General Health & Science
To Feed a Hot Planet, They're Making More Efficient Plants
The New York Times, September 2019
To save the world from massive food shortages and cascading geopolitical crises, Australian agricultural researchers, along with their global colleagues and counterparts, need to cultivate crops that can achieve unprecedented bounty in ever harsher and more unpredictable conditions and yet thrive with fewer resources—including land, water and fertilizer—than today’s varieties.
The New York Times, September 2019
To save the world from massive food shortages and cascading geopolitical crises, Australian agricultural researchers, along with their global colleagues and counterparts, need to cultivate crops that can achieve unprecedented bounty in ever harsher and more unpredictable conditions and yet thrive with fewer resources—including land, water and fertilizer—than today’s varieties.
A Breeding Ground for a Fatal Scourge: Nursing Homes
The New York Times, Sept. 2019
(Additional reporting byline)
Nearly 40 patients at Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, have been infected with or carry C. auris, a germ so virulent and hard to eradicate that some facilities will not accept patients with it. Now, as they struggle to contain the pathogen, public health officials from cities, states and the federal government say that skilled nursing facilities like Palm Gardens are fueling its spread.
The New York Times, Sept. 2019
(Additional reporting byline)
Nearly 40 patients at Palm Gardens Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn, have been infected with or carry C. auris, a germ so virulent and hard to eradicate that some facilities will not accept patients with it. Now, as they struggle to contain the pathogen, public health officials from cities, states and the federal government say that skilled nursing facilities like Palm Gardens are fueling its spread.
Paid Family Leave is a Game-Changer for New Parents' Health, Not Just Their Economic Security
The Nation, August 2019
The U.S. stands alone among wealthy nations for not providing paid family leave. Instead, the nation guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid time off following the birth of a child--a policy that covers only about 60 percent of private sector workers. Research indicates that paid family leave policies could provide new parents with myriad health benefits, in addition to the much-touted economic ones.
The Nation, August 2019
The U.S. stands alone among wealthy nations for not providing paid family leave. Instead, the nation guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid time off following the birth of a child--a policy that covers only about 60 percent of private sector workers. Research indicates that paid family leave policies could provide new parents with myriad health benefits, in addition to the much-touted economic ones.
These Days, It's Not About the Polar Bears
The New York Times, May 2019
The United States has a serious climate-denial problem. Enter the fast-growing academic field of climate change communication. Across a swath of mostly Western nations, social scientists in fields like psychology, political science, sociology and communications studies have produced an expansive volume of peer-reviewed papers in an effort to cultivate more effective methods for getting the global warming message across and inspiring action.
The New York Times, May 2019
The United States has a serious climate-denial problem. Enter the fast-growing academic field of climate change communication. Across a swath of mostly Western nations, social scientists in fields like psychology, political science, sociology and communications studies have produced an expansive volume of peer-reviewed papers in an effort to cultivate more effective methods for getting the global warming message across and inspiring action.
Dying to Entertain Us: Celebrities Keep ODing on Opioids and No One Cares
The Village Voice, July 2018
The overall reaction to the overdoses of Prince, Tom Petty, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger has amounted to nothing much when it comes to awakening Americans to the scope of the opioid crisis. By comparison, Rock Hudson’s 1985 death from AIDS, as well as Magic Johnson’s announcement in 1991 that he had HIV, utterly jolted the national conversation about that epidemic.
The Village Voice, July 2018
The overall reaction to the overdoses of Prince, Tom Petty, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger has amounted to nothing much when it comes to awakening Americans to the scope of the opioid crisis. By comparison, Rock Hudson’s 1985 death from AIDS, as well as Magic Johnson’s announcement in 1991 that he had HIV, utterly jolted the national conversation about that epidemic.
"Racism Got You Stressed? That May Be Holding Kids Back at School, Too."
(The Nation, Oct. 2016)
Research suggests the stress all of today's widespread racial conflict generates may itself do lasting damage to the next generation of people of color in the United States. According to a new paper out of Northwestern University, race-based stress kick-starts psychological and biological changes among black and Latino children that compromise their school performance and ultimately widen school achievement disparities between races.
(The Nation, Oct. 2016)
Research suggests the stress all of today's widespread racial conflict generates may itself do lasting damage to the next generation of people of color in the United States. According to a new paper out of Northwestern University, race-based stress kick-starts psychological and biological changes among black and Latino children that compromise their school performance and ultimately widen school achievement disparities between races.
"'Born This Way' May Be The Wrong Song." (Second Nexus, Feb. 2016)
The vast chorus of personal testimony about the unchangeable nature of sexuality notwithstanding, there is weak scientific evidence supporting the notion that infants emerge from womb already primed as gay, lesbian or bisexual. And a new study now suggests that born-this-way arguments may not actually be the best way to promote acceptance toward gays.
The vast chorus of personal testimony about the unchangeable nature of sexuality notwithstanding, there is weak scientific evidence supporting the notion that infants emerge from womb already primed as gay, lesbian or bisexual. And a new study now suggests that born-this-way arguments may not actually be the best way to promote acceptance toward gays.
"Sorry, Pollyanna, Happiness Doesn't Make You Live Longer."
(Second Nexus, Feb. 2016)
If you pay attention to the preachings of self-help gurus and panacea-promising magazine articles, you might think that a sunny disposition is the key to a long life. But a study published in the Lancet in December casts serious doubt on this received wisdom, finding that, while happiness may influence healthy behaviors, it has no apparent direct effect on the risk of death.
(Second Nexus, Feb. 2016)
If you pay attention to the preachings of self-help gurus and panacea-promising magazine articles, you might think that a sunny disposition is the key to a long life. But a study published in the Lancet in December casts serious doubt on this received wisdom, finding that, while happiness may influence healthy behaviors, it has no apparent direct effect on the risk of death.
"Eyewitness Testimony Is Unreliable… Or Is It?"
(The Marshall Project, Oct. 2015) A new study of the data says it depends on timing.
The question of how confident witnesses are when they first identify a subject in a lineup might seem like a minor detail. But it’s at the center of a vigorous debate among eyewitness memory experts. The outcome of this debate could have important ramifications for the criminal justice system, and could add an important layer of nuance to the critiques of eyewitness testimony.
(The Marshall Project, Oct. 2015) A new study of the data says it depends on timing.
The question of how confident witnesses are when they first identify a subject in a lineup might seem like a minor detail. But it’s at the center of a vigorous debate among eyewitness memory experts. The outcome of this debate could have important ramifications for the criminal justice system, and could add an important layer of nuance to the critiques of eyewitness testimony.
"It's Science: Raising the Minimum Wage Would Make America a Happier Place." (The Nation, Oct. 2015)
“There’s this idea that our society is premised on the pursuit of happiness,” says Laura Smith, a psychologist at Columbia University’s Teachers College. That premise, she reasons, is tied to the implicit American social contract, “which is that a hard day’s work is going to be the pathway to full enfranchised citizenship. And when full-time contributors to the necessary fabric of society can’t earn enough to lift their families out of poverty, our tacit social contract is compromised.”
“There’s this idea that our society is premised on the pursuit of happiness,” says Laura Smith, a psychologist at Columbia University’s Teachers College. That premise, she reasons, is tied to the implicit American social contract, “which is that a hard day’s work is going to be the pathway to full enfranchised citizenship. And when full-time contributors to the necessary fabric of society can’t earn enough to lift their families out of poverty, our tacit social contract is compromised.”
"What 311 Calls Can Tell Us About Gentrification." (New York magazine, Aug. 2015) An NYU study found that New York City complaints about neighbors tend to spike at the "fuzzy" boundaries between segregated neighborhoods.
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“Propecia Side Effects. What You Don't Know About Propecia (Be-cause They Don't Know Either)." (AskMen.com, March 2015) The drug has been prescribed to millions of balding men since 1997, but sci-entists still don’t have a firm handle on how safe it is.
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“It Really Might ‘Get Better’ for LGBT Teens.” (The Atlantic, February 2015)
A new study lends support to the idea that bullying and depression decrease over time. |