During the 16th and 17th centuries, an estimated 4,000 people, a majority of those being women, were accused of committing witchcraft in Scotland—an accusation punishable by death. Hannah Johnson and Elise Ryan, both professors in the Department of English at the Dietrich School, explored this darker history through “Magic & Witchcraft in Scotland,” a four-week summer study-abroad intensive in Edinburgh.
Among elements most associated with Pittsburgh — Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, a bevy of unique bridges, several universities, French fries on sandwiches — the scenically striking confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers to form the mighty Ohio might be the city’s key physical trademark.
As crucial as the three rivers are to the evolution and continued vitality to the city, however, when it comes their viability as far as fishing and human immersion, aka “swimmability,” well, it’s complicated.
For years, scientists talked about the problem. They swapped stories of failed projects, came up with explanations and hinted at it in published studies. Only this May did a team of microbiome researchers finally publish a paper asking the question directly:
Why is it so hard to find DNA in bird poop?
As wind energy continues to grow as an alternative to fossil fuels, studies and media reports have suggested wind turbines can cause all manner of health problems, from sleep disturbances and irritability to outcomes as serious as suicide.
G. Bard Ermentrout, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, working with a team led by University of Chicago, has shown distinct patterns in waves of brain activity carry information when forming and recalling memories.
Growing up, Eli Hall’s family often visited the Allegheny Reservoir, a man-made lake that straddles the border between Pennsylvania and New York. Driving north along the shores, they’d see blue waters, boaters, swimmers, everything you’d expect from a summer lakeshore. But following that road into the Seneca Nation of Indians’ Allegheny Reservation, they’d see the reservoir change. Gone were the boaters and swimmers and gone were the blue waters. In their place was a mess of green algae. But why?
Calum Matheson, a professor in the Department of Communication and the Film and Media Studies Program, joined host Mark Lynas on his podcast 'Saving the World From Bad Ideas' to discuss conspiracy theories:
As a child, Beth Shaaban watched her mother, a nurse, open one of the first memory units in a long-term care facility in Sun City, Arizona. The compassionate care she witnessed there later catalyzed her own career in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research.
“Sometimes I would go with her to work as a kid and meet the folks who were there, and it felt very natural to me,” Shaaban said. “I’ve always had an affinity for helping people that way.”
The Medieval and Renaissance Studies program invites students to look into the past and learn for the future.
