blog posts As the human body has fallen out of shape, so has the human brain Oct 21, 2015 11:00 am Washington Post (Oct. 20) - Many recent studies have shown the link between exercise and learning, but the implementation in American classrooms hasn’t kept pace. As the planet warms, traditional crops won’t grow where they have in the past Mar 15, 2018 8:45 am Futurism (March 13) Ability to engineer crops that grow in higher levels of carbon dioxide, ozone 'is definitely something that we need in our toolbox,' says Illinois' Stephen Long As the suburbs go, so goes America Jun 7, 2023 3:45 pm The New York Times (June 7) 'Since 1970, the share of Black individuals living in suburbs of large cities has risen from 16 to 36%,' write Alexander W. Bartik and Evan Mast, economists at the U. of I. and Notre Dame. Astronomers image the star-birthing web of a cosmic Tarantula Nebula Aug 1, 2022 11:15 am Space.com (Aug. 1) U of I astronomy professor Tony Wong talks about what we are already learning about star formation from a newly released image of 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula. Astronomers track ancient supernovas using chemical traces on Earth’s seafloor Apr 7, 2016 12:15 pm National Geographic (April 6) - “We’re using sea sediments as a telescope,” says Brian Fields, a professor of astronomy and physics at Illinois. A study shows that less rain is falling day to day in South Carolina. Nov 22, 2017 11:15 am Post and Courier (Nov. 21) That could mean bigger trouble for water users and the environment than extreme storms or drought, says Illinois professor Praveen Kumar A sunscreen comes with a device that looks like a heart-shaped Band-Aid. Jun 20, 2016 11:30 am Fast Company (June 20) - It contains miniature electronics that connect to your smartphone and monitor your sun exposure in real time. A team of scientists unveiled a new tree of life on Monday, outlining the evolution of all living things Apr 12, 2016 4:15 pm The New York Times (April 11) - In the 1970s, Carl Woese of Illinois and his colleagues published the first “universal tree of life.” A team of students from Illinois has won this year's Ideas360 innovation competition Jul 5, 2016 11:30 am Rigzone (July1) The Illinois team, calling itself the Lean Mean Graphene Machine, beat four other finalists to be named Ideas360 2016 champions at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Stadium. A third of the food we produce throughout the world actually never gets eaten. May 23, 2016 11:45 am Deutche Welle (May 23) - “Post-harvest loss has been an issue for decades, but people did not take it very seriously,” says Illinois' Prasanta Kalita A tiny implantable device detects overactivity in the bladder, uses light to reduce the urge to urinate Jan 8, 2019 1:00 pm Photonics (Dec. 7) Illinois researchers worked with colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine and the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern to create the device Atmospheric studies: U of I students tracked January storm by weather balloon Mar 11, 2022 9:45 am The Daily News (March 9) Graduate researchers in atmospheric sciences at U of I ventured into the high winds and heavy snowfall in January to release a weather balloon and radios. The research is being funded by NASA. A topic all too familiar to many runners: gastrointestinal issues Jun 1, 2017 12:00 pm Runner’s World (June 1) Can stress give runners the runs? Illinois grad students Lauren Killian, Soo-Yeun Lee surveyed marathoners, ultramarathoners and triathletes to quantify the problem Attention naysayers: The data show Illinois' economy still growing Jul 17, 2023 11:15 am Daily Herald (July 16) The University of Illinois Flash Index – which tracks corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income – has shown growth for 27 consecutive months. At the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, anthropology matters as much as history Jan 3, 2024 10:45 am The Hill (Dec. 27) Illinois professor emerita of anthropology Alma Gottlieb and a co-author discuss the importance of using anthropology to analyze the history of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. A university's most flexible sources of revenue tend to be state money and tuition revenue Jun 3, 2016 1:30 pm Twin Cities Business (June 2) - That's why it makes sense to see universities seek tuition revenue to make up for lost state support, says education professor Jennifer Delaney. A ventless gas fireplace is safe to use -- as long as users strictly follow the manual Jan 17, 2018 4:00 pm The Connecticut Post (Jan. 16) But a study conducted by the Building Research Council at Illinois suggests that many homeowners may not adhere to guidelines as much as they should Average gas prices in the U.S. top $3, first time in seven years May 14, 2021 11:15 am WHAM-TV (May 13) Illinois Professor Don Fullerton, a former deputy assistant Treasury secretary, says gas prices would likely remain elevated for some time because of the increase in demand and changes in worldwide oil supply ‘A very special donkey’ stirs hope for rare breed that dates to Middle Ages Oct 4, 2021 12:15 pm The Boston Globe (Oct. 1) Hamilton, thought to be the first Baudet du Poitou donkey bred with artificial insemination in the U.S., was conceived at U of I's College of Veterinary Medicine. A wetter-than-average spring has sent colonies of hungry ants in search of drier ground Jun 13, 2016 10:30 am Chicago Tribune (June 11) - "If you lived in the soil and you were drowning, you'd get out of there too," said Phil Nixon, extension entomologist for Illinois 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?"' Bankruptcy case at Supreme Court: 'The stakes are enormous' Aug 14, 2023 3:45 pm Bloomberg Law (Aug. 11) 'The legality of these non-debtor discharges is one of the most important and consequential issues of bankruptcy law...to ever come before the Supreme Court,” says U of I law professor Ralph Brubaker. 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.' Bargaining between Illinois and its largest public employees union has stalled Jan 17, 2017 12:00 pm WTTW-TV (Jan. 16) Now AFSCME Local 31 will vote on whether it should strike. “We really are in uncharted territory here,” says professor Robert Bruno of the U. of I.’s Labor Education Program. Baseball has served as a means of assimilation for waves of U.S. immigrants Apr 13, 2016 12:30 pm Jewish Journal (April 7) - Illinois' Adrian Bourgos says Latinos benefited from the rich baseball history in the Caribbean nations. 'Be A Quitter' helps Illinois businesses provide tobacco cessation programs Jan 12, 2022 12:15 pm The Center Square (Jan. 11) 'Our mission at Illinois Extension is to provide unbiased, research-based solutions to the challenges faced by Illinois residents, families, communities and businesses.This project does exactly that.' Bees are buzzing back from colony collapse Aug 4, 2017 10:45 am KTIC-AM (Aug. 3) As beekeepers have worked to improve hive conditions, the syndrome of colony collapse disorder has waned as a concern, says Illinois professor May Berenbaum Bees know a lot about honey. People have a lot of catching up to do Oct 21, 2021 10:30 am Knowable Magazine (Oct. 20) 'Even beekeepers, and certainly bee scientists, considered it nothing more than sugar water,' says entomologist May Berenbaum, but it's a 'functional food' that has health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Bee superfood: Exploring honey's chemical complexities Nov 19, 2021 1:45 pm NPR (Nov. 18) - Bernarda Calla, a research scientist in entomology at the U. of I., studies how plants and insects interact. Before high tech, people used observation, experience to predict weather Feb 25, 2021 12:00 pm Discover Magazine (Feb. 24) 'When they looked at the sky, it wasn’t just an indication of what was happening right then, but could be an indication of what was going to happen,' says Illinois atmospheric scientist Sonia Lasher-Trapp. Before Jackie Robinson, Jorge Pasquel broke baseball’s color barrier — in Mexico Dec 7, 2022 11:15 am L.A. Times (Dec. 7) The Mexican League fully integrated pro baseball. It 'meant that you see each other as equals,' says U of I's Adrian Burgos. 'You share the locker room, the dugout space. It is a different dimension.' 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. Beyond CA Gov's recall vote: Case for legislative reform instead of judicial intervention Sep 10, 2021 12:15 pm Verdict (Sept. 10) 'It is pretty clear that courts aren’t going to insert themselves...into the California gubernatorial recall process. But that doesn’t mean the process shouldn’t be reformed,' writes College of Law Dean Vikram Amar. Bible, 40 other books, removed from libraries in Texas school district Aug 19, 2022 2:30 pm Deseret News (Aug. 18) U of I's Emily Knox: 'What you’re seeing is how much we do not trust teachers to have the expertise in what they do. It’s really the job of the teacher to say,"This is the best book for my curriculum, and this is how I’m teaching it.”' Biden administration proposal would make it harder to classify workers as contractual Oct 19, 2022 2:45 pm WTTW-TV (Oct. 18) 'By classifying workers as independent contractors, employers like Lyft and Uber...are not required to follow any of the same federal laws or state or local laws that other employers do,' says U of I labor expert Alison Dickson. Biden has promised an education secretary with public teaching experience Dec 4, 2020 2:15 pm Education Week (Dec. 3) – Potential picks include Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones, known for efforts to increase enrollment of low-income students; and Illinois alum Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Biggest donation in U of I history: Alumni give $150 million to its business school Oct 26, 2017 2:15 pm Crain's Chicago Business (Oct. 26) Madison Industries founder, CEO Larry Gies and his wife, Beth Gies, both graduated from Illinois. Big universities face admissions dilemma if Supreme Court kills affirmative action Jun 9, 2023 11:00 am Crain’s Chicago Business (June 9) 'The biggest pressure point that we face right now is due to timing because the decision is going to come out this month and we will open admissions in September,' says U of I's Andy Borst. 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.' Billions of cicadas are about to emerge. Cicadas on the menu? Mar 15, 2024 3:00 pm National Geographic (March 14) Some Americans plan to sauté some of this year’s double cicada brood. Cicadas are edible, according to U. of I. Extension. People eat them alongside other bugs – such as silkworms, locusts and crickets – worldwide. 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 Biosensor-based microscope may help scientists understand how stem cells specialize Dec 21, 2016 8:45 am Photonics (Dec. 19) The Photonic Crystal Enhanced Microscope, developed by Illinois researchers, could help biologists better understand how stem cells transform into specialized cells and how diseases like cancer spread. Bison’s relocation to Native lands revives a spiritual bond Nov 22, 2022 2:15 pm AP (Nov. 22) 'Depending on what Indigenous group you’re talking to, the bison originated in the supernatural realm and ended up on Earth for humans to use,” says Prof. Rosalyn LaPier, who grew up on the Blackfeet Nation reservation in Montana. Black and Latinx hairdressers exposed to high levels of phthalates Jul 1, 2021 11:15 am Environmental Health News (July 1) 'It's really concerning because a lot of hairdressers are reproductive-age women, and there's lots of research out there to suggest that there are risks from prenatal exposure to phthalates,' says Professor Susan Schantz. Black history that isn't taught: Historians share lesser known moments in racial history Feb 5, 2024 12:00 pm ABC News (Feb. 2) 'We’re fighting to ensure the most accurate interpretation, the most factual, empirical analysis of our experience is made available to our people and to the world,' says U of I professor Sundiata Cha-Jua. Black-hole image shedding light on Milky Way mysteries May 26, 2022 10:15 am Nature (May 25) Scientists want to confirm the clockwise rotation of an accretion disk they've observed. 'The new observations...may have enough information...if we can make a movie and see structures rotating,' says U of I's Charles Gammie. Black-owned ad agency reflects on popular 70s TV commercials Mar 1, 2021 11:15 am WLS-TV (Feb. 28) 'In the 1970s if you saw African Americans in a TV advertisement – which is still a relative rarity, but especially for a company like Coca-Cola or McDonald’s – it was done by Burrell advertising agency,' says advertising professor Jason Chambers. Black scholars are not ‘rare creatures’ Dec 4, 2019 2:45 pm New York Times (Dec. 4) Consider a rising star like Sanmi Koyejo, a professor of computer science at Illinois whose work on neural networks has been recognized by the Kavli Foundation. Blueberries prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer while also combatting aging Dec 6, 2017 12:15 pm Longevity (Dec. 6) Illinois study on prostate cancer showed the anthocyanins found in blueberries may attack cancer-causing free radicals and prevent tumor cells from forming Blue Waters has a projected $1B impact on state's economy May 15, 2017 11:30 am A report on the economic impact of the Illinois' Blue Waters supercomputer puts a whole new meaning to the term “return on investment.”