May 26, 2023 – A stroll through international statistics about walking reveals the grim reality of foot travel in the United States. “People walk less in the United States because it’s more dangerous to walk here and walking conditions are worse compared to other countries,” said Ralph Buehler, professor of urban affairs and planning at […]
Virginia Tech
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Removing CDC from tracking COVID-19 outbreaks poses risk to public health, says expert
July 16, 2020 – With cases of the coronavirus spiking in many areas nationwide, public health officials caution that funneling COVID-19 hospitalization data to the HHS rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could slow efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic. Virginia Tech expert Lisa M. Lee says that public health surveillance […]
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Expert: Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ workplace protection long overdue
June 15, 2020 — A U.S. Supreme Court ruling outlawing employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is monumental — but only the first step in providing equality, says a Virginia Tech expert. “After more than 40 years of failed efforts to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in Congress, it is […]
Posted inSci/Tech
1 billion-year-old green seaweed fossils identified, relative of modern land plants
Feb. 24, 2020 – Virginia Tech paleontologists have made a remarkable discovery in China: 1 billion-year-old micro-fossils of green seaweeds that could be related to the ancestor of the earliest land plants and trees that first developed 450 million years ago. The micro-fossil seaweeds — a form of algae known as Proterocladus antiquus — are […]
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10 Tips for a More Sustainable Holiday Season
Dec. 12, 2018 – Did you know Americans throw away about 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve? (CDC 2018). Statistics like this help drive Virginia Tech’s sustainability manager Karlee Siepierski to educate others. She points out that “simple changes around decorating, gift wrapping, and gift giving can make a significant sustainable and […]
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Wildfire smoke impacts health and economy hundreds of miles from fire zone
Nov. 19, 2018 – Health effects and costs in the form of respiratory and cardiovascular illness can be linked to fires as far as 200-300 miles from the smoke-impacted area, according to research from Klaus Moeltner of Virginia Tech. Moeltner, a professor of agricultural and applied economics who has studied wildfires extensively, points out that […]
Posted inEnviro
Any Changes to the Endangered Species Act Will Likely Be Undone, Says Virginia Tech Expert
July 25, 2018 – According to Virginia Tech expert James Fraser, “the majority of the American people support endangered species conservation and whatever damage may be done to the Act by these regulation changes will be undone.” “The public has long supported conservation of threatened and endangered species. That is not going to change,” says […]
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July 4th Reminder: Fireworks and dogs don’t mix
June 29, 2018 – Independence Day fireworks can be a highlight of the summer season for many. But for the family dog, fireworks and thunderstorms can trigger fear and anxiety similar to a panic attack. A third of all dogs will suffer from noise anxiety connected to suddenness of the sound. “To some degree, their […]
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Apocalypse Now? The world isn’t likely to end Monday, despite predictions by conspiracy theorists
April 23, 2018 – A Virginia Tech expert confirms what you probably already know: the world isn’t likely to end Monday, despite predictions by conspiracy theorists who warn of the coming apocalypse. Worry not, says Matthew Gabriele, a Virginia Tech associate professor of medieval studies and expert in stories of the end of the world. […]
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Think Twice Before Giving Pets as Holiday Gift
Dec. 13, 2017 – Anyone considering a household pet as a gift this holiday season should take the time to carefully think the decision through, says a veterinarian at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. “The main concern with adopting dogs and cats over the holidays is that it is often an […]
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Relaxing the Jones Act Would Provide Economic Relief for Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico, Says Expert
Sept. 27, 2017 – As recovery efforts continue for the devastated island of Puerto Rico, Virginia Tech expert Marc Fialkoff says that “relaxing the Jones Act would provide humanitarian support and provide economic relief for those on the island, given that shipping and air are the primary modes for transporting goods to the island.” Under […]
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Alternative Facts, Fake News, and Xenophobia: Symptoms of Confirmation Bias, Says Virginia Tech Expert
Aug. 28, 2017 – President Donald Trump is a “master” at confirmation bias — a phenomenon hardwired into the human brain where people focus on information that confirms existing opinions and discounts the opposition, according to Virginia Tech expert Bruce Hull. “The danger with confirmation bias is that it allows us to easily dismiss facts, because […]
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Trump Uses ‘Tired and Irrational’ Tactic of the Myth of Scarcity to Justify Transgender Military Ban
Aug. 25, 2017 – As the White House plans to produce guidelines in the coming days for the Pentagon regarding President Trump’s proposed transgender military ban, Virginia Tech expert Christian Matheis points out that justification for the ban relies on a “tired and irrational” tactic called the myth of scarcity. “Most of Trump’s tweets and statements associated […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Countering Fake News with Contagions
March 28, 2017 – Social media is a wonderful tool for sharing information quickly; But not surprisingly, some of that information is false and has played a role in the dissemination of conspiracy theories and fake news. Virginia Tech professor of computer science, Naren Ramakrishnan and his team have studied rumors, misinformation, and fake news […]
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Upcoming Movie ‘Loving’ Focuses on Fight for Interracial Marriage and ‘Absolute Commitment,’ Says Virginia Tech Expert
Oct. 26, 2016 – Nearly 50 years after a landmark civil rights case ruled state laws prohibiting interracial marriage were unconstitutional, the movie “Loving,” set for release Nov. 4, will tell the story of the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia. Virginia Tech’s Peter Wallenstein is an expert on the […]