The Academic Minute

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Dean Buonomano of the University of California Los Angeles explains why our brains are often biologically unequipped to accurately perceive the modern world.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Prabhjot Singh of Columbia University’s Earth Institute examines how practices introduced in the developing world could improve the efficiency of the healthcare system in the developed world.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Brad Bushman of Ohio State University reveals the connection between first person shooter video games and real-world marksmanship.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Joe MacGregor of the University of Texas at Austin explains the mechanics of the fracturing currently plaguing the ice sheet of Antarctica.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Carl Rubino of Hamilton College explains why the Star Wars series is attracting a whole new generation of fans.

Carl Rubino is the Winslow Professor of Classics at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where his teaching and research interests include ancient Greek and Roman literature, comparative literature and literary theory.  In 2011 he published the article, Long Ago, But Not So Far Away: Another Look at Star Wars and the Ancient World. He holds a Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Susan Levine of the University of Chicago reveals the long-term advantages of playing with puzzles at an early age.

Susan Levine is a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago where she also serves as chair of the developmental psychology program. Her research lab examines how variations in home and school input affect the cognitive development of children, including language, spatial and mathematical skills. She holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Amélie Quesnel-Vallée of McGill University reveals the multigenerational advantages of a college degree.

Amélie Quesnel-Vallée is an associate professor at McGill University where she has a joint appointment in the Departments of Sociology and Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health. Her research examines how social policies influence the development of social inequalities in health. Her work has been featured in a number of peer-reviewed journals and she holds a Ph.D. from Duke University.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Patricia Anderson of Dartmouth College reveals how efforts to improve academic performance have contributed to the obesity epidemic.

Patty Anderson is a professor of economics at Dartmouth College where her most recent research is focused on the economic factors behind the growing obesity problem in the United States. She is also affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Co-editor of the Journal of Human Resources. She earned her Ph.D. at Princeton University.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Ilaria Pascucci of the University of Arizona explains the rules that govern the messy process of solar system formation.

Ilaria Pascucci is an assistant professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona where her current research is focused on various aspects of solar system formation. More specifically, she is examining the dispersal of pre-planetary material around young stars. Her work has been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals and she holds a Ph.D. from the Max Plank Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany.

In today’s Academic Minute, Cynthia Ebinger of the University of Rochester explains the connection between earthquakes, volcanism, and the changing thickness of the Earth’s tectonic plates.

Cynthia Ebinger is a Professor of Geophysics at the University of Rochester where her research is focused on active and ancient plate boundary processes, with a primary interest in the process of continental rifting leading to rupture and the formation of new oceanic lithosphere. She is currently studying rift systems in Ethiopia, Tanzania, the Gulf of Aden, and southern Australia.