Noted and Quoted, October 2015

Franklin faculty engagement and the impact of public scholarship on policy debates to understanding the news takes shape in media around the world. A sample from the month of October:

Evidence of water found on Mars, reports the Athens Banner-Herald. Monday’s announcement by NASA “provides a more concrete result on such a claim based on the most recent Mars mission data,” said Inseok Song, associate professor of astronomy

New research from Joshua Miller in the department of psychology finds lower empathy among those with borderline personality disorder – R&B

The science of why cities are warmer than rural areas. Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor and director of UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, writes in Forbes.com that “city regions can typically have air temperatures warmer than surrounding rural environments by anywhere from 1 to 15 degrees

National Science Foundation, NBC Learn and The Weather Channel debut original video series. The series “explores the science of natural disasters to avert their human and economic toll,” reports NSF.gov and BroadwayWorld.com. The 10-part series, “When Nature Strikes: Science of Natural Hazards,” will be narrated by Marshall Shepherd.

Sorry, there is no 'right' way to pronounce Hahira – AJC article quotes Bill Kretzschmar, professor of English professor and head of the American Linguistic Atlas Project, the nation's oldest dialect survey

Are the blueprints for limbs encoded in the snake genome? “From looking at the DNA sequences we can conclude that snakes retain many enhancers that, based on mammalian studies, we thought were limb enhancers,” said Douglas Menke, an assistant professor of genetics. Articles filed in Phys.org and San Diego Union-Tribune.

Hurricane Joaquin strengthens to category 4, reports Business Insider and Voice of America. “The worst case scenarios are very worrisome,” said Marshall Shepherd, meteorology professor and host of The Weather Channel’s Weather Geeks

10 new books by established Latino authors – NBC News article mentions The Cruel Country by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Emeritus Regents' and Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing at UGA, and published by University of Georgia Press

Search and rescue commences amid historic South Carolina flooding – ABC News, Washington Post articles quote Marshall Shepherd, professor of meteorology and director of the atmospheric sciences program

What the historic floods in South Carolina tell us. “The flooding is unprecedented and historical,” said Marshall Shepherd. Articles filed nationwide via Associated Press, Washington Post, BBC and National Public Radio.

Manufacturing moved south, then moved out – Bloomberg View article quotes history professor James Cobb

Atlatls and arrowheads: Primitive technology expert pens second book on prehistoric tools and use – ABH article mentions anthropology class

Why is Gothic enjoying a comeback right now? – Inverse.com article quotes Anne Williams, professor emeritus of English

How crop-killing witchweed senses its victims – ScienceMag.org article quotes David Nelson, assistant professor of genetics

Squirrel monkeys teach themselves to eat and drink from a cup – NewScientist.com article quotes Dorothy Fragaszy, professor of psychology and director of the Primate Behavior Laboratory

Ending the U.S. oil export ban is an empty gesture, writes associate professor of history Stephen Mihm in Bloomberg View. “The repeal is seen as a way to find new markets for American energy and bring back jobs hard hit by the excess supply,” says Mihm, a regular Bloomberg contributor

21 signs you’re a narcissist – Smart Living article quotes Keith Campbell, professor of psychology

Forum set Thursday for Winterville mayoral, city council candidates – ABH says biology professor Mark Farmer will not seek another term on the town council

Op-ed: Paid family leave’s conservative lineage – Bloomberg View by history professor Stephen Mihm

The most tornado-prone areas in America. The top spot goes to Weld County, Colorado, writes Marshall Shepherd in Forbes.com. “This may be a surprise to people because everyone has the perception and imagery of big tornadic storms in the heart of so-called ‘Tornado Alley’ on the Great Plains,” says Shepherd.