape A novel theory on how conspiracy theories take shape In a new book, Dolores Albarracín, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, and colleagues show that two factors—the conservative media and societal fear and anxiety—have driven recent widespread conspiracies, from Pizzagate to those around COVID-19 vaccines.
Justin McDaniel on life, death, religion, and his latest book Buddhist temples (like the one above in Wat Pho, Thailand) are often ornately decorated with gilded statues, flowers, and incense. “Religion,” says McDaniel, “is often a celebration, not an austere retreat.” (Image: Frida Aguilar Estrada on Unsplash.) Q&A Justin McDaniel on life, death, religion, and his latest book In his new book, “Wayward Distractions,” the School of Arts & Sciences’ Justin McDaniel compiles articles on art and material culture spanning his 20-plus years of scholarship.
From the archives, a class on different communities of Jews in China Homepage image: Students brought their own expertise to the experience of working with the archival materials, including translation of Chinese characters written on the back of photographs. Working together (center) were College freshmen (from left) Louis Dong, Nancy (Ziqi) An, and Alice (Yucheng) Feng. From the archives, a class on different communities of Jews in China Kathryn Hellerstein created an opportunity for her first-year seminar students to study archival material from a collection donated to the Penn Libraries by her mentor, Israeli scholar Irene Eber.
Who’s at greatest risk to encounter the criminal legal system in the U.S.? Who’s at greatest risk to encounter the criminal legal system in the U.S.? New work from Penn, Princeton, and Washington University in St. Louis finds that for young people of color, contact with the system begins early and is incredibly widespread.
Mask-wearing and moral values Mask-wearing and moral values Tiffany Tieu led a study on the psychology of mask-wearing and its relationship with a person’s moral values, using Penn undergraduates as the subjects.
Climate change and the problem with time Climate change and the problem with time Episode 7 of “In These Times” brings together an oceanographer, a geophysicist, and a historian about the challenges to understanding the Earth’s 4.6 billion year history, and how our actions in the present impact a future we can only imagine.
The philosophy of visual studies The Class of 2022 has eight visual studies majors, including (from left) Zuqi Fu of Beijing, Eli Ricanati of Santa Monica, California, and Morgan Jones of Albany, New York. The philosophy of visual studies Founded 20 years ago, the interdisciplinary major of visual studies creates a bridge for students to combine interests, including philosophy, art history, architecture, fine arts, and psychology.
Kazakhstan unrest, explained Riot police block protesters in the center of Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. (Image: AP Photo/Vladimir Tretyakov) Q&A Kazakhstan unrest, explained Philip M. Nichols of the Wharton School and the Russia and East European Studies program in the School of Arts & Sciences offers some background on the protests and violence and why what happens in Kazakhstan matters to the region and the world.
Manning the middle with Brian O’Neill Manning the middle with Brian O’Neill As the college football season comes to a close, the fifth-year senior discusses his career as a Quaker, takeaways from Penn’s season, his plans for the future, and his pick for Monday's national championship game.
Empowering community engagement through theory and practice This fall, Participatory Cities, an SNF Paideia Program Course, delved into the history, methodology, and impacts of community participation and stakeholder involvement processes. Students took what they learned in the classroom and conducted their own engagement activities on campus, such as this freshman tabling event and survey. (Image: Mya Gordon) Empowering community engagement through theory and practice This fall, students applied community participation and stakeholder involvement processes to conduct their own outreach activities on campus as part of Participatory Cities, a Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program course.