Even With Unlimited Student Loans, College Is Unaffordable
In the 1980s, universities lobbied Congress to make student loans unlimited, so everyone could get a college education and have higher earnings. Now, college is more unaffordable than ever.
Panic Over Ebola Echoes 19th Century Fear Of Cholera
Fears of cholera coming shared a lot in common with fear of Ebola. Graetz 1883 © Historical Society of PennsylvaniaBy Sally Sheard, University of LiverpoolOn October 19 an inspector sent north from London to Sunderland reported a long-awaited arrival: the first British case of cholera. It was 1831 and as part of a second pandemic cholera had again progressed from its Bengal heartland through Europe, before reaching the Baltic ports. It was only a matter of time.
Fracking Boom Could Mean Up To 12% More Carbon Emissions
Better get our heads out of the sand and run. Credit: Peter Byrne/PABy Erik Bichard, University of SalfordThe consistent message from those who would seek to exploit shale gas is that it has three distinct advantages over existing forms of fossil fuel energy: it is cheap, it has a lower influence on global warming, and it reduces the reliance in foreign imports.
Giant Kangaroos Were More Likely To Walk Than Hop
Modern day kangaroos exhibit a hopping form of locomotion. Credit: Leo/Flickr, CC BY-SABy Christine Janis, Brown UniversityExtinct giant kangaroos may have been built more for walking, rather than hopping like today’s kangaroos, especially when moving slowly.
Snobbery In The Academy Is Alive And Well And Doing Harm
If you've ever felt as though professors treat you with less than respect, you're probably not alone. Credit: Flickr, CC BY-SABy Brian Martin, University of Wollongong and Majken Jul Sørensen, University of WollongongA female engineering student walked into her first lab class. One of the male students said, “The cookery class is in another room.”
Ebola: Bats Get A Bad Rap When It Comes To Spreading Diseases
Credit: Diana Ranslam, CC BY-NCBy Alexandra Kamins, Colorado Hospital Association; Marcus Rowcliffe, Zoological Society of London, and Olivier Restif, University of Cambridge
From Galactic Pile-ups, Stars Are Born: A Crash Course In Clusters
An artist's impression of a galactic protocluster forming in the early universe. Credit: European Southern Observatory, CC BYBy Nick Seymour, Curtin UniversityClusters of galaxies have back-stories worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster: their existences are marked by violence, death and birth, arising after extragalactic pile-ups where groups of galaxies crashed into each other.
Brain Scans Show Who's Likely To Trust Strangers
Won't get fooled again. Credit: Tinfoil hat by Suzanne Tucker/ShutterstockBy Rebecca Slack, University of SheffieldHow do you decide if you can trust someone? Is it based on their handshake, the way they look you in the eye, or perhaps their body language?
Toxic Playgrounds: Broken Hill Kids Exposed To Poisonous Dust
Children are particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of lead because their brains and bodies are still developing. credit: Viacheslav Nikolaenko/Shutterstock
'Extreme Altruists' Are Motivated By Gut Instinct
Intuitive processes may underlie decisions of those who help others while risking their own lives. Credit: AAresTT/ShutterstockBy Penny Orbell, The ConversationIf you noticed a person in grave danger would you act first and think later in order to save them? New research suggests people who put their own lives in danger to help others make the decision to do so without a second thought.
Pope Sets Off A 'Gay Earthquake'? No, The Church Has Hardly Moved
The extraordinary synod of bishops on family is meeting for two weeks at the Vatican. Credit: EPA/L'Osservatore RomanoBy Timothy Jones, La Trobe University
How Are Nurses Becoming Infected With Ebola?
Lab scientists working with Ebola use respirators, while surgical masks are deemed adequate for nurses at the front line. Credit: EPA/Anne-Marie Sanderson/DOH By C Raina MacIntyre
