Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences

Pairing science with ethics to save lives

Penn President Amy Gutmann and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Jonathan Moreno discussed their new book “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die” at a Free Library of Philadelphia book talk Monday.

Two people sitting on a stage, one gesturing with his hands. In front of them is a brown wooden table with two water bottles.

Dissecting the Green New Deal

During what’s likely the largest climate event ever held at Penn, leaders in a range of fields discussed the practicalities and implications of the resolution introduced into Congress in February aimed at stemming climate change.

Penn Libraries enter a ‘new era of innovation’

Having just completed her first year, Constantia Constantinou is helping to guide the Penn Libraries into the future, driving collections, forming new partnerships, and reimagining spaces.

Fall into the arts

An active time of year for the arts community, the University’s fall arts and culture offerings range from a sculpture exhibit from Jaume Plensa, at Arthur Ross Gallery, to a viewing garden along the Rail Park.

penn president amy gutmann and jonathan moreno

Gutmann and Moreno talk bioethics, health care in new book

The University’s president, a political philosopher, teamed up with a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor to write “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die.”

Two people face each other, smiling widely and looking into each other's eyes.

No evidence that testosterone reduces cognitive empathy

In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that testosterone administration did not affect cognitive empathy, a measure of the ability to recognize another’s feelings and motivations. The finding calls into question the theory that the symptoms of autism are caused by a hyper-masculinized brain.

Pixelated image of a brain with red, blue, and purple regions

‘Information gerrymandering’ poses a threat to democratic decision making

Concern over fake news and online trolls is widespread and warranted, but researchers have identified another impediment to the free flow of information in social networks. The phenomenon, which they term “information gerrymandering,” arises from the structure of a social network and introduces bias into collective decisions.

Q&A

In Hong Kong, a new round in the long-standing clash over law, autonomy, and democracy

Political scientist Jacques deLisle explains what spurred the latest conflict, and whether the desire to end it could prompt mainland China to intervene with force.

Three people sitting on high stools on a stage surrounded by windows, two playing guitars and one speaking or singing into a microphone.

Woodstock at 50

During three days of Woodstock in August of 1969, Anthony DeCurtis of the School of Arts and Sciences was 18, growing up in New York City and obsessed with the music that would form the foundation of his writing and teaching.

A society’s cultural practices shape the structure of its social networks

Biologists Erol Akçay and Marco Smolla used mathematical models to show that societies that favor generalists, who have a wide range of skills, are less well-connected than those societies that favor specialists, who are highly skilled at a smaller number of traits.

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