blog posts Food security in Cambodia faces threat due to hydropower Jun 1, 2018 11:30 am New dams for hydroelectricity are altering Cambodia’s Mekong River and could threaten fish migration, livelihoods and regional food security, as well as the predictable seasonal patterns that farmers and anglers depend on. YouTube seems to flag videos containing the word 'transgender' as not suitable for all audiences Jun 4, 2018 4:45 pm Daily Beast (June 2) 'The hard part as an outsider is figuring out if it is happening internally, meaning that explicit rules were set, or if it has to do with behavior from clicks from the outside world, 'says Illinois professor How much noise is too much when you're working in a coffee shop? Jun 5, 2018 10:00 am Raconteur (June 4) Illinois professor's research found that moderate levels of noise in coffee shops can help creativity, but when noise levels exceed 85 decibels, information processing and creativity drop U of I, Microsoft launching partnership to help students with autism pursue STEM careers Jun 6, 2018 2:15 pm U.S. News & World Report (June 5) The partnership will use advances in technology to provide opportunities for students with a range of disabilities With a $500 million boost, South Loop U of I research center gains momentum Jun 7, 2018 2:45 pm Crain's Chicago Business (June 7) Planned engineering, research center developed with the U of I could jolt Illinois’ economy into the 21st century. But uncertainties remain African-Americans' breast cancer survival rates linked to poverty, lack of access to health care Jun 11, 2018 2:15 pm WNIJ-FM (June 1) If you’re living in poor neighborhood conditions, it’s going to have a negative effect on your outcomes or the stage at which you're diagnosed, says doctoral student Brandi Patrice Smith Groundbreaking report details persistent hostility faced by female scientists Jun 12, 2018 1:30 pm Science (June 12) “The vast majority of sexual harassment that occurs is sexist hostility and crude behavior,” says Illinois athropologist and report co-author Kate Clancy Despite big numbers of mosquitoes in Chicago area, number of West Nile cases is down Jun 13, 2018 12:15 pm Chicago Tribune (June 13) Illinois epidemiologist says all it may take is a week with no rain and high temperatures for the perfect conditions that breed West Nile mosquitoes Study: 13 years later, Katrina survivors appear better off financially than if the storm never hit Jun 15, 2018 11:30 am Times-Picayune (June 14) 'I think what our study shows is that in the long run, people seem to recover,' says Tatyana Deryugina, a professor of finance at Illinois Biochemists discover the brain chemicals that make 'killer' bees such ferocious fighters Jun 18, 2018 3:45 pm Science (June 15) Compounds that can make turn less aggressive bees fierce are 'another example of how behavior evolves in different species by using common molecular mechanisms,' says Illinois entomologist Gene Robinson Food recalls explained: Why it seems like food contamination is on the rise Jun 20, 2018 4:45 pm Chicago Tribune (June 19) 'Fifty years ago you would have gotten lettuce from a farmer in your state, now it’s coming from California and Arizona on a much larger scale,' says an Illinois food safety expert Newfound extinct primate species a reminder of humans’ impact in shaping habitats Jun 22, 2018 12:00 pm Washington Post (June 21) 'Unless things dramatically change over the next 25 to 75 years, there will be a major primate extinction crisis,' says Illinois anthropologist Paul Garber SCOTUS: Justice Kennedy reminds Trump he is not above the law Jun 27, 2018 10:45 am CNN (June 27) Law Dean Vikram Amar co-wrote a column analyzing the key role Justice Kennedy played in upholding the latest version of the Trump administration’s so-called travel ban SCOTUS rules government workers can’t be forced to pay fees to unions who represent them Jun 29, 2018 10:45 am WBEZ-FM (June 27) 'Long term, it has potentially devastating implications for public-sector unions in Illinois and elsewhere,' says Illinois employment relations expert Michael LeRoy After SCOTUS Janus decision: Three ways unions can stay strong Jul 2, 2018 3:00 pm Chicago Sun-Times (July 1) Labor professor's op-ed: Decision could reduce public sector union membership nationally by 700,000, cost workers $1,800 in annual earnings, and shrink GDP $33 million Illinois' new medical school opens its doors with its first class of 32 students Jul 3, 2018 2:30 pm WGN-TV (July 2) The Carle Illinois College of Medicine kicks off a weeklong orientation for students with a welcome from Dean King Li, campus tours and a barbecue before studies begin Use of fans, liquid cooling to keep electronics cool may be replaced by newly developed crystals Jul 9, 2018 12:15 pm ZDNet (July 6) Research co-written an Illinois materials science professor finds crystals tailored for optimal thermal conductivity have the potential to replace less-effective cooling methods Killeen's 'refreshingly upbeat message about the state’s flagship public university system' Jul 9, 2018 2:30 pm Chicago Tribune (July 10) 'We’re stronger and in sound fiscal shape now,' Killeen says. 'There are a lot of good things going on.' U.S. trade, immigration and biofuel policies are hitting American farmers hard Jul 16, 2018 4:15 pm Star Advertiser (July 15) 'If this continues...I would not be surprised if there are tractor parades going to DC at some point in the next year,' says Illinois agricultural economist Scott Irwin UI researchers work toward a wearable device to predict when elderly are at risk of falling Jul 17, 2018 2:45 pm Internet of Business (July 13) Interdisciplinary approach uses data from a mobility study involving 67 women over the age of 60 to analyze walking patterns Rude email can not only stress out the recipient, but also affect their family members, new study finds Jul 19, 2018 11:30 am The Economic Times (July 18) Negative effects of email incivility go beyond the recipient's work and can even play a role in their partner's withdrawal from their own work, says Illinois' YoungAh Park NASA names six new flight directors to lead mission control Jul 20, 2018 4:45 pm NASA (July 10) One of the new flight directors, Adi Boulos, holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Illinois Study: Resting in green space sharpens focus – but only if you stay offline Jul 24, 2018 3:45 pm WTTW-TV (July 23) 'The (outdoor) space conveys no benefits if your head is in your device,' says Illinois professor of landscape architecture William Sullivan Coursera CEO praises Illinois iMBA program Jul 25, 2018 12:00 pm Philadelphia Enquirer (July 25) The iMBA, offered by the Gies College of Business, is the largest degree program offered by Coursera and has a 90 percent retention rate. No question - internet has transformed our societies. Sorting through how, why is much more contentious Jul 26, 2018 4:45 pm KPFA-FM (Berkeley, July 24) U of I media expert Robert McChesney discusses the crucial element missing from societal consideration of the internet: capitalism George Will: What if China imposes a 25% tariff on soybeans as a result of trade wars? Jul 27, 2018 10:45 am Salt Lake Tribune (July 26) U of I and Ohio State researchers estimate that over four years this 'would result in an average 87% decline in income for a midsize Illinois grain farm.' What black women wrote in an era when their contributions were few, or even illegal Jul 30, 2018 1:15 pm HPCwire (July 26) 'How is inequality expressed or hidden in the everyday lives of African American women? How do they seek to challenge that inequality?' asks professor Ruby Mendenhall Long wait for science adviser is over: Trump will nominate UI grad Kelvin Droegemeier Aug 1, 2018 11:15 am Science (July 31) Droegemeier, a university administrator and former vice-chair of the governing board of the U.S. National Science Foundation, earned a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from Illinois in 1985 Illinois geophysicists find there are 'tears' in the mantle beneath the Tibetan Plateau Aug 2, 2018 1:00 pm IFL Science (Aug. 1) Considering that this region is one of the most seismically complex, frequently active parts of earth, this is no small discovery Everything you need to know about protein (but likely don't) Aug 6, 2018 12:15 pm NBC News (Aug. 4) During sleep, your body begins to break down protein, which may contribute to muscle loss as we age, says Illinois Food Science professor emeritus Donald K. Layman New York Times: Designing the death of a plastic Aug 7, 2018 11:45 am New York Times (Aug. 6) Dismantling these polymers is sometimes called unzipping them. “As soon as you start the process, they just keep going,' says Illinois professor Jeffrey Moore New tool combines genomic data to predict patients’ responses to therapeutic drugs Aug 8, 2018 12:00 pm Health Data Management (Aug. 8) Illinois, Mayo Clinic reseachers built a cloud-based infrastructure and a portal so genomic researchers could analyze data using machine learning, data mining Bankruptcy is hitting more older Americans, pointing to a retirement crisis in the making Aug 9, 2018 10:45 am L.A. Times (Aug. 6) Illinois professor Robert Lawless: 'Only a small fraction of those who are having financial troubles file for bankruptcy...So this is part of a much bigger story about financial distress among the elderly.' ‘Workplace wellness’ doesn’t work Aug 14, 2018 8:00 am Santa Fe New Mexican (Aug. 12) Increase in the number of people receiving health screenings, increasing in the belief that management prioritizes health and safety the only significant differences found by Illinois researchers A growing number of people insist that the Earth is flat, moon landings were faked... Aug 14, 2018 11:45 am Cosmos (Aug 15) U. of I. journalism professor Stephanie Craft and colleagues wrote that conspiracy theories 'flourish in the wide-open media of the digital age' Human wastewater valuable to global agriculture, economics, study finds Aug 16, 2018 12:15 pm Illinois researchers have determined what farming regions of the world might benefit most from re-circulation of human-waste-derived nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus from cities It’s hard to slow down in today’s accelerated world. Aug 21, 2018 11:30 am Washington Post (Aug. 21) Illinois' Harry Triandis says the time-equals-money equation, combined with the higher productivity afforded by high-speed communication, creates an urgency to make every moment count CRISPR gene-editing is making a huge difference, but its importance may grow further Aug 23, 2018 4:30 pm Science Alert (Aug. 22) Illinois scientists have discovered a new technique that can leave out particular sections of a gene, essentially 'skipping' them Past year shows 62.5% increase in the number of publicly 'out' LGBTQ college coaches Aug 24, 2018 3:00 pm Outsports (Aug. 23) Illinois Women's Diving coach Manny Pollard has organized a group for LGBTQ athletes called Illini Allies, through which he is helping initiate Pride Nights at Illini sporting events Illinois' new noise-cancelling tech doesn’t require bulky noise-blocking headphones Aug 27, 2018 12:30 pm New Atlas (Aug. 27) Because wireless signals travel a million times faster than sound waves, 'Our ear device gets the sound information in advance, and has much more time to produce a better anti-noise signal' Recent Illinois study shows young adults - like the rest of us - tend to waste a lot of food Aug 28, 2018 2:15 pm Popular Science (Aug. 27) Investigators repeatedly used the word 'apathy' – the young people responding either didn’t think wasted food was worth caring about or thought they had no control over the problem Why financial literacy is vital for students of color Aug 30, 2018 11:00 am Chicago Tribune (Aug. 28) Illinois research shows nearly a third of young adults have poor financial literacy, especially if they have less education about financial concepts and money-management Obama to urge rejection of 'authoritarian politics and policies' in speech Aug 31, 2018 2:30 pm The Hill (Aug. 30) Obama will receive the University of Illinois' Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government during a ceremony on Sept. 7 Whether a virus lies idle or attacks the host depends on how the virus’ DNA is packaged Sep 5, 2018 11:00 am United Press International (Sept. 4) 'I found for the first time that the mechanics of how DNA is packaged inside a virus determine the course of infection,' says Illinois pathobiology expert Building wind and solar farms in the Sahara Sep 7, 2018 3:15 pm Independent (Sept. 7) Illinois researcher Yan Li is investigating the potential climate impacts of building wind and solar farms in the Sahara so big they could provide enough clean energy to meet all of human demand. The battle over tariffs between Trump and China is negatively affecting U.S. farmers Sep 17, 2018 11:15 am Yahoo News (Sept. 15) 'The trade war is having impacts on all agricultural sectors,' says Gary Schnitkey, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois When should service animals be permitted – or not permitted – in scientific laboratories? Sep 18, 2018 11:30 am The Scientist (Sept. 18) As is the case with most difficult questions, the answer is: it depends. The issue is being addressed in real life at the University of Illinois Yield concerns follow 'tar spot' arrival on Midwest corn crops Sep 20, 2018 10:15 am Agri News (Sept. 18) 'It’s hard to find a field that doesn’t have it at some level,' says Nathan Kleczewski, a University of Illinois Extension plant pathologist Kidney stones are surprisingly dynamic, forming much like microscopic coral reefs Sep 20, 2018 3:00 pm New York Times (Sept. 19) New research from Illinois shows kidney stones are not homogeneous, but complex, calcium-rich rocks with strata that accumulate and dissolve over time Common weed killer—believed harmless to animals—may be harming bees worldwide Sep 25, 2018 10:00 am Science (Sept. 24) Findings add a new factor to a constellation of potential reasons for the recent decline of honey bees, says Gene Robinson, honey bee geneticist at Illinois