science wire

Objects of devotion
Why did Renaissance shoppers fill their baskets with rosaries, crucifixes, Christ-dolls and devotional paintings? A new study by historian Mary Laven investigates the significance of Catholic clutter, as she explains.

Iconic photos of the Great Depression among the highlights in Cantor’s Walker Evans exhibit
In public programs, Stanford scholars share their views on the groundbreaking artistic endeavors of photographer Walker Evans.

Q&A with Scott Centenary Tour composer
The Scott Polar Research Institute is proud to have provided the inspiration for a major new composition by leading British composer, Cecilia McDowall.

Great handbags – but what about the politics?
Audiences are spellbound by Meryl Streep's performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. As a PhD student looking at British politics in the same era, Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite was keen to see how the movie portrayed the woman who changed the face of Britain.

Liberal-democratic ideas don't have universal support in Middle East
Liberal-democratic attitudes in the Middle East and North Africa aren't universal, say two University of Toronto sociologists.

Narratives of Conversion
A project concluding this weekend examines why women choose to convert to Islam - and what the experience is like.

Powerful testimonies in unique archive
“I’m glad I got away from the Germans and I’m grateful to the Swedes that I’m alive and that they have taken such good care of me.” These are the concluding words of a woman’s account of her years in a concentration camp.

Courts endangering religious freedom, academic claims
Religious freedom in Europe and North America is being endangered by the courts, an Oxford University academic has claimed in a new book.

History holds key to future energy policy, says report
History holds key to future energy policy, says report Policymakers should look to history to learn how best to tackle the challenges of a low carbon economy, says a new report co-authored by University of Sussex energy analyst Professor Jim Watson.

Viking mass grave linked to elite killers of the medieval world
A mass grave found in Dorset could belong to a crew of Viking mercenaries who terrorised Europe in the 11th century - according to a new documentary on National Geographic which pieces together the story behind the burial. Clearly these men had shown a level of bravery similar to the Jomsviking code." —Britt Baillie A crew of Viking mercenaries - some of the fiercest and most feared killers in the medieval world - could be the occupants of a mysterious mass grave in the south of England, according to a new theory.

Gloria Steinem: Still angry, still funny, still tireless
One of the most admired and loved leaders of second-wave feminism is coming to Stanford this week as part of the 40th anniversary celebration of Ms.

Shipwrecked: women and children first?
Romantic notions of heroism - the captain refusing to leave his sinking ship, women and children being ushered to safety - have been shattered by reports emerging from the Costa Concordia.

The History Channel will feature Penn State research on farm fields
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A Penn State Extension field demonstration of technology designed to reduce odors and nutrient losses from agricultural fields will be a featured segment on the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" program.

Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life to open Jan. 22
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the University of California, Berkeley's Bancroft Library, the latest addition to the city's burgeoning downtown arts and culture district, is opening to the public on Sunday, Jan.

Historian uncovers a real-life Dickensian tale of prostitution and suspected murder
Research by a legal historian at the University of Warwick has uncovered a real-life 19th century couple whose tragic tale could have been taken straight out of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. While researching the extent of cohabitation in the 19th century, Professor Rebecca Probert came across the story of a couple whose fate almost mirrors that of the Dickens' character Bill Sykes and his prostitute girlfriend Nancy.

University Library’s greatest treasures on show
An unpublished Rupert Brooke poem will sit alongside some of Cambridge University Library's greatest treasures when a free exhibition of highlights from its priceless collections opens to the public today.

Guilt, gender play major roles in human-animal relations
Until recently, most archaeologists viewed human-animal relationships primarily in terms of their dietary role.

Memoir gives personal look at the journey of a Buddhist scholar
Board chair and vice chair issue statement on questions about Paterno Alumni Town Hall meetings begin in Pittsburgh Panel discussion 'Responding to Child Sexual Abuse' set for Jan.

Railroad hyperbole echoes all the way down to the dot-com frenzy
Stanford historian Richard White explores the role of the railroad in shaping the modern American West.

Astronomers Release Unprecedented Data Set on Celestial Objects that Brighten and Dim
Astronomers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Arizona have released the largest data set ever collected that documents the brightening and dimming of stars and other celestial objects—two hundred million in total.

Professor of Palaeography and Manuscript Studies appointed
King's College London has appointed Julia Crick as Professor of Palaeography and Manuscript Studies in the School of Arts & Humanities.

Holocaust Living History Workshop to Present "Witnessing History" Events During Winter 2012
The UC San Diego Holocaust Living History Workshop (HLHW) launches a new series of events this winter, the "Witnessing History" series, focused on the topic of experiencing history in the making.

Picture This # 12 – they’re going on a bear hunt, Madingley Hall
" What is it? This image of a bear hunt is taken from one of three remarkable wall paintings in the Murals Room at Madingley Hall.

A click up the Eighties: Archive’s digital project opens up our recent past to a wider audience
A click up the Eighties: Archive's digital project opens up our recent past to a wider audience The words and voices of ordinary people commenting on the extraordinary events of the 1980s as the

Academic puts summer on ice
An ANU historian is swapping the sweltering Australian summer for the icy sheets of Antarctica as part of a historic journey commemorating the nation's first expedition to the great southern continent.

Larger-than-life characters, intrigue part of history behind Battle of Adwa
Unlike Jonas, most people have never heard of Menelik or the Battle of Adwa. When asked about relations between Italy and Ethiopia, it would be more likely for the average person to think of Italy's invasion of the African country in the 1930s, when the Europeans were victorious.

‘Extreme Sleepover #9’ – waiting for sunrise in the Congo
In the ninth of a series of reports contributed by Cambridge researchers, historian Catherine Porter visits the Democratic Republic of Congo to people in the city of Lubumbashi about their political and cultural identity.

New Book Explores Union Communication Through Lens of Boeing Labor Unrest
AUSTIN, Texas — Small groups of workers can use communication tactics to agitate for democracy, transparency and fighting spirit within their unions, according to the new book "We ARE the Union

Classicist is uncovering lives of ancient artists
In a corner of Verity Platt's Goldwin Smith Hall office sits a large plaster reproduction of a famous classical sculpture fragment, the Belvedere Torso.

Extreme sleepover: the importance of being there
Tomorrow we launch a series of 12 articles by Cambridge researchers who tell us about the unfamiliar places where they've spent the night in the course of their work.

Site of earliest house is scheduled by the Government
21 Dec 2011 One of Yorkshire's most outstanding historical sites has been given protection by Heritage Minister John Penrose.

Curator in the Classroom: The Artistic Eye of Prof. Kellie Jones
Kellie Jones talks about her new book, EyeMinded: Living and Writing Contemporary Art . (4:27) It's been a busy year for Kellie Jones.

ANU leads Australia in philosophical matters

Figurines reveal cross-pollination of religions in ancient Greece
The sectarian wars raging around the globe attest to the rigidity of many religious outlooks today. But in the second century BCE, residents on the Greek island of Delos saw nothing wrong with using others' gods in their prayers.

As Earth warms, plants and bees keep pace, study reports
As the warm temperatures of spring start a little earlier each year due to climate change, bees and plants are keeping pace, according to a new study published online Dec. 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. An analysis of bee collection data over the past 130 years shows that spring arrives about 10 days earlier than in the 1880s, and bees and flowering plants have kept pace by arriving earlier in lock-step.

Tobacco industry dying? Not so fast, says Stanford expert
Smoking is not going away. Worldwide, says Stanford historian Robert Proctor, the tobacco industry continues to create toxic products that cause not just lung cancer but also cataracts, ankle fractures, early onset menopause, spontaneous abortion and erectile dysfunction, among other maladies.

The Bronze Age – now in 3D
One of the most important later Bronze Age sites ever discovered in Britain is being excavated near Peterborough, providing a richly detailed, "3D" view of life around the year 1,000 BC. This is a 3-D vision of of life during the Bronze Age that we only see very rarely anywhere in the world, let alone in this country." —David Gibson The world will get its first glimpse of one of the most significant later Bronze Age sites ever recorded in Britain today, yielding a rare and extraordinarily detailed view of life 3,000 years ago.

Island language in a sea of change
Norman languages spoken in the Channel Islands for a thousand years are now severely endangered. Cambridge linguist Mari Jones has been analysing the languages and tracing why they have declined.

Bah! Humbug! There is more to Dickens then Christmas, says University of Warwick expert
For many, Charles Dickens and his classic story A Christmas Carol epitomise the festive period, but a leading professor at The University of Warwick wants people to have greater expectations when it comes to Dickens.

Being told painting is fake changes brain’s response to art
Being told that a work of art is authentic or fake alters the brain's response to the visual content of artwork, Oxford University academics have found. Fourteen participants were placed in a brain scanner and shown images of works by ‘Rembrandt' – some were genuine, others were convincing imitations painted by different artists.

Climate change stirs ’Perfect Moral Storm,’ prof says
The world is sailing into some killer storms and its leaders have done almost nothing to protect its boat.

Physician and Novel Writer
Jason Karlawish is a physician, professor and researcher, and now, he can also be called a novelist.

Divinity appoints first Muslim professor
The University of Edinburgh's School of Divinity has appointed its first Muslim professor. Professor Mona Siddiqui, a regular on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day, is the new Professor of Islamic and Inter-religious studies at the University.

Eminent Notts scientist receives blue plaque honour
A blue plaque commemorating the life and work of one of Nottinghamshire's most eminent scientists is to be unveiled at the Beeston home he built.

Chemical success on the catwalk
Chemistry is probably the last thing that springs to mind when the models strut down the catwalk dressed in the most fantastic creations.

¤4.3million project to examine history of the transatlantic slave trade
Two University of Bristol archaeologists are part of EUROTAST, a new European-funded network which will bring together an unprecedented range of young researchers to examine one of the most traumatic chapters in world history: the transatlantic slave trade.

Kaiser, Reich and the making of modern Germany
Europe is in crisis and its future is said to depend on Germany. The most comprehensive study of Germany's early modern history ever undertaken, published this week, questions just how much we know about its past - and how much we understand it as a result.

Jim Brandenburg's 'Chased By The Light' returns to Bell Museum of Natural History
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/30/2011) —“Chased By the Light: Jim Brandenburg's 90-Day Photo Journey” comes back to the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History for a new showing that opens Dec.

Digital church records offer window into past
Digital church records offer window into past The University of Sheffield's Humanities Research Institute (HRI) has completed a project with the University of York to digitise records of

Wake-up call for coffee drinkers over caffeine toxicity
One of the largest collections of old Bibles in the UK is currently being showcased at Glasgow's Mitchell Library in an exhibition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the production of the King James Bible in 1611.

American named King Gustaf Visiting Professor of Environmental Science
Professor Nancy Langston has been named the King Carl XVI Gustaf Professor of Environmental Sciences for the 2012-13 academic year in Sweden.

Strictly Orthodox now one fifth of British Jews
ew statistics produced this month by an academic from The University of Manchester show that the Strictly Orthodox - or Charedi - community accounted for 20 per cent of all Anglo-Jewry in 2010.

Recreating ‘The Great Escape’
First it was the Dambusters raid, now Cambridge University's Hugh Hunt has helped to recreate 'The Great Escape' from Germany's infamous Stalag Luft III.

Where God meets physics
Eminent thinker and commentator Revd John Polkinghorne, Fellow of the Royal Society, will be giving a public talk - titled A Destiny Beyond Death - tomorrow lunchtime at St Edmund's College, Cambridge.

Academics shed new light on old links between classical, African and Middle Eastern cultures
Academics from the Universities of Warwick and Oxford have shed new light on the history of interactions between the classical world, Africa and the Middle East.

New DVC Academic to join ANU team

Interactions between classical, African and Middle Eastern cultures explored
Academics from the Universities of Oxford and Warwick have shed new light on the history of interactions between the classical world, Africa and the Middle East.

Film weaves scientific and religious views of ’The Journey of the Universe’
"Journey of the Universe," a documentary exploring the human connection to Earth and the cosmos, which was produced by Yale historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker , will premiere on PBS stations nationwide beginning Dec.

Examining the changing face of Christianity
A century ago, 80 per cent of the world's Christians lived in Europe and North America; today, nearly 70 per cent live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, making Christianity a predominantly non-Western religion.

Making more sense of time
The University of Sydney has received US$1.5 million from the John Templeton Foundation to explore the nature of time and streamline worldwide academic research on the subject.

'Journey of the Universe' premieres on PBS in December
"Journey of the Universe," a documentary exploring the human connection to Earth and the cosmos, which was produced by Yale historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker , will premiere on PBS stations nationwide beginning Dec.

New wave of Danish art to be explored
A free public lecture looking at the recent rise of the Danish contemporary art scene will take place at Churchill College on November 24, given by top art critic Lisbeth Bonde.

'Want an ethical career Become a banker'
Ethically-minded people should consider a career in banking rather than joining the third sector, an Oxford University ethicist has suggested.

King’s Russia Institute
King's College London is set to open a Russia Institute in 2013, which will aim to become the leading international centre for the study of contemporary Russia.

From Band Aid to X-Factor: a history of the charity single
From Band Aid to X-Factor: a history of the charity single The charity single season gets under way in earnest this week with the release of the BBC charity Children In Need's song Teardrop, followed by TV talent show The X-Factor's Christmas single, Wishing On A Star.

Digitizing a best-kept secret: Cornell’s coin collection
Cornell's coin collection is one of the best-kept secrets on campus, but if archaeologist Annetta Alexandridis has her way, the world will soon have access to every one of its 1,500 coins.

‘Picture This #10’ – The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 lines, University Library
The Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 lines is the oldest dated and illustrated Sanskrit manuscript known worldwide.

The history of angels: U-M research
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Angels are everywhere today - on lapel pins, magnetic dashboard figures, keepsake ornaments and in a Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

How will we remember them?
As we approach Remembrance Day, a Cambridge University project that looks at the role of memorials in conflict-torn communities is drawing to a close.

Powerful words
Ancient manuscripts that hold important clues to India’s intellectual and religious traditions will be the focus of a new study.

Nov. 16 Penn Lightbulb Café to Focus on Restoring Religious Monuments in War-torn Pakistan
WHO: Michael Meister, professor of South Asia Studies in the Department of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania WHAT: Penn Lightbulb Café lecture on "Conducting Research in Pakistan: Restoring Religious Monuments in Swat" WHEN: Wednesday, Nov.

Faculty fellow studies sound art of old recordings
Brian Hanrahan has a special appreciation for the crackle, fuzz and background chatter that characterize old radio broadcasts.

Lives of soliders, important Canadians to be documented
As Canadians prepare to honour fallen soldiers this Remembrance Day, the federal government has announced funding for a website which chronicles the lives of war veterans, including U of'T graduate Lt.

Lives of soliders, important Canadian to be documented
As Canadians prepare to honour fallen soldiers this Remembrance Day, the federal government has announced funding for a website which chronicles the lives of war veterans, including U of'T graduate Lt.

Biological futures initiative aims to bring larger ethical issues into non-medical science
Emerging Issues in Biological Futures II: A Panel Discussion on Global Health will be presented from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov.

Known and unknown: great travellers of the Pacific
Islanders: The Pacific in the Age of Empire tells the story of the Pacific Islanders and their early interactions with Western travellers from the viewpoint of the Islanders themselves and sets the arrival of Westerners within a context of existing voyages within the region.

Bristol archaeologist publishes book on the gold of Ancient Panama
A lavishly-illustrated book on the pre-Columbian goldwork of Panama has been published by Nicholas Saunders, lecturer in the University of Bristol's Department of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Scientists race against time to save the last ‘Flying Pencil’
Scientists are in a race against time to help save the last remaining intact World War II German light bomber Dornier Do-17, known as The Flying Pencil (Fliegender Bleistift), which lies underwater in the English Channel off the Kentish coast in the UK.

Celebrating 90 Years of Insulin
Ninety years after Frederick Banting , Charles Best , John Macleod and Bertram Collip uncovered the role of insulin in diabetes, the legacy of their ground-breaking discovery has a place to call home.

Dr. Livingstone’s lost 1871 ’massacre’ diary recovered; discovery rewrites history
In Africa 140 years ago, David Livingstone, the Victorian explorer, met Henry M. Stanley of the New York Herald and gave him a harrowing account of a massacre he witnessed, in which slave traders slaughtered 400 innocent people.

The Cockleshell Heroes
Research by a Plymouth graduate has shed new light on the World War II Cockleshell Heroes raid, which will be screened on national television this week. Tom Keene’s research conducted as part of his Plymouth PhD studies reveals that a lack of communication between allied units led to unnecessary deaths during the famous Cockleshell Heroes raid on enemy shipping.

Ramon Saldivar takes helm of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
The center, whose twin pillars are undergraduate teaching and faculty research, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

Challenge accepted! Rowing heavyweights to come face to face as race fever heats up
25 Oct 2011 With the 2011 Australian Boat Race just days away, some of the best rowers in the country will face off at an official pre-race weigh-in at the University of Melbourne on Friday.

Celebrating 400 years of King James Bible
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham is to give the first in a series of free talks at The University of Nottingham's Great Hall to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the King James version of the Bible.

Viking boat burial find is UK mainland first
19 Oct 2011 The UK mainland's first fully intact Viking boat burial site has been discovered by archaeologists working in the Scottish Highlands. The 5m-long grave contained the remains of a high status Viking, who was buried with an axe, a sword with a beautifully decorated hilt, a spear, shield boss and bronze ring-pin.

Professor James Shapiro Examines the Question of Who Wrote Shakespeare
(Editor's note: This story on English professor James Shapiro was originally published in the May 14, 2010, Vol.

Experts reveal new images, analyses of Spurlock Museum mummy
CHAMPAIGN, lll. - In 1990, a team of researchers and medical experts placed an ancient Egyptian mummy into a computed tomography (CT) scanner at a hospital in Central Illinois, hoping to learn what they could about the individual shrouded inside its linen cocoon. Those scans, along with X-rays and analyses of fragments collected from the fraying base of the mummy, revealed that it was a child from a wealthy family, likely from the Roman period of ancient Egypt.

Book by UW–Madison professor explores new media ethics
A new book on media ethics by University of Wisconsin–Madison professor Stephen J. A. Ward explores the leading issues in global, online media.

Threatened Syrian citadel gives up secrets in midst of conflict
14 Oct 2011 An archaeologist working in Syria has solved the mystery of why one of Islam's earliest fortresses dropped out of the historical record around 1,100 years ago.

Mapping Gothic France: Digital Insights Into the Genius of Medieval Cathedrals
Art history professor Stephen Murray has been lucky enough to spend months at a time snapping pictures of France's Gothic cathedrals so others interested in these architectural marvels who may not have the resources to go to Europe won't have to.

Caltech Event Marks 75th Anniversary of JPL Rocket Tests
October 11, 2011 PASADENA, Calif.

Wash away your troubles with soap
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Cleaning your hands removes more than dirt, it also removes residues of the past, such as guilt and doubt, a new University of Michigan study finds.

Deborah Lipstadt, outspoken scholar of Holocaust denial, speaking in Minn. Oct. 26-27
Deborah Lipstadt, author of "The Eichmann Trial and History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier," will speak about Holocaust denial at two events in Minnesota this month.

Depressed or manic?
02 October 2011 If you put an electrode into the brain of an extremely depressed patient, there is a risk that the procedure could lead to personality changes. On the other hand, the depression itself also causes changes to the sufferer’s personality. How can the risks best be balanced against the possibilities? These are topical issues for doctoral student in ethics Veronica Johansson, who works with LU’s Neuronano Research Centre.

Series tackles Thailand’s Nation, Religion, King
Three of the pillars of Thai society are under the spotlight in a new vodcast and podcast series titled ' Chat, Sasana, Phramahakasat : Nation, Religion, King'.

Historians can play key role in tackling world’s problems
Historians should play more of a role in tackling some of the greatest questions facing the planet, according to a new book.

19th Century ‘Protestant work ethic’ at heart of Europe’s North/South debt crisis split
Research from the Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) at the University of Warwick suggests the 19th Century ‘protestant work ethic' could have given the economies of

Historian mixes policy and personal stories in history of U.S. immigration
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It's not one border, one time, that makes an immigrant, says Dorothee Schneider. It's not a matter of crossing over and you're done.

Schoolroom Science and Other Revolutionary Ideas
Talk by Emily Winterburn on Saturday 1 October 2011 How did you learn science at school‘ Do you think it would have differed very much from a lesson in 1911 or even earlier' The University o

Five Principles Critical to Successful Nation-Building, Finds History and Global Affairs Scholar
Sept. 26, 2011 AUSTIN, Texas — The United States must follow five fundamental principles in order to successfully build strong, self-sufficient nations in post-conflict situations, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin.

New York Times article on the city of Lund
The New York Times has featured an article about the city of Lund in its travel section, published 23 September 2011.

«Nacht der Forschung» begeisterte 7’000 Besucher
Ein Dialog zwischen Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft bis um Mitternacht: An der «Nacht der Forschung» der Universität Bern konnte die ganze Bandbreite der universitären Forschung hautnah kennengelernt und miterlebt werden.

Black talk, blue thoughts
As a budding "black journalista," UCLA alumna Erin Aubry Kaplan couldn't believe her luck when the Los Angeles Times asked her to cover South Central Los Angeles after the 1992 riots.

War and conflict documentaries showing at IWMN
Six documentaries produced by University of Manchester MA students are to be screened at a special Imperial War Museum North event next week (27 Sept).

After 150 years, rebel hymns finally hit right note
A selection from what has been identified by a University of Manchester academic as the only surviving Chartist hymn book is to be performed in public for the first time since 1854.

Barnard Professor Explores the Rich, Sweet History of Milk
Throughout history, milk has been a symbol of motherhood and fertility, but also prosperity, health and strength.

Three U-M researchers named 2011 MacArthur Fellows
Sept.

Is the Swedish welfare state a social disaster permeated by crime?
The Swedish police force appears on our television screens, year in and year out. The socially critical police narratives in novels and films have a tremendous impact.

Compatibilism: Can free will and determinism co-exist?
Stanford philosophy professor takes the side of a beleaguered theory – that predetermination and free will are not mutually exclusive.

Excerpt From Grand Pursuit, by Sylvia Nasar
The idea that humanity could turn tables on economic necessity—mastering rather than being enslaved by material circumstances—is so new that Consider the world of Georgian opulence that the author of Pride and Prejudice inhabited.

A decade of disappointment in Afghanistan
Ten years after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, a new book launched today at ANU gives key insight into Australia's part in the war and the impact of the decade-long conflict.

Researchers to unlock distinctive West Midlands accent
The region's linguistic heritage is set to be explored in a new research project comparing the way today's West Midlands residents speak to text from an ancient medieval manuscript originating from the area.

U of M School of Journalism hosts events exploring Latino media history Sept. 22-23
Félix Gutiérrez, a nationally acclaimed expert in social media and racial diversity and professor of journalism and communication at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, visits the University of Minnesota on Sept.

Inside Britain’s biggest Iron Age fortress
A major excavation at Britain's biggest Iron Age hill-fort has begun in Somerset, in the hope that it will at last enable historians to explain the meaning and purpose of the enigmatic site.

Stanford experts: how 9/11 has changed the world
Never-ending war? A new "greatest generation?" A professor whose 3-year-old son is on the government's watchlist? Six Stanford experts talk about the world since that terrible day a decade ago.

Harry Ransom Center Receiving Applications for Research Fellowships in the Humanities
Aug. 31, 2011 AUSTIN, Texas — The Harry Ransom Center , a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin, is now receiving applications for its 2012-2013 research fellowships in the humanities. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2012. Information about the fellowships and the application process is available online.  More than 50 fellowships are awarded annually by the Ransom Center to support research projects in all areas of the humanities.

Marine Science Institute Receives $7 Million Grant to Study the Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Aug.

When the Towers Fell: An Oral History of 9/11 and Its Aftermath
In the aftermath of 9/11, Mary Marshall Clark began noticing that a deep stillness had fallen over New York City.

Sunday is Maroon and Gold Day at the State Fair
U president Kaler, athletic director Maturi and Marching Band to headline State Fair parade An annual highlight for fairgoers takes place this Sunday, Aug.

Trustee role for King’s History Professor
Professor Ludmilla Jordanova, from the Department of History, has been appointed a Trustee of the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI).

Who are the ’unmeltable’ in the great melting pot of America 9/11 ten years on.
Who are the 'unmeltable' in the great melting pot of America? 9/11 ten years on.

Book commemorates 9/11 by questioning what it means to say I am an American?
Book commemorates 9/11 by questioning what it means to say 'I am an American? Shortly after the events of 9/11, a Public Service Announcement was broadcast on US television in which American cit

Lost Roman port found in Wales
The remains of a 2000-year-old Roman port have been discovered in south Wales by archaeologists from the University. Uncovered outside the Roman fortress in Caerleon by a team of staff and students from the School of History, Archaeology and Religion, the port is only the second known from Roman Britain and sheds new light on Wales? role in Roman Britain.

More sex please, we’re Greek: exposing the myth of Platonic love
Plato lent his name to Platonic love but a new book reveals that the ancient Greek philosopher never advocated love without sex. University of Manchester science historian Jay Kennedy, who hit the headlines last year after revealing he had cracked the code in the great thinker's writings, has now published a decoder's manual that lays bare the secret content of Plato's ancient works.

Marcus Garvey movement owes large debt to Caribbean expats, UCLA historian finds
Conventional wisdom has long held that Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association, which advocated racial self-help and the unity of the African diaspora, grew out of the heady political

Historian charts a transformation of the night, from fear to embrace
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Darkness truly ruled the night in the Europe of 1500. People feared almost everything about the hours after sunset, says University of Illinois historian Craig Koslofsky.

Getting inside the mind (and up the nose) of our ancient ancestors
Reorganisation of the brain and sense organs could be the key to the evolutionary success of vertebrates, one of the great puzzles in evolutionary biology, according to a paper by an international team of researchers, published today in Nature.

Getting inside the mind (and up the nose) of our ancient ancestors
Reorganisation of the brain and sense organs could be the key to the evolutionary success of vertebrates, one of the great puzzles in evolutionary biology, according to a paper by an international team of researchers, published today in Nature.

Tireless Scholar Ehsan Yarshater, at 91, Continues Work on Encyclopedia Iranica
For years, Iranian studies scholar Ehsan Yarshater was frustrated that there was only one comprehensive and reliable reference for his field.

Find gives human face to Australia’s convict past
A series of archaeological finds in Tasmania have shown how colonial guards secretly eased the brutal treatment of women prisoners in 1850s Australia, rewriting our understanding of life inside Britain's colonial prisons Down Under.

Breathing new life into Earth
New research shows evidence of early oxygen on our planet. Today, oxygen takes up a hefty portion of Earth's atmosphere: Life-sustaining O 2 molecules make up 21 percent of the air we breathe. However, very early in Earth's history, O 2 was a rare ‘ if not completely absent ' player in the turbulent mix of primordial gases.

Transcript of Nixon phone call reveals depth of collapse of the US UK special relationship in 1973
‘Document' is aired on Monday, 20.00, BBC Radio 4.

University of Warwick researcher calls for re-think on celebrity obsessed culture
A philosophy professor at the University of Warwick has urged for a re-evaluation of our notions of celebrity – calling for a return to when fame was a reward rather than simply a goal.

Franco-Scottish alliance against England one of longest in history
A University of Manchester historian has uncovered evidence which shows how a defensive alliance against England between Scotland and France might never have formally ended – potentially making it the longest in history.