4.23
Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
‘The conversation America needs’
Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Wesley Clark, a retired four-star general of the U.S. Army, and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, who served as the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, joined the Penn Political Union in College Hall on Wednesday for a wide discussion.
On Japan trip, students learn to savor the moment
Nine students spent a week in Japan though a Penn Biden Center program. After a whirlwind tour that included a visit to Hiroshima and a home stay, students say the experience was life-changing.
Through comics, profs draw path to visual literacy
In Making Comics, an English course for undergraduates, students learn the theory of comic books while working with others to make them—all in the name of visual literacy.
Professor Charles Bernstein awarded Yale’s 2019 Bollingen Prize for Poetry
Charles Bernstein is the 51st poet to be honored with the biennial prize, one of the most prestigious given to American writers. Bernstein’s latest collection, “Near/Miss,” was published last year.
The scholar behind ‘Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism’
Kristen R. Ghodsee has been intrigued by the former Eastern bloc since she was in high school. Now, her research is reaching a new audience in a provocative book.
Iconic indeed, will Amtrak’s split-flap sign remain?
As Amtrak decides whether to keep the split-flap sign at 30th Street Station, PennDesign professors lay out research-based and historical considerations.
Spencer named Robert S. Blank Presidential Professor
Quayshawn Spencer, an associate professor of philosophy, has been named the Robert S. Blank Presidential Associate Professor of Philosophy.
Report predicts aging homeless population will nearly triple by 2030
The national population of people 65 or older experiencing homelessness is estimated to grow from 40,000 to 106,000 by 2030.
Walt Whitman up close
As part of the Penn Manuscript Collective, students transcribe rare documents and original works by Walt Whitman in the University’s collection. Their discoveries will be included in an international symposium at Penn this spring, Whitman at 200, led by the Penn Libraries marking the anniversary of the poet’s birth.
What do opponents of genetically modified foods really know about the science?
The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, found that the strongest critics actually know less—a pattern similar for gene therapy, but not for climate change.
In the News
Chronicle of Social Change
Does your agency reflect the diversity of the community it serves? Why not?
Raekwon Burton, a grad student in the School of Social Policy & Practice, wrote about the lack of diversity in the field of social work.
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Smithsonian Magazine
If Thanos actually wiped out half of all life, how would Earth fare in the aftermath?
Lauren Sallan of the School of Arts and Sciences discussed the hypothetical results of a mass-extinction event, like the one depicted in “The Avengers” movie franchise. “I think humans would figure out a way to [survive], provided that not all of the ecosystems collapse,” said Sallan.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Eastern Pennsylvania's population growth bypasses western Pa.
Domenic Vitiello of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design weighed in on Pennsylvania’s shifts in population. “Pennsylvania remains very much a Rust Belt state,” he said. “But it’s heartening that we’re not declining as precipitously as we were in the 1970s or 1980s.”
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Time
The Mueller report is embarrassing for Trump, but it doesn’t call into question his 2016 win
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center was cited for her book Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President.
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Time
Why spicy food makes your nose run—and why it’s great for you
Paul Rozin of the School of Arts and Sciences explained why we enjoy eating spicy food, a kind of “benign masochism.” “People seem to enjoy pushing the limits of what we can take,” he said.
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