blog posts U of I leads effort to make speech recognition technology more inclusive Nov 7, 2023 2:15 pm Insight into Diversity (Nov. 6) 'The goal is to train speech recognizers that can cope with that wide range of atypical speech (e.g., speech disorders) in order to correctly recognize what the person is saying,' says Professor Mark Hasegawa-Johnson. How Singapore beats larger countries in the race to attract chip manufacturing Nov 2, 2023 2:45 pm Fortune (Nov. 1) 'Singapore has this advantage of having a good trained workforce, as well as a good supporting ecosystem,' says U of I professor Rakesh Kumar. 'These are very significant advantages.' Humanities not at a crossroads, but flourishing beyond traditional classrooms Nov 1, 2023 10:45 am Chicago Tribune (Oct. 26) Op-ed by Antoinette Burton, director of U of I's Humanities Research Institute: 'While it may seem that it’s a STEM world and we’re just living in it, condolences over the demise of the humanities are premature.' U of I police see many benefits of having therapy dogs Oct 30, 2023 1:30 pm WBBM-AM (Oct. 25) On the scene of traumatic incidents, a therapy dog can help de escalate situations and assist everyone involved, says officer Tara Hurless. 'It’s scientifically proven that petting a dog...helps your mental health.' Chicago Mayor Johnson to split police union contract into two votes Oct 26, 2023 10:00 am Chicago Tribune (Oct. 24) Johnson’s move to split the bulk of the contract, including salaries and consent decree provisions, from controversial disciplinary measures is 'fascinating and unusual,' says U of I labor expert Bob Bruno. Donor collectives in college sports Oct 23, 2023 11:15 am New York Times (Oct. 21) Michael LeRoy has studied collectives and found that one school paid 89% of its money to football and men’s basketball players. “Just inside the door, Title IX applies. But outside the door, it doesn’t apply.” Carbon removal looks more promising by the day. Is methane next? Oct 20, 2023 11:15 am E&E News (Oct. 19) Chlorine-based methods could decrease certain types of climate-warming gases in including methane. 'There’s a lot of competing pluses and minuses when you talk about these methods,' said U of I's Hannah Horowitz. Michigan lawmakers target AI-generated deepfake political ads Oct 19, 2023 11:45 am Bloomberg Law (Oct. 18) Experts can examine footage at 'the pixel level' to verify authenticity, but 'it’s really difficult' for ordinary people to distinguish between a real human talking and a digital counterfeit, says U of I professor Gang Wang. Major U.S. science group charts a smoother path to clean energy transition Oct 18, 2023 10:45 am NPR (Oct. 17) U of I's Chris Tessum: 'In the past [the technological transitions] haven't happened equitably. There are clear winners and losers. For this one to succeed, because we need buy-in from everyone, we really need it to be equitable.' Why saying ‘thank you’ in a relationship is more important than you might think Oct 16, 2023 10:00 am Stylist (Oct. 13) 'Gratitude almost seems to be a secret sauce to relationships, says U of I researcher Allen Barton. '...it’s not just about being appreciative for your partner but also about feeling appreciated by your partner.' Migration trends show stability in Illinois population, growth in its tax base Oct 12, 2023 12:15 pm Illinois Business News (Oct. 11) 'Reports of Illinois’ population decline have been greatly exaggerated by a reliance on political narratives and population estimates over hard data and actual census counts,' says Professor Robert Bruno. State population trends higher-paid, more foreign-born, but losing older, Black, rural residents Oct 11, 2023 10:00 am Chicago Tribune (Oct. 10) U of I's Robert Bruno, the director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal, says the state trends suggest it is attracting a more educated workforce. 'That’s an optimistic view of where the state is heading.' Why create 'An African American Reflection on the Potawatomi Trail of Death'? Oct 9, 2023 12:45 pm Christian Science Monitor (Oct. 6) 'We read land acknowledgments. ...They sort of say we’re sorry, but they don’t say what happened,' says U of I Professor Latrelle Bright, co-creator of the interactive experience. What's behind the national surge in book bans? A low-tech website tied to Moms for Liberty Oct 5, 2023 2:45 pm USA Today (Oct. 5) 'The real problem is that people try to say, "I know what's best for the school system, and for the library, and the library should reflect my own values – no matter what the values are of other people in the community."' Why green air travel will be a lifeline for US corn farmers Oct 4, 2023 3:30 pm Bloomberg Business News (Sept. 26) If ethanol demand for aviation fuel takes off, the market may 'more than make up' for the decline in demand amid the transition to electric vehicles, says U of I ag economist Scott Irwin. Revealing the mysteries of whip-poor-wills - and what it might take to save them Oct 3, 2023 10:30 am Audubon Magazine (Aug. 23) U of I researchers monitor whip-poor-wills in Illinois’ Sand Ridge State Forest - one of the few places they can still be found in the Midwest. Professor Mike Ward hopes to reverse the decline in the whip-poor-will population. As rising temperatures threaten urban wildlife, experts advise protecting green spaces Oct 2, 2023 2:00 pm Chicago Tribune (Oct. 2) Evidence shows fox populations have been decreasing in Illinois for at least a few decades, concerning wildlife managers, according to Eric Schauber, director of the Illinois Natural History Survey at the U of I. Chancellor Jones is on a mission to help everyone achieve their academic dreams Sep 28, 2023 1:30 pm WLS-AM (audio; Sept. 27) U. of I. Chancellor Robert Jones discusses the future of higher education and scholarship programs at Illinois. Bunching COVID-19, the flu and RSV as a ‘tripledemic’ is misleading Sep 27, 2023 10:45 am Chicago Tribune (Sept. 27) U. of I. professor Sheldon Jacobson discusses the concerns about the spread of COVID-19, influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, this fall and winter. COVID vaccines linked to unexpected vaginal bleeding Sep 26, 2023 3:30 pm Nature (Sept. 25) 'Postmenopausal bleeding is often very concerning and a possible sign of cancer. Knowing a patient’s vaccination status could put their bleeding incidence into context,' says U of I professor Kate Clancy. Professor of labor and employment relations Michael LeRoy on the Hollywood strike Sep 18, 2023 11:30 am "The Drew Barrymore Show” begins airing new episodes but there will be controversy clinging to its host. “We’re four months approximately into this strike and it’s not surprising that there are defectors,” says Michael LeRoy, a professor of labor and employment relations. Knox testified before Senate committee Sep 14, 2023 2:30 pm Georgia Recorder (Sept. 12) – U. of I. information sciences professor Emily Knox was among the witnesses at a U.S. Senate committee hearing discussing the consequences of book bans and parents’ desire to control what their kids read. Amazon taps U. of I. as artificial intelligence race heats up Sep 11, 2023 11:30 am Chicago Sun Times (Sept. 22) “We want the system to have a sort of brain, a knowledge base … so that it can be more knowledgeable than a lot of humans, for example, and the conversation can be more informative,” says AICE director Heng Ji. Why is Putin trying to buy weapons from North Korea? Sep 8, 2023 10:45 am WLS-AM (Sept. 7) Political science professor Nicholas Grossman discusses why the Russian president is seeking to purchase weapons from North Korea, alternative supply channels, and the potential outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Bonuses are a little bit bogus - ask for a raise instead Sep 7, 2023 12:15 pm Vox (Sept. 7) A one-time bonus is not a lasting change to your compensation, and it can be taken away just as easily as it’s given out. 'Merit increases actually provide a higher sense of security and stability,' says Professor Mengjie Lyu. Researchers find new carbon-capture potential in farm fields Sep 6, 2023 11:00 am Farm Week Now (Aug. 31) 'Our results suggest that basalt application to farms could be a win-win for farmers and for the planet, improving yields and drawing down CO2,' says Evan DeLucia, a professor of plant biology at Illinois. 'Depave' movement: A cooler future means cities with less pavement Sep 5, 2023 1:15 pm The Nation (Aug. 31) 'We’re trying to bring attention to it so that the city will start treating this as a critical part of climate adaptation and social justice,' says landscape architecture professor Mary Pat McGuire, a founder of Depave Chicago. Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago Sep 1, 2023 12:00 pm Nature (Aug. 30) A new DNA analysis technique found the population was reduced to just 1,280 and 'put the spotlight on the period 800,000 to one million years ago – for which there is much unknown,' says U of I's Stanley Ambrose. New generations gearing up to address climate change Aug 31, 2023 1:30 pm Chicago Tribune (Aug. 30) Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist based at the U. of I., and Jessie Choate, an academic advisor in atmospheric science at Illinois, comment on students’ growing interest in climate science. Another presidential portrait: Trump's mug shot Aug 30, 2023 12:15 pm New York Times (Aug. 30) Communication Professor Cara Finnegan writes that in its effect, and in the way its subject has begun to deploy it, Trump's mug shot is the natural evolution of all the images that came before it. National Labor Relations Board slams union-busting tactics by employers Aug 29, 2023 2:45 pm Courthouse News Service (Aug. 25) NLRB's ruling forces employers found interfering with a union election to immediately recognize the union without a new election. 'It’s more than major. It’s landmark,' says U of I law professor Matthew Finkin. Labor unions are pushing hard for double-digit raises, better hours. Many are winning Aug 28, 2023 10:45 am CNBC (Aug. 27) From writers’ rooms to car factories, workers are pressing companies for higher pay and better quality of life. 'The pandemic shook the ground of everybody,' says Robert Bruno, director of the labor studies program at the U. of I. Heat, humidity combining to create conditions at the limits of human survivability Aug 23, 2023 11:00 am NBC News (Aug. 22) Climatologist Trent Ford says of the combination of high heat and humidity: 'It’s a nonlinear process – we can have significant community-scale health impacts at wet-bulb temperatures that are well below that threshold.' Staff shortages in schools are here to stay. Here’s why Aug 22, 2023 1:30 pm Education Week (Aug. 18) U of I's Paul Bruno says some job seekers may be wary of working conditions: 'I’m not sure I would look at headlines about supposedly catastrophic school staffing shortages and think that schools are places I’d want to work.' LK-99 isn’t a superconductor — how science sleuths solved the mystery Aug 18, 2023 3:00 pm Nature (Aug. 16) Researchers were 'very precise about (the temperature at which LK-99 showed a tenfold drop in resistivity): 104.8 C,' says Prashant Jain, a professor of chemistry at Illinois. 'I was like, wait a minute, I know this temperature.' Hawaii wildfires are a reminder: Natural disaster risks are everywhere Aug 17, 2023 4:15 pm The Hill (Aug. 15) The lessons of the Maui wildfires and so many natural disasters are that although we can’t control nature, we can control how we prepare for and respond to unexpected natural disasters, writes U of I professor Sheldon Jacobson. 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. Is climate change causing more record-breaking hail? Aug 11, 2023 10:15 am Scientific American (Aug. 11) – Enormous hailstones raise the question of whether global warming will intensify hailstorms. 'There are so many factors that go into hail, so that makes it a big challenge to predict,' says U of I's Sonia Lasher-Trapp. New study links air pollution to global levels of antibiotic resistance Aug 10, 2023 11:00 am USA Today (Aug 10) Worldwide, deaths already top 5 million per year and are expected to grow into the tens of millions within a few decades. 'We are truly right now in the midst of this crisis,' says U of I microbiologist Brenda Wilson. The short, spectacular life of the viral room-temperature superconductivity claim Aug 9, 2023 11:15 am Science (Washington, D.C., Aug. 8) 'I appreciate that the authors took appropriate data and were clear about their fabrication techniques,' says U. of I. physics professor Nadya Mason. Still, she cautions, 'The data seems a bit sloppy.' The world’s full of scams – here’s how they get you Aug 9, 2023 11:15 am KERA-FM (Dallas; Aug. 9) Hindsight is 20/20 after falling for a scam; the trick is avoiding one in the first place. U of I psychology professor Daniel Simons discusses the many ways we get taken for a ride and the faulty thinking that got us there. Do pre-biotic drinks work? Aug 8, 2023 10:45 am WMEH-FM (Aug. 7) Researchers looked at a range of health issues that a lot of Americans face and found consistently that consuming more fiber led to better health outcomes, says U of I nutrition expert Hannah Holscher. Illinois ‘most promising state’ for clean energy investments, Pritzker says Aug 3, 2023 10:00 am The Pantagraph (Aug. 2) Gov. Pritzker was in Decatur for the groundbreaking of a new electric vehicle innovation hub. U of I Chancellor Jones and other university leaders pledged to educate workers for jobs in that bourgeoning industry. What's the legacy of Federal Indian Boarding Schools in Illinois? Aug 1, 2023 12:00 pm WNIJ-AM (Aug. 1) Professor Dave Beck describes the legacy of St. Mary’s Training School for Boys in Maryville, Ill., where many Native American children were indoctrinated into white American culture, and where several of them died. #FakeTok: How to create your own truth filter for TikTok Jul 31, 2023 10:45 am Chicago Sun-Times (July 27) U. of I. information sciences researcher Rachel Magee says that despite confusing messages circulating on social media, it can be a healthy place for young people to develop ideas and social circles. Why you want bats in your yard — and how to attract them Jul 28, 2023 10:00 am Washington Post (July 27) 'Plant long-lived trees like oaks, which will provide both foraging and roosting habitat,' says Professor Joy O’Keefe. Also, fast-growing trees like pines will provide roosting space under the bark, or in cavities inside dead branches. Solar energy could help purify water, researchers find Jul 26, 2023 11:45 am Engineering & Technology (July 25) U of I research team integrated solar energy into the electrochemical separation process using a semiconductor, demonstrating that water remediation can be powered by renewable energy sources. U of I researchers warn of historic blight in Illinois cucurbit crops Jul 25, 2023 11:00 am FarmWeek (July 25) Plant disease specialists say the infection could wipe out cucurbit crops like pumpkins and cucumbers. 'Start [checking] from the beginning because curing disease is almost impossible but protecting plants is easier.' Heat waves may cause humans to slow down. But it gets crickets chirping Jul 24, 2023 11:45 am Nebraska Public Media (July 21) Insects might find themselves out of sync with plants they rely on, says U of I's May Berenbaum. 'If you’re an insect with one host plant and you emerge when the leaves are no longer edible, you’re out of luck.' Sweet corn production on a decades-long decline Jul 21, 2023 1:00 pm Modern Farmer (July 20) Cultivars in use now won’t necessarily be the ones performing well in the future, says U of I's Marty Williams. 'It gives you pause – what do we need to be doing now so we can ensure profitability and productivity into the future?'