Month: October 2014
-
Richard Veit, Monmouth University – The Culture of Cemeteries
Graveyards are spooky. As such, they often serve as the backdrop for scary scenes in literature and film. But, Richard Veit, professor of anthropology at Monmouth University, will show us that cemeteries are much more than a scary setting. In fact, graveyards embody a rich cultural, historical and artistic presence. Richard Veit is Professor of…
-
Gary Kwiecinski, University of Scranton – Save the Bats
The presence of bats is a common theme for films, literature and anything angling to emit a creepy vibe. Gary Kwiecinski, a professor of biology at the University of Scranton, focuses his research on bats. He doesn’t find them scary whatsoever. In fact, he’s working to save them. Dr. Gary Kwiecinski is a professor of…
-
Erika Berg featured on The Best of Our Knowledge
As always, host Bob Barrett selects an Academic Minute to air during The Best of Our Knowledge. Each week this program examines some of the issues unique to college campuses, looks at the latest research, and invites commentary from experts and administrators from all levels of education. For this week‘s edition (#1258), Bob has selected…
-
Heidi Appel, Rex Cocroft, University of Missouri – Plants Can Hear
To see whether predator noises would affect plants, two University of Missouri researchers exposed one set of plants to a recording of caterpillars eating leaves, and kept another set of plants in silence. Later, when caterpillars fed on the plants, the set that had been exposed to the eating noises produced more of a caterpillar-repelling…
-
Andrew Gallup, SUNY Oneonta – Yawns are Cool
Yawns confuse scientists. We’re not exactly sure what they are or why we yawn. We know they’re contagious, but we’re still working out all the other details. Dr. Andrew Gallup, an assistant professor of psychology has a new theory. He posits that yawns are a mechanism designed to cool the brain. Dr. Andrew Gallup is…
-
Alex Müller, University of Cape Town – Health Care and LGBT Discrimination
The climb towards equality continues in the LGBT community. Dr. Alex Müller, a fellow at The University of Cape Town in South Africa, chronicles the plight of LGBT patients in the health care arena. Dr. Alexandra Müller is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Health and Human Rights Division at the University of Cape Town.…
-
Coming Up This Week: 10.27 – 10.31
This week, be sure to tune in for our spooky Halloween segments! Monday, October 27 Dr. Alex Muller of The University of Cape Town analyzes health care discrimination amongst LGBT patients. Tuesday, October 28 Dr. Andrew Gallup of SUNY Oneonta presents a theory on yawning. Wednesday, October 29 Dr. Heidi Appel and Dr. Rex Cocroft…
-
Dan Chelotti, Elms College – Writer’s Block
Sometimes you know what needs to be said, and you know why you need to say it – but putting it into words becomes an intractable path. Dan Chelotti, an assistant professor of English at Elms College, is delving into writer’s block in an effort to quantify this difficulty so many of us have experienced.…
-
Phillip Sponenberg, Virginia Tech – Domestic Extinction
Extinction is a very real threat for all species, not just the exotic creatures we’re accustomed to picturing. Dr. Phillip Sponenberg, professor of pathology and genetics at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, profiles the issue of domestic extinction. Dr. Phillip Sponenberg is a professor of pathology and genetics in the…
-
Hawley Montgomery-Downs featured on The Best of Our Knowledge
As always, host Bob Barrett selects an Academic Minute to air during The Best of Our Knowledge. Each week this program examines some of the issues unique to college campuses, looks at the latest research, and invites commentary from experts and administrators from all levels of education. For this week‘s edition (#1257), Bob has selected…