Big headlines today state the obvious: Texting while driving is dangerous, practically everyone knows it, and a lot of people do it anyway. That’s the widely reported finding of a new AT&T survey about texting while driving: More than 98 percent of adult drivers know it’s unsafe, but almost half of them admitted to doing … Continue reading »
In 370 million-year-old red sandstone deposits in a highway roadcut, scientists have discovered a new species of armored fish in north central Pennsylvania. Fossils of armored fishes like this one, a phyllolepid placoderm, are known for the distinctive ornamentation of ridges on their exterior plates. As with many such fossils, scientists often find the remains … Continue reading »
Can you imagine a life without sunsets? Twenty-four hours of daylight? Perhaps – if you’re summering in the Arctic Circle. But as a relatively common occurrence in hospitals and group-living centers, it can disrupt sleep patterns, cause disorientation and throw off basic bodily function. Drexel researchers are working on a solution that brings the benefits … Continue reading »
“We’re going to need an autism-friendly building.” Dr. Jennifer Plumb, a clinical social worker, made this comment mid-way through a tour of the future home of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute on Market Street in University City, Philadelphia. I had the opportunity to join Plumb, who just began working at the Institute this month as … Continue reading »
Expect sparks to fly in Washington tomorrow, when Newt Gingrich, who famously lobbed the term “food stamp president” as a criticism to President Obama last year, sits down at the table with outspoken left-leaning figures such as filmmaker Michael Moore and philosopher Dr. Cornel West, to debate issues of poverty in America. They’ll be participating in … Continue reading »
Last week the U.S. House of Representatives pumped the brake pedal on passing a federal aid package for states affected by Hurricane Sandy, sending politicians from New York and New Jersey in to a frenzy and Congress into a debate over how much money these areas need to recover. Solutions like sea walls, expanded treatment … Continue reading »
What role does personality play in decision making when it comes to executives? Consider Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada” and Michael Scott in “The Office.” Did their personalities influence their strategic decisions? The answer according to research by a Drexel LeBow College of Business professor is YES. “CEOs are humans and their personalities, … Continue reading »
Could a pit of sand in southern New Jersey be one of the most important sites for paleontology in the world? Dr. Ken Lacovara isn’t sure about that yet, but he’s working to figure it out. Lacovara, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel, has been digging at this particular … Continue reading »
Last week, a team of physics and engineering researchers at Drexel had a new study published about the physical mechanisms underlying sickle cell disease. The study aimed to answer a question about why sickle cells don’t get stuck in the narrowest blood vessels. You can read the more detailed version (with abundant food metaphors) in … Continue reading »
There are two new faces at Philadelphia elementary schools that have been causing quite a stir – and not just because they are made out of yarn and fabric… Molly and Wally are puppets that are used as part of an evidence-based program called “The Incredible Years” that Dr. Brian Daly, a child psychologist at … Continue reading »
