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Record Warm Weather in Alaska's Interior a Cause for Concern
It's undeniable that the climate of the Alaskan interior and western Yukon Territories is undergoing a startling change. With warmer temperatures comes heightened risk of costly natural disasters.
Unless you live there, the city of Eagle, Alaska, is far, far away. Here it is on a map:
That's about as middle-of-nowhere as you can get, Antarctica notwithstanding.
As you can probably imagine, Eagle is typically known for three things. The first: its history as a Gold Rush boomtown. The second: that only about 90 people live there. The third: that you have no reason to expect the outside temperature to be 91°F (33°C) on May 23. Those three things (among other ancillary details) form the foundation of everything that is Eagle.
Gold Rush. Low population. Not 91°F on May 23.
Got that? Good, because:
The Coop station in Eagle, Alaska, reached 91°F yesterday. That is hotter than any day in #Houston or #Dallas, TX, this year. #akwx#txwx
— Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) May 24, 2015
Radical innovation: Unlocking the future of human invention
Ready to see the future? Nanotronics CEO Matthew Putman talks innovation and the solutions that are right under our noses.
11 August, 2020
Radical Innovation: Unlocking the Future of Human Invention | Matthew Putman | Big Think
Big Think LIVE
Innovation in manufacturing has crawled since the 1950s. That's about to speed up.
<p>
Using a combination of imagination and technology, science tech company
<a href="https://nanotronics.co/" target="_blank">Nanotronics</a> aims to revolutionize the factory floor so that industries can have a smaller factory footprint, produce less waste, and rapidly increase the speed from R&D to production—it's this very philosophy that allowed Nanotronics to pivot and manufacture ventilators as a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br>
</p><p>
In this Big Think Live session, presented by
<a href="http://www.bmo.com" target="_blank">BMO Financial Group</a>, <strong>Matthew Putman, scientist, musician, and CEO of Nanotronics</strong>, and Peter Hopkins, co-founder and president of Big Think, will open a window to the future. Learn how manufacturing disruption will accelerate innovation in a multitude of industries, why impact over profit should be a guiding star for leaders, and watch Putnam settle this question once and for all: Is AI a homicidal, job-devouring nemesis?
</p><p><strong>WATCH THE STREAM VIA:</strong><br></p><p>
<strong><a href="https://edge.bigthink.com/live_streams/108" target="_self">Big Think Edge</a> | <a href="https://youtu.be/mc1e7J6Stmg" target="_blank">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://business.facebook.com/46126453526/videos/1593195627517953/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></strong><strong></strong></p><p>
<strong>Thanks to our partner BMO Financial Group.</strong>
</p><p>
<strong>--</strong>
</p><p>
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</p>
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There is no such thing as Italian food
You can get a pizza even in Pyongyang. But is it Italian?
26 April, 2018
History, geography and outside influences ranging from Arab to Austrian have influenced the regional cuisines of Italy.
Surprising Science
The world’s favourite national cuisine? Nice try, Mexico. Keep cooking, India. Close but no cigar, China. Better luck next time, France. The winner, hands-down, is Italy.
<p>Don’t take our word for it. In 2011, <a href="https://www.oxfam.org.uk/blogs/2011/06/pasta-the-worlds-favourite-food" target="_blank">Oxfam determined</a> that pasta was the world’s #1 favorite food. And in 2016, the <a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/424205-highest-altitude-pizza-delivery-on-land" target="_blank">Guinness World Record for high-altitude meal delivery</a> was set on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,897 m; 19,347 ft), not with a pair of fish tacos or a chicken madras, but... a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese (1).</p> <p>There’s scarcely a latitude without a pizzeria. The world’s northernmost one apparently is in <a href="https://www.google.dk/search?q=kirkenes&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5oa2x89faAhWxiqYKHUWGA5MQ_AUICygC&biw=1209&bih=679" target="_blank">Kirkenes</a> (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/travelingem/2294486000/in/photolist-dTg7KB-dTmJQj-78uaCk-78y3B9-dTmK65-dTthqQ-dTtjNE-dTnMAP-dTtqeE-dTmJH7-dTg8az-dTnL1M-dTnNA6-dTtiAS-dTmKJQ-dTnMPg-dTmJDf-dTg6CZ-dTmKS9-dTmKed-dTmJZo-dTtrMh-dTnLB8-dTmJzC-dTg7ic-dTnNF4-dTts8Q-dTnNMi-dTnNox-dTtrBb-dTtruS-dTnMK8-dTtqNm-dTnLbe-dTtmqu-dTtmcw-dTtk5L-dTg7Gn-4uKQKs" target="_blank">The Ritz</a>, a multi-purpose 'Pizzeria Diskotek Fotballpub'). The world’s southernmost one might very well be the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Rotiseria-Sol-y-Mar-629714147225933/" target="_blank">Rotiseria Sol Y Mar</a> in <a href="https://www.google.dk/search?biw=1209&bih=679&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=UcHhWvudLsS0sQHT24KYDw&q=ushuaia&oq=ushuaia&gs_l=psy-ab.3...108202.108202.0.108372.1.1.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.0.0....0.s7eSvgwyOa4" target="_blank">Ushuaia</a>, Argentina.</p> <p>All nations on Earth—with one notable and very ironic exception (2)—seem to have at least one Italian restaurant. You can go dine Italian-style in Kabul, Tehran—and even in Pyongyang. The North Korean capital has three branches of a local chain generically named 'Italy Pizza'. (The <a href="https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article/ezkvg4/munchies-in-north-korea-a-visit-to-pyongyangs-newest-pizza-joint" target="_blank">fruit pizza on the menu</a> may not be to everyone’s taste, though).</p> <p>Too bad, then, that it’s all a sham. Italian food doesn’t really exist. Or rather, 'Italian food' as a unified category exists only outside Italy. Inside the boot-shaped country, there are only regional cuisines, with some dishes being entirely local and others existing in a variety of local versions.</p> <div class="video-callout-placeholder" data-slug="eric-ripert-inspire-confidence-in-others-with-compassion-a-life-lesson-from-the-kitchen-eric-ripert" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;">
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</div> <p>A variety that sometimes frustrates even the most knowledgeable of outsiders. On one of his televised tours of Italy, U.K. celebrity chef Jamie Oliver got visibly frustrated by the locals' insistence that their pasta should be prepared like <em>this</em> and not like <em>that</em>, because it had always been like <em>this</em>, and <em>that</em> was how they did it <em>over there!</em></p> <p>The past offers an explanation: although Italy has plenty of ancient history, the modern, unified state of Italy is a fairly recent invention, coming about only in 1861. All those separate dukedoms, republics and principalities that went before had long histories and their own laws, customs, cultures and cuisines.</p> <p>That's one reason why the various regions of Italy, and sometimes even individual cities and towns, jealously guard the distinctiveness of their culinary tradition. Traditional Tuscan bread is made without salt—the aftereffect of an ancient (and now abolished) salt tax. Parma—and nowhere else—is the original home of both <em>Parmigiano</em> (cheese) and <em>prosciutto</em> (ham).</p> <p>Climate and geography play a part as well: the north, more suited for dairy farming, prefers cream and butter for cooking over olive oil. And then there are foreign influences. Sicily and other parts of the south have taken on board Arab influences, such as a preference for spices and herbs, couscous, and oranges.</p> <p>Here’s a map that gives an overview of Italy’s culinary diversity, and a chance to re-acquaint yourself with the country’s geography.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQxMTU5Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjk3NDI3MH0.JfICTYgqDDI2PNQ7jaHvNtVW6FMdPJA8JRuZfsI5VzE/img.jpg?width=980" id="2381d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="035139aed6fed72894a780a337ae01f6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p>Starting in the north, we have:</p> <ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Valle d’Aosta</strong>, known for its <em>fonduta</em> and <em>fontina</em> cheeses, kale and <em>valpelline</em> soup.</li> <li><strong>Liguria</strong>, famous for its focaccia and pesto.</li> <li><strong>Piemonte</strong>, the origin of <em>vitello tonnato</em> (veal in tuna sauce), and also known for <em>brasato al Barolo</em> (beef cooked in red wine). </li> <li><strong>Lombardy</strong>, a rice-growing region, hence the dozens of <em>risotto</em> recipes. The region is also known for its <em>ossobuco</em>, a beef cut with bone opened to the marrow.</li> <li><strong>Trentino-Alto-Adige</strong>, home to Italy's German-speaking minority, with some repercussions for local favorites, such as <em>knödeln</em> (<em>canederli</em> in Italian), <em>strudel</em> and <em>speck</em>.</li> <li><strong>Veneto</strong>, rich in culinary influences and output, which includes <em>cicchetti</em>, a tapas-like appetizer, and <em>tiramisu</em> (literally: 'pull-me-up'), a rich dessert. </li> <li><strong>Friuli-Venezia-Giulia</strong>, which has a tradition of serving <em>bollito misto</em> (mixed platter of boiled meats) with beer, reflecting the Austrian influence. </li> <li><strong>Emilia-Romagna</strong>, the capital of which is Bologna, nicknamed <em>la grassa</em> ('the fat one') and famous for its <em>tagliatelle alla Bolognese</em>. Italians would never, as the rest of the world does, combine spaghetti with Bolognese sauce (3).</li> </ul> <p>In the centre, there is</p> <ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Tuscany</strong>, humble-bragging with its 'povera cucina', home of <em>pecorino</em> cheese and Brunello wine. </li> <li><strong>Umbria</strong>, famous for truffles and—unfortunately for the pigs that suck at sniffing out those subterranean delicacies—also for its <em>porchetta</em>, a rich dish based on roast pork. </li> <li><strong>Marche</strong>, known for olives and lasagna, especially <em>vincisgrassi</em>, a variant said to be prepared in honour of Alfred von Windisch-Graetz, an Austrian general in the war against Napoleon</li> <li><strong>Lazio</strong>, which entails Rome, and thus also a central place in Italy's food history: from the <em>pasta carbonara</em> over <em>guanciale</em> (pork cheek, an important ingredient for pasta amatriciana) to oxtail.</li> <li><strong>Abruzzo</strong>, where they grow and eat a lot of <em>pepperoncini</em>, for example in the <em>maiale ‘ndocca ‘ndocca </em>('pig piece by piece').</li> <li>Tiny <strong>Molise</strong>, where you can get the best <em>spaghetti alla chitarra</em> (guitar spaghetti), square rather than round in shape, or the <em>coniglio alla molisana</em> (grilled rabbit with sausage and herbs).</li> </ul> <p>And finally, the south, with</p> <ul class="ee-ul"> <li><strong>Campania</strong>, which includes Naples, home of the pizza. The region is also known for its meatballs and its long tradition in strong coffee.</li> <li><strong>Puglia</strong>, which excels in handmade pasta (including <em>orecchiette</em>, or 'small ears').</li> <li><strong>Basilicata</strong>, priding itself on its <em>bacalla con </em>i<em> pepperoni cruschi </em>(salted cod with dried bell peppers), and on its extensive pepper cultivation in general. </li> <li><strong>Calabria</strong>, where you can get good <em>involtini di pesce spada</em> (breaded swordfish rolls).</li> <li><strong>Sardinia</strong>, famous for its thin, crunchy bread known as <em>pane sardo</em> and its <em>malloreddus al sugo di salsiccia</em>, a <em>gnocchi</em>-like pasta with sausage sauce. </li> <li><strong>Sicily</strong>, with its <em>arancine di riso</em>, a popular appetiser; its <em>pasta con le sarde</em> (sardine pasta); and its citrus groves, which have given Italy and the world the sorbet.</li> </ul> <p><br>Here is a similar take on the regional diversity of Italian cuisine, with fewer examples but all of them in the picture—in fact, the foods maketh the map itself.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQxMTU5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzEzODM4M30.ZMpNy1pAMwJSUFRDR-bl4YZEkvetIPP1-iJo1sdA5Ds/img.jpg?width=980" id="72560" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d042e8df2c2eabb10273e09de07f64ba" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p>Italians may argue on what are the highlights of Italian cuisine and how to prepare them, on one thing they all agree: Italy is the home of good food. The further away they get from their country of origin, the worse the experience: from fattening over tasteless to toxic.</p> <div class="video-callout-placeholder" data-slug="italian-americans" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;">
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</div> <p>America, though it has done so much to popularise the dish, is the home of ‘fake pizza’. China, though it is whence Marco Polo imported it, is the home of ‘fake pasta’. And they’re not too kind either about their neighbours in the Mediterranean, which is traversed by two meridians: one for overcooked pasta, the other one for muddy coffee.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQxMTYwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTY0MTIxOH0.jyxxvhxhdr9-ILisV1zo1VuyrmejEoBpSHYh47BswI0/img.jpg?width=980" id="254d4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1540127cc418e45b42e15ee19720ce6c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p><em>First map found <a href="https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/food-and-wine/no-such-thing-as-italian-food" target="_blank">here</a> at </em><a href="https://www.walksofitaly.com/" target="_blank">Walks of Italy</a><em>. Second map found <a href="https://www.afoodieworld.com/heathergreen/8766-putting-italian-cuisine-on-the-map-photo" target="_blank">here</a> at </em><a href="https://www.afoodieworld.com/" target="_blank">A Foodie World</a><em>. Third map from Yanko Tsvetkov's </em><a href="https://atlasofprejudice.com/" target="_blank">Atlas of Prejudice</a><em> found <a href="https://brilliantmaps.com/italian-food/" target="_blank">here</a> at </em><a href="https://brilliantmaps.com/" target="_blank">Brilliant Maps</a><em>.</em></p> <p>Update 10 May 2018</p> <p>Here's another take on Italy's regional recipes, created and sent in by <a href="http://mrczanini.wixsite.com/portfolio">Marco Zanini</a>:</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODYwNjU5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjY2MjAzNH0.ECA9jzmKGpI38oONG-VVWvRlg-U-D4nfWj7sa7y-aUM/img.jpg?width=980" id="bdd19" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e8e8b4612b73cd856d9be7f011167f8c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p>Massimo Barbieri sent in a similar map, focusing on the varieties of wine produced throughout Italy.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQxMTYwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTc4MjQyOX0.b9_3_HeHCgF9MRSVdTn6GQYRwoNH2SdAmOx58-G5QIU/img.jpg?width=980" id="4d61f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e83f34e7d798f422ccba91e2dd5a4567" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p><em><br></em></p> <p><strong>Strange Maps #902</strong></p> <p>Got a strange map? Let me know at <a href="mailto:strangemaps@gmail.com" target="_blank">strangemaps@gmail.com</a>.</p> <p><br>(1) A stunt by Pizza Hut to celebrate the chain's expansion into its 100th market, Tanzania (location of the Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain). The pizza was delivered from Dar-es-Salaam via plane, jeep and a relay of hikers, using a specially-designed backpack to keep the food warm and fresh.</p> <p>(2) The Vatican—in the middle of Rome—does not appear to have a restaurant.</p> <p>UPDATE, 10 May 2018. Reader Loye W. Young points out: "The Vatican does indeed have a restaurant, <em><a href="http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/visita-i-musei/servizi-per-i-visitatori/sapori---dintorni/il-ristorante.html">Il Ristorante</a></em> (I have eaten there), and it does serve Italian food (pizza being the most notable, of course). It's a cafeteria, but also offers take-out, and even some catering. (Apparently, even the Vaticanistas need pizza and Coke for long meetings.)"</p> <p>(3) Similarly, spaghetti with meatballs is an American invention and an abomination to Italians of a culinarily sensitive disposition.</p> <p>(4) Like Italy itself, the modern pizza is a fairly recent invention. Italy's first pizzeria was established only in 1780 by Pietro Colicchio, in Naples. In 1889, Raffaele Esposito popularised the dish by designing the <em>pizza alla Margherita</em> in honour of a visit to the city by Italy's new queen. Hence the name, and the patriotic ingredients, in the three colours of the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). The dish took off in Naples, and via Neapolitan immigrants, in America as well – and faster than in the rest of Italy. The word 'pizzeria' didn't appear in print in Italy until 1918.</p>
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Coronavirus
Not long after the COVID-19 pandemic caused colleges to start teaching remotely, students balked at the idea of paying full tuition for online learning.
<p> It's not hard to understand why. After all, they were not getting the football and basketball games, student clubs, access to labs and the library and the out-of-class conversations that are all part of the typical campus experience.</p><p>Although students who study online will not pay the room, board and activities fees that typically cover nonacademic costs, concern about paying full tuition continues this fall, as many universities opt to <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/heres-a-list-of-colleges-plans-for-reopening-in-the-fall/" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow" target="_blank">continue online instruction</a> in the interest of keeping students, faculty and staff safe from the pandemic.</p><p>Is it right to expect to pay less tuition for online learning? Or are colleges justified in charging the full tuition price when classes – at least <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/heres-a-list-of-colleges-plans-for-reopening-in-the-fall/" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow" target="_blank">at many schools</a> – won't be taking place on campus?</p><p>As a longtime college admissions and enrollment leader – and now as a professor of higher education – I have some insights. One of the most important is that <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=31" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow" target="_blank">fewer than one in five</a> families pay the full price for in-person instruction to begin with. They are getting a break through scholarships and need-based grants from the colleges. In other words, most students are already getting a discount.</p>
<h2>Price versus cost</h2><p>In addition, it's important to understand the difference between the price of education and the cost of education. These two things might often be misunderstood because the terms "price" and "cost" are often used interchangeably as though they are the same. But there's a big difference between the two.</p><p>Price is the amount of money charged to a consumer – in this case a student – for a good or service. Cost is the amount of money the provider spends to produce that good or provide that service. Unlike in business, the price colleges charge – that is, tuition – is almost always less than the cost to provide instruction. The difference is covered by taxpayers and grants at public colleges and by endowment earnings, gifts and grants at private colleges.</p><p>In other words, even when their families are paying "full price," Americans are not paying for the full cost of their education.</p><p>However, the cost of instruction during the pandemic has actually <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/survey/covid-19s-forceful-impact-shakes-college-business-officers-confidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">increased</a> due to the need for new technology platforms, training and online instructional support. Faculty are still teaching and are available to students for extra help and consultation. And because some students and staff will be on campus even if teaching is primarily online, colleges have <a href="https://theconversation.com/going-online-due-to-covid-19-this-fall-could-hurt-colleges-future-138926" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">spent millions of dollars</a> updating and maintaining their campuses for COVID-19 safety.</p><p>With the toll of the pandemic bearing down on our nation and its colleges and universities, that may not be something that students and their parents necessarily want to hear. They see that they are being asked to pay "in-person" tuition prices for remote learning and feel like it's a ripoff.</p><p>However, it is important to understand that in expecting colleges to reduce tuition when they are paying more to deliver instruction is to ask colleges to take on an even bigger share of the cost than they already do.</p>
<h2>Financial aid factors</h2><p>Even if schools offered "online discounts," it may not make as big a difference as people think because of the way that financial aid works.</p><p>At four-year public and nonprofit private colleges and universities, <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=31" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">85% of undergraduates</a> receive financial aid. These students not only benefit from a list price that is lower than the cost borne by colleges, but they are getting a further discount in price through financial aid.</p><p>This leads to an important point.</p><p>Financial aid is based on the price charged minus what a family would be expected to pay, based on a federal formula. So, if tuition were lowered, students would get less financial aid and would therefore be expected to pay the same amount of money no matter what the tuition charge.</p><p>As a result, even at the colleges offering an online discount, the students who need that discount the most are going to benefit the least. For example, if tuition is US$40,000 and you are expected to pay $10,000, you might get $30,000 in various forms of aid. If tuition is reduced to $36,000, you are still expected to pay $10,000, and you might get $26,000 in aid.</p><p>The tab for tuition does not generally cover out-of-class experiences such as student activities and residence hall functions. When going remote, colleges will not be charging residence hall, food and activities fees. That means colleges will lose revenue on those things. They will lay off some staff who work with student groups.</p><p>So while charges for room and board and student activities and athletics fees will be eliminated for online-only instruction, tuition pricing will either be untouched or be slightly reduced. But the ability for a college to reduce tuition will depend largely on the school's financial health.</p>
<h2>Price adjustments</h2><p>Even in light of these realities, some schools are still lowering tuition for online learning.</p><p>Although they'd rather not, many colleges with small <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-should-we-measure-the-size-of-a-universitys-endowment-54634" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">endowments</a> and limited state aid will lower tuition. These schools typically are not as well known and risk losing students if they do not charge less. They will take in less money per student but expect to recover at least some of the loss with a larger enrollment.</p><p>Some of the wealthiest schools have already reduced tuition at the edges.</p><p>Williams College, a small liberal arts school in Massachusetts, with its $3 billion endowment and 2,000 students, <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/colleges-face-a-no-win-dilemma-to-cut-or-not-to-cut-tuition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">cut tuition by 15%</a>. In so doing, its provost <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/colleges-face-a-no-win-dilemma-to-cut-or-not-to-cut-tuition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">admitted</a> to being concerned about the pressure this would put on less well-endowed competitors to do the same.</p><p>However, Williams' leaders thought it was the right thing to do for their students.</p><p>Princeton, with a <a href="https://planetprinceton.com/2019/10/11/princeton-universitys-endowment-rose-to-26-1-billion-at-end-of-the-fiscal-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">$26 billion</a> endowment, applied a <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/colleges-face-a-no-win-dilemma-to-cut-or-not-to-cut-tuition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">10% discount</a> to its full-freight tuition. When a college has the resources, this is certainly easier to do.</p><p>Just below these institutions are schools that are well known but not as wealthy. They will not likely lose students because of tuition pricing but cannot afford to offer online discounts.</p><p>Dickinson College, a liberal arts school in Pennsylvania, where I served as vice president from 1999-2009; Smith College, also in Massachusetts; and Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, are examples of institutions not offering online discounts.</p><p>Dickinson College president <a href="https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20043/about/4030/dickinson_college_updates_on_fall_2020/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">Margee Ensign sought to reassure</a> students that the online fall semester will "feature the same expert faculty and the same small class sizes," and will also "maintain rigor" and "close student-faculty relationships."</p>
<h2>Skepticism and potential benefit</h2><p>
Predictably, <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/07/28/four-key-things-students-say-they-want-college-fall-opinion" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">many students are not convinced</a> that online instruction will be of the same quality as in-person. Plus, many students are understandably upset because they did not expect to spend their college days doing remote learning.
</p><p>
But there is a potential long-term benefit.
</p><p>
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced higher education leaders to control costs by changing priorities and eliminating nonessential spending in ways that they didn't have to think as much about doing before. As a result, perhaps tuition increases will moderate in the short term, and stay more affordable in the future. After all of the stress and pain caused by the pandemic, this may be one positive change.
</p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-students-get-a-discount-if-they-wont-be-on-campus-because-of-covid-19-144031">original article</a>.</p>
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Non-partisan brains differ from those of partisans
Non-partisans are real, and their lack of partisanship has a cognative element.
21 August, 2020
A person casts their vote.
I'm friday/ Shutterstock
Mind & Brain
- A new study suggests that the brains of non-partisans function differently than those of partisans.
- Blood flow to regions associated with problem solving differed between the two groups.
- The findings may lead to further research in how differences in brain activity affect personality.
<p>Despite the repeated claims of those without party affiliations, the belief that non-partisans don't actually exist is widespread. Proponents of this stance argue that those who claim to be non-partisans are merely partisans who don't want to be outed. </p><p>A new study offers a strong counterpoint to these commentators; it suggests that the brains of non-partisans function differently than the brains of partisans. </p>
<p class=""><br></p>
Some people just really don’t want to join political clubs. Go figure.
<p>The study, published in The Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties as "<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17457289.2020.1801695" target="_blank">Neural Nonpartisans</a>," looked at blood flow in the brains of partisans and non-partisans as they played a betting game. The test subjects, all of which were from San Diego County, had their brains scanned as they decided between options with guaranteed payoffs or ones with the chance to lose or gain <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/homepage/title_809320_en.html" target="_blank">money</a>. The results were later compared to their voter registrations to confirm their partisanship or lack thereof. </p><p> The brain scans demonstrated that blood flow to the right medial temporal pole, orbitofrontal/medial prefrontal cortex, and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex differs between partisans and non-partisans as they made decisions in the previously mentioned game. These regions are associated with socially relevant <a href="https://radiopaedia.org/articles/temporal-pole?lang=us#:~:text=The%20left%20temporal%20pole%20is,and%20socially%20relevant%20memory%202." target="_blank">memory</a>, decision <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbitofrontal_cortex" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">making</a>, and goal-related <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/ventrolateral-prefrontal-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">responses</a>. Previous studies have also shown them to be essential for <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/uoe-tbo081020.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">social connections</a>. </p><p>This demonstrates that the brains of non-partisans approach non-political problems differently than the brains of <a href="https://www.studyfinds.org/democratic-republican-voters-have-different-brains-than-nonpartisans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer dofollow">partisans</a>. Future studies may go further, and see if other brain functions differ between the two groups. </p><p>The study is not without limitations; there were a mere 110 test subjects overall. However, given the general lack of research on non-partisans, the study is still an excellent starting point for further research.</p>What does this mean for politics?
<p>Lead author Dr. Darren Schreiber laid out his interpretation of the data and offered takeaways:</p><p> "There is skepticism about the existence of non-partisan voters, that they are just people who don't want to state their preferences. But we have shown their brain activity is different, even aside from politics. We think this has important implications for political campaigning – non-partisans need to be considered a third voter group. In the USA 40 percent of people are thought to be non-partisan voters. Previous research shows negative campaigning deters them from voting. This exploratory study suggests US politicians need to treat swing voters differently, and positive campaigning may be important in winning their support. While heated rhetoric may appeal to a party's base, it can drive non-partisans away from politics all together."</p><p>He references a variety of studies on the effects of negative campaigning. It is widely agreed that it drives down <a href="https://pcl.stanford.edu/research/books/goingnegative/" target="_blank">turnout</a>.</p><p>A variety of studies suggest that differences in political opinion relate to the differences in the brain. While these studies can't tell us how to solve our various political problems, they can offer us ways to help bridge the gap. People who don't leap at the opportunity to join political clubs must be interreacted with differently than those who do to encourage their involvement. While this may come as a shock to seasoned political junkies, it may also come with benefits to our political discourse. </p>
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Politics & Current Affairs
Police can track cars nationwide with new license plate surveillance network
The system is basically facial recognition technology, but for cars.
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