Josep Marco-Pallarés, University of Barcelona – Musical Anhedonia
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Music is generally regarded as one of the most pleasurable stimuli we, as humans, experience. Music’s history dates back to the days of cave-dwelling peoples and today, there are innumerable varieties of genres suited to personal tastes. With all that…
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Peter Savelyev, Vanderbilt University – Lifelong Benefits of Preschool
Preschool isn’t just finger-painting and nap-time! Peter Savelyev, an assistant professor of economics at Vanderbilt University, is touting the long-term benefits of early learning. Dr. Peter Savelyev is an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Vanderbilt University in…
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Preview: The University of Hong Kong
The Academic Minute is proud to welcome a new institution into our family of contributors. We are very pleased to be featuring some great faculty members from The University of Hong Kong. Located in Pokfulam, Hong Kong, HKU was founded…
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Denise Dearing, University of Utah – Pikas Adapting to Climate Change
“They may be more resistant to climate change than we thought” says Dr. Denise Dearing in an article that originally appeared on University of Utah News Center website. She’s talking about pikas. These rabbit-like mammals are being forced to adapt…
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Holly Bik, UC Davis – Diversity of Microbial Life
When you think “big-data,” you may not immediately think of the genetic contents of the deep sea. But, Holly Bik, a post-doctoral researcher at the UC Davis Genome Center, does! Her research analyzes sea-water in an effort to “barcode the…
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Jason Kalirai, Johns Hopkins University – Exploring Exoplanets
As increasingly powerful telescopes improve, so does our ability to study the vastness of the galaxy. Jason Kalirai, associate researcher at the Center for Astrophysical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, specializes in the deepest of deep space studies. Dr. Jason…
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Jorge Zuluaga, University of Antioquia – Debunking “Pandora”
With the announcement of a series of sequels, now is a great time to discuss the scientific viability of the Avatar world. Jorge Zuluaga, an astronomer at Colombia’s Universidad de Antioquia, wants to emphasize the “fiction” in science fiction. In…
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David Henard, NC State University – What Makes a Hit Song?
What do: loss, desire, aspiration, breakup, pain, inspiration, nostalgia, rebellion, jaded, desperation, escapism and confusion have in common? According to a North Carolina State University researcher, these concepts are thematic in a large majority of hit songs. David Henard, Poole…
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Behind the Scenes: Producing The Academic Minute
Here’s another look behind the scenes at The Academic Minute! Dr. Lynn Pasquerella delivers an AM introduction as WAMC Program Director Katie Britton listens in!
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Matt Taylor, Washington State University – Knowledge Transfer
Computers are very useful in the classroom, but in the near future, they might be conducting the class! Matt Taylor, assistant professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Washington State University, is teaching computers how to…