Are you a busybody, a hunter or a dancer? A new book about curiosity reveals all

Dani Bassett and Perry Zurn’s latest work, Curious Minds: The Power of Connection, investigates the neurological, historical, philosophical, and linguistic foundations of curiosity. “Knowledge is a network, and curiosity is the growth principle of that network,” they write in the book's introduction.

Bioengineering
Electrical and Systems Engineering
Neuroscience
Physics and Astronomy
Psychiatry

Consensus and Contagion in Society

When curved materials flatten, simple geometry can predict the wrinkle patterns that emerge

According to new research from Eleni Katifori, when curved materials flatten, simple geometry can predict the wrinkle patterns that will emerge. “It’s an elegant and beautiful solution to a complex problem,” Katifori says.

Physics and Astronomy

Ubiquity of Data

A Cure for Vaccine Hesitancy Could Start in Kindergarten

The pandemic has set off a discussion about integrating teachings about public health in the K–12 curriculum as an accompaniment to lessons about personal hygiene. Scientific American spoke with Dolores Albarracín about how public health basics for young learners could shape attitudes toward vaccination, masking and other measures.

Communication
Health Management
Nursing
Psychology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Flipping the Script

Penn’s math faculty overhauled the content and structure of its introductory calculus sequence last year to modernize the math taught and the way it is delivered. The department now runs on a “flipped classroom” model, as Robert Ghrist and Robin Pemantle describe in this Penn Gazette article.

Mathematics

Ubiquity of Data

What makes us share posts on social media?

A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology led by Danielle Cosme and Emily Falk reveals that we share the social media posts that we think are the most relevant to ourselves or to our friends and family.

Communication
Marketing
Psychology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

Wharton launches Ivy League’s first certification program in the metaverse

Kevin Werbach outlines three takeaways about Wharton's new certificate program on the emerging technology. This six-week online program on Business in the Metaverse will run from Sept. 12 to Nov. 6, making it the first Ivy League certificate program on the metaverse.

Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Resilience in Networked Systems

Travel and the middle class

With the inflation boom, how long will travel be sustainable? Even as ticket prices are going up, the demand for air travel remains high. The crowding is compounded by an overall shortage of pilots, a lack of staff to check in luggage and long security lines to get to the gates, says Gad Allon.

Operations Information and Decisions

Ubiquity of Data

A Vision for Addressing Climate Change through Engineering Research

The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) released a report delineating bold, fundamental research priorities the engineering research community can pursue to address climate change. Vijay Kumar played critical roles in the development of this first-of-its-kind event and report.

Computer and Information Science
Electrical and Systems Engineering
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Ubiquity of Data

Why people believe conspiracy theories

Conspiracy theories have real world and devastating consequences—think QAnon and Pizzagate, the Jan. 6 insurrection, and Covid-19 misinformation, but why do people believe them despite overwhelming evidence debunking them? Dolores Albarracín discussed how conspiracy theories arise and spread on this episode of Radio Times.

Communication
Health Management
Nursing
Psychology

Consensus and Contagion in Society

A New Way to Think About Customer Centricity

Addressing the many needs within a single person requires a modern approach to customer lifetime value. Eric Bradlow spoke with Wharton Magazine about how the modern definition of CLV includes how a single customer’s needs change over time.

Economics
Education
Marketing
Statistics

Ubiquity of Data

News

Are you a busybody, a hunter or a dancer? A new book about curiosity reveals all

When curved materials flatten, simple geometry can predict the wrinkle patterns that emerge

A Cure for Vaccine Hesitancy Could Start in Kindergarten

Flipping the Script

What makes us share posts on social media?

Wharton launches Ivy League’s first certification program in the metaverse

Travel and the middle class

A Vision for Addressing Climate Change through Engineering Research

Why people believe conspiracy theories

A New Way to Think About Customer Centricity