News from

Social Sciences

Reset All Filters
239 Results
Public not highly knowledgeable about measles risks or MMR vaccine safety

Public not highly knowledgeable about measles risks or MMR vaccine safety

A recent health survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds that the public is less informed than it should be of measles-related risks and less certain than it used to be of the value of vaccination.

From the Annenberg Public Policy Center

2 min. read

Connecting with America’s 250th anniversary
The Declaration of Independence at the National Archives

The Declaration of Independence on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

(Image: Mark Schiefelbein via AP Images)

Connecting with America’s 250th anniversary

Ahead of the main event on July 4, 2026, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Penn students, faculty, and staff will have multiple early opportunities to engage with America’s 250th anniversary.

3 min. read

New Katz Center fellowship amplifies study of antisemitism through classes, events, and community
Mendel Kranz leaning against bookshelves in a library setting

Mendel Kranz is the inaugural recipient of the Ross-Silk-Lowenstein Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism

nocred

New Katz Center fellowship amplifies study of antisemitism through classes, events, and community

Mendel Kranz, the inaugural recipient of the Ross-Silk-Lowenstein Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, elevates awareness and critical inquiry into antisemitism through research projects, classroom dialogue, and educational events.

4 min. read

How has talking about politics changed in the last quarter-century?
Two people speaking in a government building.

Americans are having more political conversations than they were 24 years ago, and are more likely to be talking with people they agree with politically, Penn researcher Diana C. Mutz finds.

(Image: Hill Street Studios via Getty Images)

How has talking about politics changed in the last quarter-century?

Penn researcher Diana Mutz finds that we’re having more political conversations now with like-minded people, and that political intolerance has increased as a result.

2 min. read

Kathleen Hall Jamieson honored with William D. Carey Lectureship Award for Leadership in Science Policy

Kathleen Hall Jamieson honored with William D. Carey Lectureship Award for Leadership in Science Policy

The Annenberg Public Policy Center director has been honored with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s William D. Carey Lectureship Award for Leadership in Science Policy. Her presentation at the 49th Annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy, “Preempting public misconceptions about science,” urged scientists and science communicators to stop being reactive in seeking to correct misinformation.

Why aren’t America’s national roadways working?
Traffic from New Jersey to Philadelphia.

Professor of city and regional planning Erick Guerra recently published a book exploring the economic and societal impacts of American highways. He explains some of the pitfalls associated with an ever-expansive highway system, arguing that spending more on highways might not be the solution to the country’s transportation issues.

(Image: Courtesy of Getty / peeterv)

Why aren’t America’s national roadways working?

Penn urban planner Erick Guerra’s new book, “Overbuilt,” argues that additional spending on building more highways might not be the solution to the country’s transportation issues. In a Q&A, Guerra shares his insights.

4 min. read

Philosophy, technology, and pushing beyond human limitations
Gary Purpura teaches class.

But to Gary Purpura, the associate vice provost for education and academic planning in the Office of the Provost and a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, is teaching Enhancing the Human Mind with Technology this semester.

nocred

Philosophy, technology, and pushing beyond human limitations

Gary Purpura’s class Enhancing the Human Mind with Technology introduces students to philosophy through the lens of transhumanism, illustrating the possibilities of technology to enhance the human condition and expand the idea of what it means to be human.

3 min. read

Understanding today through Soviet history  

Understanding today through Soviet history  

Benjamin Nathans examines dissent in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s to understand how our world was shaped by history.