blog posts The historic (and ongoing) struggle of Native Americans to survive Dec 3, 2019 4:45 pm Time Magazine (Nov. 28) Illinois professor Frederick Hoxie says 'only the maintenance of extraordinarily high birth rates' saved one nation from 'dropping into oblivion.' Desert beetles inspire research into harvesting moisture from fog Dec 2, 2019 12:00 pm Cosmos (Dec. 2) Illinois grad student Fan Kiat Chan is studying desert beetles to advance fog harvesting, which may provide an additional freshwater source in foggy coastal areas with little precipitation. Researchers build microscopic biobots propelled by muscles, nerves Nov 25, 2019 4:45 pm Design News (Nov. 22) Researchers at the U. of I. have developed soft biological robotic devices that are self-driven using light-stimulated neuromuscular tissue and have intelligence, memory and learning ability. With production halted at an Iowa facility, cellulosic ethanol takes another hit Nov 22, 2019 10:45 am Successful Farming (Nov. 21) 'Dreams of second-generation cellulosic ethanol production were already on life support,' says Illinois ag economist Scott Irwin. 'The plug was just pulled on the respirator.' If you don’t notice something within 1.5 seconds, you may never see it Nov 20, 2019 12:15 pm New Scientist (Nov. 20) 'The most natural (assumption) is that the longer an object is (in your field of view), the more opportunity you have to notice it. ... It seems not to help you very much,' says Illinois' Katherine Wood. Do you overspend at the holidays? Your smartphone may be to blame Nov 19, 2019 11:30 am USA Today (Nov. 19) A study co-written by Illinois professor Yuqian Xu finds consumers end up spending more because they tend to buy more frequently when using mobile apps. How Illinois businesses are preparing before recreational marijuana use begins Nov 18, 2019 2:30 pm Daily Herald (Nov. 17) 'There isn’t an express prohibition' related to recreational marijuana use, says Illinois professor Michael LeRoy, s0 employers retain the right to fire employees for their marijuana use. The diseases our cats and dogs give us Nov 15, 2019 2:45 pm Discovery Magazine (Nov. 14) 'We have this much more intimate relationship with our companion animals than we do with wildlife,' says Prof. William Sander. And that proximity increases the chance of disease sharing. Water helps kids focus, improves ability to multitask: study Nov 14, 2019 1:45 pm New York Post (Nov. 13) A study co-written by Illinois professor Naiman Khan found that drinking water, staying hydrated increased children’s ability to multitask and improved their reaction times. 'Lovie Ball - Where the Magical Slowly Becomes the Norm' Nov 11, 2019 1:45 pm Sports Illustrated (Nov. 10) Was Illinois' 37-34 comeback win at Michigan State where the crossroads of phenomenal and realistic happened? What if this version of Lovie Smith’s squad is the actual Illini team here to stay? 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. 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.' 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.' 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. 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. 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. 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. 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,' 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.' 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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.' 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...' 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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...' 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 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. $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.' 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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.