With Good Reason

The fear of public speaking can be debilitating.  For some, it’s the stuff of nightmares.  And so rather than stumble through a speech, many people avoid doing it altogether. But Molly Bishop Shadel (University of Virginia) and Robert N. Sayler (University of Virginia) say oral advocacy is key to a healthy democracy. Effective speeches can [...]

There’s no doubt that the number of obese Americans has increased dramatically over the last 25 years – putting them at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis. But Cathy Roy (Longwood University) says it’s not necessarily the fat making people sick.  Her research suggests a lack of physical activity might be [...]

When 62 year old Bill Wood turned to his wife at the funeral of a family member and asked, “Who are all these people?” she knew something was terribly wrong.  Alzheimer’s Disease had struck the witty and dapper former newspaper editor early.  His wife Carol Wood (University of Virginia) describes her daily challenges as she [...]

Circuses have long been a part of human culture, starting with the Romans, and circuses have been in America almost since the birth of this country. Lavahn Hoh (University of Virginia) teaches the only accredited course in the U.S. on the history of the American circus and is the author of “Step Right Up!  The [...]

In recent years, sea ice in the Arctic has been melting at an alarming rate. Scientists fear that Arctic shrinkage could contribute to rising sea levels worldwide. Oceanographer Victoria Hill (Old Dominion University) was one of five scientists who spent six weeks in the barren, frozen landscape, where temperatures fall to -40F. What she found [...]

Why do we dream and what do our dreams tell us about what’s happening when we are awake? Richard Bargdill (Virginia Commonwealth University), interprets some of the most common dreams we have, explains why some dreams are recurring and discusses what our dreams are trying to tell us.  Also featured: Understanding what makes us shy.  [...]

At the height of its popularity, an estimated 12 million listeners were tuning in to each episode of The Lone Ranger. The success of the radio serial was largely the result of clever marketing and licensing by the show’s creator, George Trendle. In a forthcoming book called Selling the Silver Bullet, media professor Avi Santo [...]

The fear of public speaking can be debilitating.  For some, it’s the stuff of nightmares.  And so rather than stumble through a speech, many people avoid doing it altogether. But Molly Bishop Shadel (University of Virginia) and Robert N. Sayler (University of Virginia) say oral advocacy is key to a healthy democracy. Effective speeches can [...]

How badly do foreclosed homes affect a neighborhood?  Does foreclosure spread like a virus? Michael Seiler (Old Dominion University) and researchers at the Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center have created a “Foreclosure Contagion Model,” which uses economic forecasting, modeling and simulation to help policymakers revive distressed real estate markets.  Also featured: The oceans are slowly [...]

Brain injury is more common than you might think.  1.5 million people suffer an injury each year in this country alone.  Michael Friedlander is the director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, where they’re looking for ways to help the brain heal itself.  He studies individual nerve cells and says that by stimulating a [...]