Culture, Society & Family
Textbook theory of how humans populated America is “biologically unviable,” study finds
The established theory of how Ice Age peoples first reached the present-day United States is now challenged by an unprecedented study that concludes that entry route was “biologically unviable.”
The North American ice-free corridor, thought to have been used by the first colonizers, only became biologically viable 12,600 years ago — after they would have arrived. Researchers suggest a Pacific coast was the entry route.
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Scientific American: The Secret to Human Speed — “To sprint like a pro, think like a piston.”
The work of SMU biomechanics researcher Peter G. Weyand is featured in the August 2016 issue of the science news magazine Scientific American.
Science writer and associate editor Dina Fine Maron reports on Weyand’s leading-edge research about the key to human speed for sprinters in the article “The Secret to Human Speed” and the video report “How Elite Sprinters Run So Fast.” Continue reading
Students grasp abstract math concepts after they demonstrate them with arm motions
Students who make relevant arm movements while learning can improve their knowledge and retention of math, research has shown.
Now researchers at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a model using geometry proofs that shows potential for wide adoption — a video game in which students make movements with their arms to learn abstract math concepts. Continue reading
Science Magazine: Research identifies keys to managing scientists, engineers
Science Magazine covered the research of provost and vice president for academic affairs Steven Currall, also professor of management and organization at SMU’s Cox School of Business, a co-author on research about how leaders can manage innovators to retain them in their organization.
Study co-authors include Sara Perry, assistant professor of management in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, and Emily Hunter, associate professor of management at Hankamer. Continue reading
Wildfire on warming planet requires adaptive capacity at local, national, int’l scales
Industrialized nations that view wildfire as the enemy have much to learn from people in some parts of the world who have learned to live compatibly with wildfire, says a team of fire research scientists.
The interdisciplinary team say there is much to be learned from these “fire-adaptive communities” and they are calling on policy makers to tap that knowledge, particularly in the wake of global warming. Continue reading
SMU physicists: CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is once again smashing protons, taking data
Following its annual winter break, the most powerful collider in the world has been switched back on.
Geneva-based CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has been fine-tuned using low-intensity beams and pilot proton collisions. Now the LHC and its experiments are ready to take an abundance of data.
The goal is to improve understanding of fundamental physics, driving future innovation and inventions. Continue reading
SMU engineering team to lead DARPA-funded research into holographic imaging of hidden objects
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Researchers from SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering will lead a multi-university team funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to build a theoretical framework for creating a computer-generated image of an object hidden from sight around a corner or behind a wall.
The core of the proposal is to develop a computer algorithm to unscramble the light that bounces off irregular surfaces to create a holographic image of hidden objects. Continue reading
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CNN: 2500-year-old slab reveals lost language
A team of scientists have uncovered a 2,500-year-old slab that may reveal details about the ancient Etruscan civilization. For more information To book a live or taped interview with Gregory Warden, call SMU News, 214-768-7654, or email news@smu.edu. Related links … Continue reading
TECH Insider: Archaeologists just discovered sacred text in mysterious language on a 2,500-year-old stone
Video journalist Grace Raver at TECH Insider covered SMU-sponsored research at Italy’s Poggio Colla site where archaeologists have found what may be rare sacred text in the lost language of the Etruscans. The text is inscribed on a large 6th century BC sandstone slab and could reveal name of the god or goddess that was worshipped at the site. Continue reading