Social Sciences
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The politics of pensions and savings
Distinguished Professor of Economics Nirvikar Singh wrote an opinion article for Financial Express recommending that government policy in India should take a comprehensive look at the institutional landscape for pensions and savings.
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You Might Have Perfect Pitch And Not Even Know It, Study Suggests
“What this shows is that a surprisingly large portion of the population has a type of automatic, hidden ‘perfect pitch’ ability,” said Matt Evans, a Ph.D. student at UC Santa Cruz who led the study, alongside Psychology Profesor Nicolas Davidenko. Forbes also featured this study in their daily news quiz.
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With Dams Removed, Salmon Will Have the Run of a Western River
Environmental Studies Ph.D. student Brook Thompson, who grew up on the Yurok reservation, explained the importance of restoring salmon in the Klamath River to historical levels. “My grandpa said that there were so many salmon when he was younger that you could walk across their backs to the other side,” Thompson said. “It’s just so hard to…
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Let’s ensure ‘Recess for All’ law really does apply to all
Rebecca London, a professor of sociology and faculty director of Campus + Community at the University of California, Santa Cruz, co-wrote this opinion piece that highlights healthier learning environments California students can expect this fall thanks to the landmark Senate Bill 291. Known as "Recess for All," the bill requires elementary schools to provide students…
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Will regulators OK controversial effort to supercharge ocean’s ability to absorb carbon?
Given the controversy surrounding geoengineering experiments, it’s important for scientists to do public outreach before experiments happen, Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah told Science. Although scientists might be inclined to stay in the lab and focus on the technical questions, they need to engage with the public, she says. “Until scientists take this seriously, we’re…
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You can (probably) sing better than you think
Popular Science covered research by cognitive science Ph.D. Candidate Matt Evans and Psychology Professor Nicholas Davidenko that shows a surprisingly large portion of the population has a type of automatic, hidden 'perfect pitch' ability. Additional coverage in Earth, Cosmos, and Yahoo News.
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There's a 40% chance the US economy is already in a recession, according to a new indicator
Business Insider covered a new paper coauthored by Associate Professor of Economics Pascal Michaillat that presents a new recession indicator method that uses data on both the unemployment rate and the vacancy rate for jobs.
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A controversial experiment to artificially cool Earth was canceled — what we know about why
Environmental Studies Professor Sikina Jinnah, who co-chaired the advisory committee for Harvard University's SCoPEX solar geoengineering experiment, talked to The Verge about some of the lessons learned from that process. “One of the core messages that comes out of this is that public engagement is necessary even when you don’t think that the impact of the…
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California’s housing crisis could be raising risk of climate disasters, researchers fear
The Hill covered research being led by Sociology Professor Miriam Greenberg and Associate Professor of Sociology Hillary Angelo, which is testing the theory that lack of affordable housing in California’s urban centers may be fueling increased development in adjacent wildlands—exacerbating the impacts of climate change.
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The Budget and the end of ‘reform’
Distinguished Professor of Economics Nirvikar Singh wrote an opinion article for Financial Express arguing that the complex nature of modern manufacturing makes tariff policy difficult to implement perfectly in India, but minimal attempts at fine-tuning are a good sign.
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Could AI robots with lasers make herbicides — and farm workers — obsolete?
Chris Benner, professor of sociology and environmental studies and director of the Institute for Social Transformation, likened the disruptive potential of new agricultural tools. “We need more efficiencies in agriculture to improve profit margins and be able to pay workers in the field more, but that’s ultimately going to displace some people,” Benner said. “What do…
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The Northeast Indian YouTubers challenging cultural stereotypes through mukbang
Anthropology Professor Dolly Kikon says viral mukbang videos from Northeast India show an intimate relationship between tribal communities, their land, and natural resources. “In these videos, food from the source to the table is being emphasized," she told Rest of World. "There is [an] assertion of indigeneity, there is an element of ecology. In a…