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Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
A new link between fear, imitation, and antisocial behavior in children
A new link between fear, imitation, and antisocial behavior in children
In a pair of studies, researchers from Penn and Boston University offer insight into a set of traits often characterized by a lack of empathy and sensitivity to others’ emotions.
Alice Paul and the ERA
Alice Paul and the ERA
After almost a hundred years, the Equal Rights Amendment may finally be ratified as an amendment to the Constitution, guaranteeing equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Mary Frances Berry, Kathleen M. Brown and Maria Murphy discuss what ratification could mean.
Iranian commander killed—five things to know
Iranian commander killed—five things to know
A United States drone struck and killed a powerful Iranian military commander at an Iraqi airport, bringing vows of retribution from Iran and threatening to plunge the region into chaos. An expert on Iran shares her thoughts on the attack.
Brendan O’Leary: Whatever you say, say everything
Brendan O’Leary: Whatever you say, say everything
The political science professor’s career, from aiding in the negotiating of peace in Northern Ireland to advising the Prime Minister of Kurdistan, has been guided by a simple principle: Say exactly what you mean.
Diving into code to illuminate the history of computing
Diving into code to illuminate the history of computing
Stephanie Dick delves deep into the practice of computer programming and design to shed light on different communities’ attempts to automate reason, knowledge, and proof.
Space, time, and laboratories: The long history of David Rittenhouse Lab
Space, time, and laboratories: The long history of David Rittenhouse Lab
The 65-year-old building has housed the Math, Physics, and Astronomy departments, and was constructed in an era when government partnered with higher ed to invest in its facilities.
A global take on Lebanon protests
A global take on Lebanon protests
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured into the streets of Lebanon. Penn Today speaks to two experts on Lebanon to find out why.
Impeachment, conspiracy theories, and facts
Impeachment, conspiracy theories, and facts
Historian Sophia Rosenfeld shares her take on the hearings leading up to President Trump’s impeachment, the wealth of conspiracy theories surrounding them, and tips on how to absorb it all without feeling dazed.
‘May the force be with you’ and other fan fiction favorites
‘May the force be with you’ and other fan fiction favorites
Researchers have created a unique digital humanities tool to analyze the most popular phrases and character connections in fan fiction based on blockbuster film series, starting with “Star Wars,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “Harry Potter.”
Individuals find polls that favor their candidates more credible
Individuals find polls that favor their candidates more credible
Because voters use pre-election polls to consider the choices before them and to structure their expectations about an election, a new study highlights how individuals interpret them.
In the News
Architectural Record
Why removing the melted scaffolding from Notre Dame is the key to its preservation
Frank Matero of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design said removing the Cathedral of Notre Dame’s melted scaffolding is key to protecting the cathedral’s masonry vaults. “Vault collapse would destabilize the entire structure and significantly compromise its overall integrity in every way,” he said.
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Inside Higher Ed
An intelligent argument on race?
Quayshawn Spencer of the School of Arts and Sciences said it’s a “fatal flaw” for an article on the role of heredity in determining character traits to not address how race effects both the researchers and their subjects.
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The New York Times
Why Trump persists
Diana Mutz of the Annenberg School for Communication and School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the effects of education on individual world views. “Every study I’ve ever seen across the social sciences shows that education promotes less in-group favoritism and greater tolerance toward those unlike ourselves,” she said. “In panel studies that track the same people over time, as people gain advanced levels of education, they become more tolerant and favorable toward liberal democratic norms.”
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The Wall Street Journal
Can a woman win in 2020?
Sarah Shaiman, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote an opinion piece encouraging voters to look beyond identity politics when selecting a presidential candidate. “Electing a woman to be president means nothing if she doesn’t commit to materially improving the lives of the nation’s women, including working-class women,” she wrote.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
With 2020 election, Women’s March on Philadelphia ‘more important now than ever,’ organizers say
Dawn Teele of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the Women’s March, calling it “a cathartic show of solidarity rather than a solid movement with a specific end.”
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