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Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
A conversation with Julia Ticona
A conversation with Julia Ticona
In the latest episode of “Office Hours,” a Penn Today podcast, Assistant Professor of Communication Julia Ticona explains her research about the gig economy and chitchats about cooking, campus, and superpowers.
A Q&A with landscape historian Sonja Dümpelmann
A Q&A with landscape historian Sonja Dümpelmann
Landscape historian and standing faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Weitzmann School Sonja Dümpelmann discusses her new book, “Seeing Trees: A History of Street Trees in New York City and Berlin.
Genes play a role in dog breed differences in behavior
Genes play a role in dog breed differences in behavior
Border collies are highly trainable, greyhounds love to chase, and German shepherds make good guard dogs. While the environment plays a role, traits like these are highly heritable. A new study identifies 131 genetic variants associated with breed differences in behavior.
A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time
A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time
Penn archaeologists, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Mosul and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, seek to undo the terrible destruction ISIS wrought, particularly on targeted minority groups.
Three-concert festival celebrates composer and Penn professor emeritus George Crumb
Three-concert festival celebrates composer and Penn professor emeritus George Crumb
A three-concert festival will celebrate decades of music by Penn professor emeritus George Crumb, a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Oct. 10-12 at the Annenberg Center.
A simple intervention enduringly reduces anti-Muslim sentiment
A simple intervention enduringly reduces anti-Muslim sentiment
Research from the Annenberg School for Communication found that calling out the hypocrisy of collective blame—holding an entire group that’s not our own responsible for acts of a single person—significantly lessened hostile sentiments toward that group.
Sculptor Michelle Lopez creates installation for ICA exhibition ‘Ballast & Barricades’
Sculptor Michelle Lopez creates installation for ICA exhibition ‘Ballast & Barricades’
Michelle Lopez of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design created a sculpture with construction-derived materials hanging from, and reaching up to, a 30-foot-high gallery ceiling in the Institute of Contemporary Art. The new site-specific installation, “Ballast & Barricades,” is on display until May 10.
Junior Chloe Gong has a deal to publish young-adult novel set in 1920s Shanghai
Junior Chloe Gong has a deal to publish young-adult novel set in 1920s Shanghai
In addition to pursuing her double-major in English and international relations, junior Chloe Gong is writing a novel, a take on “Romeo and Juliet” set in 1920s Shanghai. “These Violent Delights,” is expected to be released next fall.
‘Power of design’
‘Power of design’
In a ceremony Thursday afternoon, President Amy Gutmann celebrated the naming of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design and Stuart Weitzman Plaza. Weitzman, the designer and footwear industry icon, graduated from the Wharton School in 1963.
Signaling the trustworthiness of science
Signaling the trustworthiness of science
Public confidence in science has remained high and stable for years. But recent decades have seen incidents of scientific fraud and misconduct, failure to replicate key findings, and growth in the number of retractions—all of which may affect trust in science.
In the News
Marketplace (NPR)
What did you do at work last week? Monitoring performance doesn’t improve it, expert says
Adam Grant of the Wharton School says that people do their best work when they’re given a chance to pursue autonomy, mastery, belonging, and purpose.
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Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
‘Marry or be fired’ and other global efforts to boost fertility
Jesús Fernández-Villaverde of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the world population will peak in 2055, followed by a systematic decline at a rapid rate.
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Men’s Health
These two personality traits make you instantly more attractive, say studies of over 4,000 people
A study by postdoc Natalia Kononov of the Wharton School suggests that kindness and helpfulness can make someone more attractive, regardless of the situation or relationship.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
After years of anti-vaccine advocacy, RFK Jr. said vaccines protect children. But experts say he must go further amid measles outbreak
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and Jessica McDonald of APPC’s Factcheck.org comment on the need to debunk vaccine misinformation in public health messaging.
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The Guardian
Formerly anti-vax parents on how they changed their minds: ‘I really made a mistake’
According to surveys from the Annenberg Public Policy Center, the proportion of respondents who believe vaccines are unsafe grew from 9% in April 2021 to 16% in the fall of 2023.
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