7.14
Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
Life, death, and the Amazonian litter layer
Life, death, and the Amazonian litter layer
Kristina Lyons’ new book explores the Colombian world of litter layers, seeds, and soils; Amazonian farmers, narcos, and the War on Drugs
The dangers of sharing personal information on social media
The dangers of sharing personal information on social media
Joseph Turow, a professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, says hackers may be using your posts against you.
When Malcolm X came to Penn
When Malcolm X came to Penn
On this Malcolm X Day, his 95th birthday, Penn Today reflects on his visit to the University in January of 1963, and his life and legacy.
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
The conclusions hold even after accounting for changes in chronic health conditions and functional limitations, religious service attendance, and relationship strain.
Personal documentaries replace performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Personal documentaries replace performing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Theatre arts students created personal documentaries relating their situations during the coronavirus quarantine to the theme of transformation in crisis in the play “Orlando,” which they were supposed to perform at the now-cancelled Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland
What are the economic and health effects when states reopen?
What are the economic and health effects when states reopen?
New Penn Wharton Budget Model predicts 212,000 additional deaths related to the coronavirus but the recouping of around 18 million jobs by July 15 if all states fully reopen.
Performing arts diversity in the (virtual) stacks
Performing arts diversity in the (virtual) stacks
Diversity in the Stacks aims to build library collections that represent and reflect the University’s diverse population, and extends to the field of digital performing arts.
To keep firearms safe from children, look to behavioral economics
To keep firearms safe from children, look to behavioral economics
Mental shortcuts and cognitive biases may factor into whether a gun gets locked up, separate from ammunition. New findings suggest several ways to positively influence this behavior.
The unique subculture of Cuban punk
The unique subculture of Cuban punk
Often idealized through images of painstakingly restored Chryslers and romantic, backroom rumbas, Cuba has untold subcultures that one graduate student, Carmen Torre Pérez, is analyzing through a social history of Cuban punk.
Penn Flow Chinese-Western chamber music ensemble plays from home
Penn Flow Chinese-Western chamber music ensemble plays from home
The Penn Flow Chinese-Western chamber music ensemble juxtaposes traditional Chinese instruments with Western instruments. Student members are featured playing the traditional Chinese erhu and guzheng at home in videos posted by the Music Department.
In the News
The New York Times
How could human nature have become this politicized?
Research about political polarization in the U.S. by Yphtach Lelkes of the Annenberg School for Communication, Matthew Levendusky of the School of Arts & Sciences, and colleagues at Stanford University was cited.
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Wired
America has a sick obsession with COVID-19 polls
Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication said people are sensitive to social cues about health-related behaviors, like mask wearing. “It’s so conspicuous because it’s new, and it’s shifting underneath our feet,” he said.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Antifa rumors and hoaxes have stoked real fear in Philadelphia neighborhoods
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says the meaning of “antifa" is being constructed in real time via public discourse. “When you use the word antifa, you’re creating the sense that it actually does exist, normalizing the language of ‘antifa,’ without knowing what the reference is,” she said. “It is becoming a ‘devil term’ on the right—a term that is used to encapsulate everything you’re afraid of.”
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The Washington Post
Major U.S. cities, gripped with crisis, now face spike in deadly shootings, including of children
Richard Berk of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on an uptick in gun violence in the U.S. "Every homicide is a tragedy," he said. "It particularly is a tragedy when you see these kids get shot."
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TheHill.com
Trump's mark on federal courts could last decades
Stephen Burbank of the Law School said President Trump has strayed from prior administrations’ efforts to appoint diverse judges to the federal judiciary.
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