blog posts

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  The return of Pinto Bean, the piebald squirrel

  Mar 29, 2023 12:30 pm

  WBBM-AM (March 28)  Named Pinto Bean by students, the squirrel was piebald - it had distinctive patches of gray and white fur. The squirrel was stuffed, mounted on a tree branch and is now on display in the Forbes Natural History Building.
   

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  State of Illinois' new plan to compete for billions in federal funding

  Mar 28, 2023 10:15 am

  A new coalition called Innovate Illinois is led by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, UL Solutions CEO Jennifer Scanlon and U. of I. Chancellor Robert Jones, and includes congressional leadership, which is key to winning federal funding.

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  Perennial rice: Plant once, harvest again and again

  Mar 27, 2023 10:45 am

  NPR (March 27) – Illinois crop sciences professor Erik Sacks, who helped develop perennial rice over the last two decades, discusses how perennial grains could bring huge environmental benefits and be a boon for farmers.

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  Illini Baseball opens Big Ten play with trip to Nebraska

  Mar 24, 2023 9:15 am

  The Illinois baseball team returns to action Friday in Lincoln, Neb., where they begin Big Ten play at Haymarket Park. The Illini (10 -7) earned their first home win of the season on Tuesday, defeating Bradley, 6-4, in midweek action.

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  Surprise computer science proof by U of I student, colleague stuns mathematicians

  Mar 22, 2023 5:00 pm

  Quanta Magazine (March 21) 'My best idea for how to make progress on this problem [was] to actually improve the tool itself, not to use it in a more clever way,' said U of I grad student Zander Kelley.

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  Dairy, meat demand high despite prices

  Mar 21, 2023 1:15 pm

  The Edwardsville Intelligencer (March 20) 'The last half of 2022, dairy consumption only went down about 2%. Some people were surprised it didn’t go down more, as the cost of those products was up about 22%,' says U of I professor and dairy specialist Mike Hutjens.

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  How do different thinkers interpret the world?

  Mar 20, 2023 11:15 am

  U of I alumna Temple Grandin's story changed the way the world understands autism. In this TED talk, she speaks about the many ways people interpret the world, the different kinds of thinkers and how to support them all. 

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  80,000 mouse brain cells used to build a living computer

  Mar 17, 2023 11:00 am

  New Scientist (March 16) A computer built by U of I researchers uses tens of thousands of living brain cells and can recognize simple patterns of light, electricity. The work could eventually be incorporated into robots that also use living tissues.

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  Asian crops face El Nino threat, deepens food inflation worries

  Mar 16, 2023 12:00 pm

  Reuters (March 15) U.S. wheat production could benefit. 'In the southern Plains – parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas n particular – those areas do tend to do a lot better, when it comes to rainfall, in an El Nino year,” U of I climatologist Trent Ford said.

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  A brief history of Project Gutenberg

  Mar 15, 2023 12:00 pm

  500 years after Gutenberg began using his printing press to publish books for the masses, U of I student Michael S. Hart uploaded the text of the Declaration of Independence to the nascent internet, signaling the beginning of the e-book age.

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  Did 'woke' investments cause Silicon Valley Bank's collapse?

  Mar 14, 2023 11:15 am

  PolitiFact (March 13) U of I business law expert Robert Lawless says 'wokeness' didn’t cause the bank’s collapse. 'It had nothing to do with it. It’s like saying, "Why isn’t ‘blue’ the answer to ‘one plus one’?" It’s Banking 101. That’s what was going on.'

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  Best night's sleep balances quantity and quality

  Mar 13, 2023 11:00 am

  U.S. News & World Report (March 10) 'Results from this study revealed significant associations between optimism and various characteristics of self-reported sleep,” says U of I social work professor Rosalba Hernandez.

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  'Subatomic baseball' could speed up tomorrow’s quantum computers

  Mar 10, 2023 12:30 pm

  Inverse (March 10) 'Arrays of neutral atoms trapped in focused laser beams are one of the leading quantum computing platforms,' U. of I. physicist Brian Leeds DeMarco says. But it's tough to create a defect-free array where no atoms are missing.

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  House bill would lift nuclear power construction moratorium

  Mar 9, 2023 4:00 pm

  Illinois Times (March 9) U of I professor Rizwan Uddin says the current prohibition puts Illinois researchers at a disadvantage since they can’t study new techniques and technologies without traveling to other states.

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  With more opportunities than ever, why are teen girls so depressed?

  Mar 8, 2023 1:00 pm

  Courthouse News Service (March 7) U of I's Karen Rudolph says bullying is down overall, but bullying on social media can be worse. 'Social media is 24/7. It was bad before, but you could escape. Now it’s constant and the whole school knows...'

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  'People will like it': 4-day work week paying off for Chicago company

  Mar 7, 2023 11:15 am

  WBBM-TV (March 6) An overwhelming majority of employers who've tried it prefer the four-day workweek. Why keep five days? 'I think some habit, some history. We’re stuck in this industrial mode,' says U of I labor expert Robert Bruno.

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  Midwest farmers tripled use of cover crops, but it’s still a small fraction of acres

  Mar 6, 2023 10:45 am

  St. Louis Public Radio (March 6) 'It is certainly not at a level that would be necessary for some of the challenges, like the water quality challenges like soil erosion,' says U of I's Jonathan Coppess. 'It’s going to take a lot more acres to get there.'

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  U of I is getting into the business of angel investing

  Mar 2, 2023 11:15 am

  Crain’s Chicago Business (Feb. 28) The Urbana campus is launching Illini Angels, a program that will allow U. of I. alums to invest in startups coming out of the university as well as companies started by students after they leave. 

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  We have a mink problem: Birds aren’t humanity’s only bird-flu worry

  Mar 1, 2023 11:00 am

  The Atlantic (Feb. 28) –A bird-flu outbreak at a mink farm killed thousands of the animals. The good news, says U of I professor James Lowe, is that, 'we’re just not very susceptible' to bird flu, even when other mammals are infected.

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  Genetically modified trees arrive in U.S. forests, able to absorb more carbon dioxide

  Feb 28, 2023 11:15 am

  Marketplace (Feb. 28) A biotech company borrowed a genetic hack from U. of I. scientists who made tobacco plants more efficient at photosynthesis by introducing a couple of genes from other plants.

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  U.N. resolution, smart city concept, Ohio train derailment twisted into baseless plot

  Feb 27, 2023 11:45 am

  PolitiFact (Feb. 24) 'The claim that the U.N., which has no power anyway, wants to force victims of environmental disasters to live in panopticon societies is absurd on its face,' says U of I professor Robert Olshansky.

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  Okra, celery and ham: Students cook up historic African American legacy

  Feb 24, 2023 10:15 am

  WBEZ-FM (Feb. 22) 'African American cooking, which has its origins under slavery, and therefore turning food that wasn’t valued into delicacies, is a tradition that can contribute to world culture,' says U of I professor Abdul McWorter Alkalimat.

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  U.S. deaths involving meth are skyrocketing, fentanyl a big factor

  Feb 22, 2023 11:15 am

  HealthDay News (Feb. 21) 'The staggering increase in methamphetamine-related deaths in the United States is largely now driven by the co-involvement of street opioids,' says U of I epidemiology professor Rachel Hoopsick.

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  New Philadelphia becomes National Park as African American history under attack

  Feb 20, 2023 9:45 am

  The Telegraph (Feb. 18)  'I’m not surprised, annoyed or upset about what DeSantis is trying to do. This is a wake-up call for the American people,' says Gerald McWorter, a U of I professor emeritus and author of 'The History of Black Studies.'

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  Illini Hall demolition uncovers a time capsule

  Feb 16, 2023 10:45 am

  WCIA-TV (Feb. 15) U of I officials didn't know there was a time capsule in a cornerstone of Illini Hall, but they'll be excited to see what it contains when it's opened this fall as part of the campus YMCA's 150th anniversary celebration.

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  Ojibwe Tribe joins scientists to save Midwest's sacred wild rice plant

  Feb 15, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Nation (Feb. 15) 'If we can scaffold (Western science and ‘traditional ecological knowledge’), we'll strengthen our knowledge about these places and what’s happening to them,' says U of I historian Rosalyn LaPier, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe.

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  State asks: Is carbon capture part of climate agenda?

  Feb 14, 2023 11:30 am

  E&E News (Feb. 14) 'Incentives alone are not enough for successful, responsible tech deployment, which also requires standards that provide regulatory certainty and safeguard public health and the environment,' says U of I scientist Sallie Greenberg.

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  Did you see the Super Bowl 2023 food commercials?

  Feb 13, 2023 10:45 am

  Mashed (Feb. 10) U. of I. professor Maria Rodas says the Super Bowl is an attractive event for advertisers – despite the expensive prices – because it’s one of the few TV events where people don’t change the channel or walk away during commercials.

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  Women physicians face burnout crisis amid lack of support from staff

  Feb 10, 2023 2:30 pm

  Forbes (Feb. 10) Nurses often push back on female doctors' requests, questioning their authority and withholding basic assistance – things that male physicians don’t experience, according to a study by U of professor Teresa Cardador, colleagues.

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  Several universities to experiment with micro nuclear power

  Feb 9, 2023 5:00 pm

  The Associated Press (Feb. 9) New reactor technologies could have a real future in decarbonizing the energy landscape in the U.S., says Caleb Brooks, project lead of a proposed  reactor that could start powering the U of I campus in 2028.

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  Morning of the remote controlled biobot

  Feb 7, 2023 10:15 am

  Amazing Stories (Feb. 6) An interview with Rashid Bashir, a professor of bioengineering and the dean of the Grainger College of Engineering at Illinois. This is the first interview in a series called 'Living in the Land of Science Fiction.'

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  House Republicans wear 'tone deaf' assault rifle pins amid shootings

  Feb 6, 2023 12:15 pm

  Salon (Feb. 3) Professor Nicholas Grossman was among those deriding the hypocrisy of the symbol. 'Legislators from party that defends recent coup attempt by their...party leader replace traditional patriotic flag pin with a pin depicting a rifle.'

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  Scientists turn data into sound, gain new insights into tiny DNA, huge galaxies

  Feb 3, 2023 9:45 am

  Los Angeles Times (Feb. 3) – U of I biochemist Martin Gruebele regularly dons a pair of headphones in his lab at the U of I to hear a cacophony of clinking, jarring noises. These sounds help him understand how bodily proteins interact with water.

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  Champaign-raised, U of I grad actor gets Broadway shot in 'Hamilton'

  Feb 1, 2023 11:15 am

  News Gazette (Feb. 1) Jonathan Butler-Duplessis, a Champaign schools and U of I grad, will make his Broadway debut Thursday, playing the iconic Aaron Burr from hit rap-musical 'Hamilton.'

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  Pumping Mississippi River water west: Pipe dream or solution?

  Feb 2, 2023 10:15 am

  The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Feb. 1) Relieving the Colorado River Basin with Mississippi River water would be physically possible, but any large-scale diversion attempt would be politically difficult, says U of I professor Chloe Wardropper.

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  Could Brazil surpass U.S. as world's top corn exporter?

  Jan 31, 2023 3:30 pm

  Effingham Daily News (Jan. 30) 'Brazil could surpass the U.S. in corn exports sometime between 2024 and 2026,' says Joana Colussi, a postdoctoral researcher at the U. of I. and native of Brazil. 'We’ll see. There are many factors at play.' 

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  Hamlin’s injury highlights precarious position of many young NFL players

  Jan 30, 2023 11:00 am

  The New York Times (Jan. 29) 'The world’s collective heart is pouring itself out for Hamlin, but the main point is there are a lot of journeymen players who leave the league with serious problems,' says U of I labor law expert Michael LeRoy.

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  Soy protein lowers cholesterol, risk of heart disease, study finds

  Jan 27, 2023 11:15 am

  VegNews (Jan. 27) 'As we hypothesized, soybeans’ effects on cholesterol metabolism are not only associated with their protein concentrations and composition, but also with peptides that are released during digestion,' says Professor Elvira de Mejia.

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  Do you know who owns your vet?

  Jan 26, 2023 11:15 am

  Freakonomics (Jan. 25) Rose Peters, a professor of veterinary clinical medicine at Illinois, describes her current role as well as her experience working at a practice that was bought by a private-equity firm, which led to huge staff turnovers.

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  Fulton County grand jury could be necessary ammo in prosecuting Trump

  Jan 25, 2023 10:00 am

  Newsweek (Jan. 24) 'Would the grand jury report help the credibility of the government’s allegations? Probably,' says law professor Andrew Leipold. '...We can be modestly confident the jurors' oversight made the report more careful and precise.'

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  Wanted (by scientists): Birds and bats killed by wind, solar facilities

  Jan 23, 2023 11:15 am

  Undark (Jan. 23) 'I’m supportive of renewable energy developments. I’m also supportive of doing our best to conserve biodiversity,' says Mark Davis, a U. of I. conservation biologist. 'And I think the two things can very much coexist.'

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  COVID-19 vaccines tested in clinical trials, despite bogus social media claims

  Jan 19, 2023 10:15 am

  FactCheck.org (Jan. 18) 'Sasha Latypova’s argument is a classic example of a causal fallacy,' says U of I law professor Jacob S. Sherkow. 'It’s bogus as a matter of law, as a matter [of] logic, and a matter of fact.'

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  Monogamous prairie voles reveal the neurobiology of love

  Jan 17, 2023 11:45 am

  Scientific American (Jan. 17)  Nearly 50 years ago, U of I ecologist Lowell Getz discovered that prairie voles were monogamous. His research teams went on to document their social behaviors and the hormones that underpin them. 

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  Study: Exxon Mobil accurately predicted warming since 1970s

  Jan 13, 2023 9:45 am

  The Associated Press (Jan. 12) Working with Exxon scientists in the 1980s, 'It was clear that Exxon Mobil knew what was going on,' says U of I climate expert Don Wuebbles. But, 'at the same time they were paying people to put out misinformation.'

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  Website tracks COVID levels in wastewater to help people ‘make informed decisions’

  Jan 11, 2023 1:15 pm

  Chicago Sun-Times (Jan. 10) 'This helps you decide what you as an individual want to do based on the trends in your local area,' says Bill Jackson, executive director of the Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago.

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  Gen Z’s ‘life-changing’ new way of getting what they want - without having to work for it

  Jan 10, 2023 1:15 pm

  New York Post (Jan. 9) When U of I student Samantha Palazzolo heard about so-called Lucky Girl Syndrome, she decided to try it. Palazzolo told herself every morning that she would have a lucky day. Lo and behold, it worked.

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  As historians gather, battle continues over how to write about the past

  Jan 9, 2023 10:15 am

  The New York Times (Jan. 8)  U of I professor Carol Symes says since its inception in the 19th century, the historical profession had often done 'the work of injustice,' bolstering empire, colonization, subjugation with 'apologetics for those movements.'

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  Poets&Quants’ MBA Program of the Year for 2022: The Gies iMBA

  Jan 5, 2023 10:45 am

  Poets & Quants (Jan. 5) Illinois' iMBA has revolutionized online business education, and not just because of its $23K price tag. In 2022, it launched a pair of fully online, credit-bearing graduate certificates, with up to six more options within the year.

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  3M plant in Illinois was nation's worst emitter of climate-killing ‘immortal’ chemical in '21

  Jan 3, 2023 11:30 am

  Inside Climate News (Dec. 29) 'Any emissions of CF4 are going to drive further climate change and lead to things that are going to affect our planet for many, many thousands of years.' says Professor Donald Wuebbles.

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  Intelligence predictions improve with whole-brain connectivity profiles

  Dec 22, 2022 11:00 am

  Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (Dec. 21) 'Intelligence appears to emerge from the global architecture of the brain and to reflect the efficiency and flexibility of systemwide network function,' said U of I researcher Aron Barbey.