blog posts Cesar Pelli, alumnus and designer of Petronas Twin Towers, dies Jul 22, 2019 1:45 pm New York Times (July 20) Pelli, 92, an Illinois alumnus whose towers altered the silhouettes of the skylines around the world, died Friday at his home in New Haven, Connecticut. U of I researchers overcome significant hurdle to making high-power semiconductors Jul 25, 2019 12:15 pm Edgy (July 25) University of Illinois researchers have unveiled a new technique that allows making high-power semiconductors based on gallium oxide. Scare tactics: Scary first proposal increases chance less extreme version is accepted Jul 26, 2019 11:00 am 'Presenting a fear appeal more than doubles the probability of change relative to not presenting anything or presenting a low-fear appeal,' says Illinois professor Dolores Albarracin Robert Schrieffer, shared the 1972 Nobel Prize for Physics, dies at 88 Jul 29, 2019 12:45 pm PhysicsWorld (July 29) At the U. of I. in the late 1950s, Schrieffer, together with colleagues John Bardeen and Leon Cooper, developed the theory of superconductivity. How often do people find wild animals in their salads? More often than you want to know Jul 30, 2019 1:00 pm You might think finding a frog in your greens is more likely when buying organic. Illinois researchers found 72.5% of the time they were in conventionally grown and packaged veggies. Illinois professor analyzes Trump’s use of rhetorical device 'synecdoche' Jul 31, 2019 2:45 pm The Conversation (July 30) Synecdoche is when a person substitutes a part for the whole, using one part to represent the whole. John Murphy says Trump wants to make 'The Squad' represent all Democrats. Babies want leaders to intercede when they see someone being treated unfairly Aug 1, 2019 11:15 am Scientific American (July 31) 'When these transgressions occur, babies evaluate parents and other leaders and say, "Well, you saw this transgression....Are you going to do something about it?"' Remember the 47% who pay no income taxes? They aren't who you think Aug 7, 2019 1:45 pm Forbes (Aug. 6) The Tax Policy Center estimated a decade ago that 47% of Americans pay no federal income tax. Illinois professor Don Fullerton takes a deeper dive into the numbers. About 30% of adults don't enough sleep for optimal health. Optimistimism could help. Aug 9, 2019 4:15 pm Illinois professor Rosalba Hernandez finds that optimists tend to sleep better, building on previous studies that suggested optimists have better cardiovascular health. Iron raining down on Antarctica recently comes from explosions of massive stars Aug 12, 2019 12:30 pm Science News (Aug. 9) Illinois astrophysicist Brian Fields says the finding is profound. 'It’s telling us about the recent history of our whole neighborhood in the galaxy and about the lives and deaths of massive stars.' How Wyoming plans to turn coal country Into coding country Aug 13, 2019 11:30 am New York Times (Aug. 12) Illinois' Andrew Weaver, says there are few success stories. 'If anything, the growth in computing over the past 30-plus years has led to more concentration of computer jobs' in a few regions. Invasive ‘jumping worms’ find their way to Illinois, wreaking havoc on soil Aug 15, 2019 11:45 am WGN-TV (Aug. 14) There are so many in the Chicago area that scientists are calling it an invasion. “They’re exotic. Not natural. Invasive species and widespread in that region of Illinois,” says Illinois' Chris Evans. Who goes bankrupt in America? Increasingly, the elderly Aug 19, 2019 12:30 pm OZY (Aug. 18) In 1991, those 65 and older made up only 2% of bankruptcy filers, but by 2016 that had risen to more than 12%, says Illinois bankruptcy specialist Robert Lawless. Earth's inner core is doing something weird Aug 20, 2019 11:45 am National Geographic (Aug. 19) Earth's inner core of iron floating in molten metal is free to turn independently. Illinois' Xiaodong Song says it’s possible the rate of inner core rotation varies over time. How scattering light could power a microchip revolution Aug 21, 2019 11:30 am Popular Mechanics (Aug. 20) 'Brillouin scattering of light helps us measure material properties; transform how light and sound move through materials; ...and even transport optical information,' says Illinois' Gaurav Bahl Study: Combining broccoli, broccoli sprouts may double anti-cancer benefits Aug 26, 2019 2:15 pm The Epoch Times (Aug. 26) Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Elizabeth Jeffery says three to five servings of broccoli per week provides cancer-prevention benefits. U of I study: pregnant women twice as likely to consider suicide Aug 29, 2019 12:30 pm WJBC-AM (Aug. 28) 'We found that nearly five percent of the women whom we sampled reported thoughts of death or thoughts of harm,' says Karen Tabb, a professor of social work at Illinois. Cargill opens UI Research Park facility to evaluate, address grain industry challenges Aug 30, 2019 1:30 pm Feed Navigator (Aug. 30) Cargill will employ Illinois students to address challenges facing global agriculture and food systems, including areas like feed monitoring and grain shipment tracking. $14.5 billion in relief payments help farmers weather Trump’s trade war with China Sep 3, 2019 1:30 pm WGLT-FM (Sept. 3) 'To the average person, that strikes them as a lot of money, and it is,' says Illinois agricultural economist Scott Irwin. 'But it’s not making farmers wealthy right now.' Minecraft-based programs inspire young minds to take on environmental challenges Sep 4, 2019 3:45 pm Big Ten Network (Sept. 3) Illinois Professor H. Chad Lane and his team are using the landmark open-world video game to captivate the scientists of tomorrow. UI discovers a solution to possible drop in Chinese students: Insurance Sep 9, 2019 10:15 am CNBC (Sept. 6) The trade war 'has given every school a bit of a wake-up call that the flow of students from China is not something we should take for granted or should count on,' says Gies College of Business Dean Jeffrey Brown Is Illinois' nursing shortage due to poor working conditions? Sep 9, 2019 2:30 pm The Southern Illinoisian (Sept. 7) UI labor expert Robert Bruno says the shortages are organic: 'They’re almost always constructed due to some policy decisions, some choices that are being made...' Study finds honey bees process positive, negative experiences in distinct regions of the brain Sep 11, 2019 1:00 pm Newsweek (Sept. 10) 'This discovery is striking given how small their brains are,' says Gene Robinson, study author and director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at Illinois. Illinois ROTC students commemorate 9/11 Sep 12, 2019 12:45 pm WICS/WCCU (Sept. 11) Illinois ROTC students, police and firefighters climbed 1,980 steps at Memorial Stadium to honor first responders. Printing flatter polymers improves conductivity, optical properties Sep 13, 2019 10:00 am Design News (Sept. 13) Illinois researchers report the development of a new method to stretch and flatten the molecules in conductive polymers so they can conduct electricity better. Gies iMBA program continues to soar Sep 16, 2019 12:45 pm Poets & Quants (Sept. 15) Applications continue to rise in the Gies College of Business iMBA program. How colleges are ramping up creativity and technology Sep 17, 2019 10:45 am U.S. News & World Report (Sept. 16) Illinois is ramping up its efforts to equip students with the ideal combination of strong technology acumen and solid creative and interpersonal skills. Study tracks age and narcissism Sep 19, 2019 1:15 pm U.S. News and World Report (Sept. 18) "With time, it seems most people turn away from their earlier narcissistic tendencies," said Illinois professor Brent Roberts. Lutein and nutrition Sep 23, 2019 11:45 am Washington Post (Sept. 23) John Erdman of food science and human nutrition helps explain what you need to know about this nutrient. Celebrating women in architecture Sep 26, 2019 3:00 pm Archinect (Sept. 24) The School of Architecture is paying homage to previous female graduates who earned a degree in architecture from Illinois. Illinois students explore VR classrooms Sep 27, 2019 11:30 am WTVO-TV (Sept. 26) Students and professors experienced what classrooms might be like in virtual reality. VR technology is already being used in some U. of I. classrooms. EPA again increases restrictions on the use of herbicide dicamba Sep 30, 2019 2:30 pm Journal Courier (Sept. 27) 'We have revised the label and revised it again. The problems have not gone away,' says Aaron Hager, a professor of weed science at Illinois. IBHE approves U of I undergrad degree combining computer science, animal sciences Oct 1, 2019 10:00 am Agri News (Sept. 30) 'The way the industry is moving, our students need experience handling large datasets, bioinformatics, genomic information and data from remote sensors,' says Illinois' David Miller. California will appeal judge’s decision to block law requiring Trump’s tax returns Oct 2, 2019 3:30 pm Los Angeles Times (Oct. 1) U of I law dean Vik Amar believes the ruling is flawed because it relies on previous cases involving qualifications to run for Congress, not president. Donald Trump calls impeachment a coup. It's not. Oct 4, 2019 11:00 am PolitiFact (Oct. 3) Trump’s usage is 'ill-informed,' says Illinois political science professor Peter Nardulli. 'What is going on today in the United States is a constitutionally sanctioned process...' Juiced Balls? New mindset? Home run records are breaking — and fans are asking why Oct 7, 2019 12:30 pm The Mercury News (Oct. 6) Illinois professor Alan Nathan: 'When we figured out drag was the culprit, we were quite happy. When we could not find the property of the ball that changed the drag, we were disappointed.' The struggle at the heart of the Chicago Public Schools standoff Oct 10, 2019 11:30 am Crain's Chicago Business (Oct. 9) With other unions threatening to join the Chicago Teachers Union on the picket line, Mayor Lori Lightfoot faces the largest walkout in perhaps half a century, says Illinois professor Bob Bruno Why so many hospital strikes lately? ‘I think nurses are just so frustrated.’ Oct 11, 2019 3:45 pm Chicago Tribune (Oct. 10) Hospitals have been increasingly merging and acquiring one another, which can create feelings of insecurity for workers, says Illinois professor Robert Bruno. Study questions recommendation to eat less red meat, says it's not backed by evidence Oct 15, 2019 10:15 am Outisdie (Oct. 12) 'Large cohort studies can’t prove cause and effect, they can just generate hypotheses,' says Don Layman, a professor emeritus of nutrition at Illinois. Romanchuk wins Chicago Marathon as 3 Illini clinch Paralympic berths Oct 15, 2019 2:00 pm TeamUSA.org (Oct. 13) Daniel Romanchuk joined top U.S. women’s finishers Tatyana McFadden, Susannah Scaroni in earning their Paralympic berths for Tokyo. All are members of the Illinois wheelchair racing team. Several factors led Chicago to the brink of a teachers walkout: Politics, time, money Oct 16, 2019 11:30 am 'There’s a lot at stake, and that makes it harder to say yes to a deal because there’s really long-term implications to how power would be distributed within the public school system,' says labor expert Robert Bruno. Bill Gates wants to hack photosynthesis. Illinois is leading the way. Oct 18, 2019 12:30 pm Fast Company (Oct. 17) 'We have been aware that (photosynthesis) is inefficient for a long time,' says Illinois researcher Stephen Long. 'What there hasn’t been an awareness of is that we might be able to change that.' Affordable housing among striking Chicago teachers’ demands Oct 22, 2019 11:45 am Associated Press (Oct. 21) Illinois labor expert Robert Bruno knows of no other cities where the issue has pushed its way into contract negotiations. 'Teacher unions around the country are watching this very closely,' In online education, engagement is key. Oct 23, 2019 1:00 pm Chronicle of Higher Ed (Oct. 23) 'This generation is the Amazon customer,' says the head of e-learning at the Gies College of Business. That's why Gies invites online MBA students to visit for a football weekend. We mapped how food gets from farms to your home Oct 28, 2019 11:00 am The Conversation (Oct. 25) Illinois professor Megan Konar writes about her team’s development of the first high-resolution map of the U.S. food supply chain. Polyurethane waste is an environmental problem. Illinois is developing a solution. Oct 29, 2019 11:15 am Advanced Science News (Oct. 29) An Illinois team led by chemistry professor Steven Zimmerman has developed a method to break down polyurethane waste and turn it into other useful products. Meet America's newest marathon star Oct 30, 2019 2:45 pm Wall Street Journal (Oct. 29) Illinois's Daniel Romanchuk is the winner of five major races in just over a year; he's already qualified for Tokyo 2020; and he’s only 21 years old. U of I researchers created a high-res map to show how foods travel from farm to table Oct 31, 2019 11:30 am Yahoo! Lifestyle (Oct. 30) 'People love maps!' says Professor Megan Konar. 'Now that we have a map of our national food supply chain, we can visualize and appreciate it.' Rule change could allow foster care, adoption agencies to exclude on religious grounds Nov 4, 2019 4:30 pm Professor Robin Fretwell Wilson says the idea would harm vulnerable children. 'We're putting children squarely in the middle of the culture war. It’s hard to understand how children are being served by this move.' Marshmallows or Elvis? What you see in the clouds might say something about you. Nov 7, 2019 4:45 pm Washington Post (Nov. 6) The tendency to see familiar shapes in clouds is called pareidolia, says Illinois cognitive neuroscientist Kara Federmeier.