December 16, 2016
The University of Utah Sustainability Office recently published a list of 10 ways to be more sustainable this holiday season. Some of the suggestions include donating time or food to the campus food pantry, taking advantage of public transportation or combining trips, gifting experiences rather than things and turning leftovers into new dishes (and the […]
December 15, 2016
The rise of the alt-right raises questions about a free speech issue the U.S. Supreme Court last settled in 1969. With hate on the rise, is it time to revisit the limits of free speech? How much intolerance should be tolerated? Amos Guiora, a U law professor, argues it is time to revisit limits on […]
December 15, 2016
Gamma rays are the highest-energy photons, emitted from radioactive decay, nuclear explosions and massive hypernova collapses of stars. But these packets of energetic havoc are also formed, albief briefly and weakly, by lightning. Satellites had previously observed these bursts, called Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes, in upward-propagating lightning high above the surface of the earth, in […]
December 15, 2016
For the past two years, light rail trains crisscrossing the Salt Lake Valley have done more to help the valley’s air than just keeping passengers off the road. Sensors placed on the trains by U scientists continually monitor Salt Lake’s urban air, particularly levels of carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and particulate matter. The train-mounted sensors […]
December 15, 2016
Nuclear tests, mining activity and deep wastewater disposal all cause seismic activity. To discern between manmade and natural earthquakes, researchers at the U Seismograph Stations compared two measures of an earthquake’s power: The local magnitude, or amplitude of the seismic waves, and the coda duration, a measure of the duration of the shaking. Comparing these […]
December 15, 2016
The Curiosity rover continues its exploration of Mars’ Gale Crater and the crater’s most prominent feature, Mount Sharp. Scientists hope that Curisity’s study of the mountain will help reconstruct the geological history of the area as the rover studies numerous sedimentary rock layers. The odd moat-like geology surrounding Gale Crater has an analog on Earth, […]
December 15, 2016
The fatal shooting of Utahn Sue Ann Sands by an ex-boyfriend, who later died after being pursued by police, has highlighted the terrors of intimate partner violence. Sonia Salari, an associate professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies at the U, has extensively studied the frequency and circumstances—including motives and risks—of intimate partner […]
December 15, 2016
John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, passed away Dec. 8, 2016, at age 95. His pioneering space travel inspired many young astronomers and physicists to learn more about the mysteries of the universe, including many faculty members in the U’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Media interested in speaking to faculty about […]
December 2, 2016
On Sunday, Italian citizens will vote on a constitutional referendum that proponents say would make the country more governable. It would change the balance of power between the country’s two legislative bodies and would reduce decision-making powers of regional governments, returning that authority to the central government. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi argues the changes are […]
December 2, 2016
In the 10 days following the Nov. 8 election, the Southern Poverty Law Center recorded more than 860 incidents, mostly anecdotal, of hateful harassment. A majority targeted perceived immigrants, followed by anti-black, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBT intimidation. Many of these incidents are microaggressions—slights, insults and stigmatizations that target race, gender, class, religion, ability, sexual orientation, class […]