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How many of you have heard of the video game Pong? Released in 1972, Pong looked like a pixelated version of pingpong. It might seem simplistic now, but 50 years ago, Pong was a smash hit.The first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, also was released 50 years ago. On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Michael Newman, a professor of English who also teaches in the Media, Cinema and Digital Studies program in UWM’s College of Letters and Science. Newman is the author of the 2017 book, “Atari Age: The Emergence of Video Games in America,” which covers the arrival of Pong, the early days of video games and the impact of what was then a nascent form of entertainment had on pop culture and discussions around the family dinner table.

How much worse was the mental health of tweens, children between the ages of 10 and 14, during the height of COVID-19, compared to before the pandemic?Using their involvement in the ABCD study, a sweeping nationwide project, UWM researchers took the opportunity to gain insight into this question and others related to the pandemic. The study aims to identify what impact individual life experiences have on developing brains.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Krista Lisdahl, professor of psychology, and Ashley Stinson, a graduate student in psychology in UWM’s College of Letters & Science, about how kids were able to manage — or not manage — additional stress from the pandemic and how it may have changed their brains.

Obesity affects nearly one in five children, with higher rates among communities of color. A review of research on childhood obesity during the pandemic indicates that what was a problem before COVID-19 is even more so after the last two years of altered behaviors.According to one 2021 study, researchers found that young people ages two–19 had a monthly rate of increase in BMI that nearly doubled during COVID when compared with a pre-pandemic period.On this episode of Curious Campus, we chat with two experts in childhood obesity. Julie Snethen is a professor and director of the Ph.D. program at UWM’s College of Nursing. Cindy Greenberg is dean of the College of Health and Human Development at California State University, Fullerton.

Mathematics and science are core subjects in school and form the base for many career opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.However, many children may not view themselves as mathematicians or scientists. And students of color especially may not get opportunities in schools that could encourage them to continue pursuing courses in higher-level math or STEM-related fields.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk to two guests who are looking at ways to expand opportunities in math and encourage diversity in STEM fields. DeAnn Huinker is a professor of mathematics education at UWM’s School of Education. Danielle Robinson is a mathematics coach for Milwaukee Public Schools.

Learn more about FlexRide Milwaukee, a pilot transit project that connects workers from the city, including three segregated neighborhoods on Milwaukee’s north and northwest sides, to employers in Butler and Menomonee Falls seeking workers.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two urban planners leading the project. Lingqian “Ivy” Hu is professor and chair of the urban planning department at UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Kevin Muhs is executive director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. FlexRide Milwaukee is funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Two UWM researchers are uncovering the history of covenants language added to deeds stipulating that only white people could own or live on a property. Covenants were commonplace by the turn of the 20th century. Their use declined in the 1950s when they were no longer enforceable, though covenants did help to shape what housing in Milwaukee looks like today.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Anne Bonds, associate professor of geography, and Derek Handley, assistant professor of English, about their project, “Mapping Racism and Resistance in Milwaukee County.” They’re studying the history and impact of covenants, as well as the precedent that protests to covenants set for today’s racial equity movements.

A century ago, a Negro League baseball team called Milwaukee home. With the Major League Baseball lockout leaving the start of spring training this month in doubt, Brewers fans can take this opportunity to look back at the Milwaukee Bears.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Ken Bartelt, a UWM doctoral student in history, about his work looking at the Negro Leagues in Milwaukee. He’s joined by Neal Pease, a retired UWM professor of history who taught a course on baseball and American history. Pease inspired Bartelt to use his interest in baseball to look at how history influences contemporary issues.

Scientists are closing in on identifying the exact genetic components that fish and amphibians use to regenerate their optic nerve after injury. The work may one day provide new treatments for human eye diseases and prevent permanent vision loss.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two scientists studying regeneration. Ava Udvadia, a UW-Milwaukee associate professor of biological sciences who is researching regeneration in fish; and Fiona Watson, an associate professor of biology at Washington and Lee University who is studying regeneration in frogs.

Has the avalanche of misinformation shared on Twitter harmed people’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States? UWM geographers tested the question by mapping the locations of tweets. Researchers found a direct correlation between locations where Twitter misinformation originated and subsequent spikes in COVID-19 infections and deaths in those areas weeks later.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about research into misinformation and the pandemic with Rina Ghose, the UW-Milwaukee professor of geography who led the study of social media activity in 2020, and graduate students Amir Forati and Rachel Hansen.

As the holiday song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Around the world, families and friends are gathering this month, whether virtually or in person, to exchange gifts, share stories or feast on homemade treats. The holidays also give people an opportunity to celebrate their cultural traditions and heritage, sometimes with the help of technology or social media.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about holiday origins, traditions and customs with Simon Bronner, dean of UW-Milwaukee’s College of General Studies, distinguished professor and internationally known folklore expert; and Meghan Murphy-Lee, a senior lecturer in Russian and expert on Slavic folklore.