Search results for

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.

In the wild, frog romance is a raucous affair. When it’s time to mate, the female eastern gray tree frog makes her way to the pond, when there could be hundreds of potential suitors each calling to her in loud chirps that have different audible characteristics.In this nocturnal chorus, the male aims to charm the female with his particular call. But what makes a call “attractive?” On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with two researchers who specialize in amphibian communication — how frogs message each other and then decide how to respond.Gerlinde Höbel is an associate professor in biological sciences at UW-Milwaukee. Michael Reichert is an assistant professor of integrative biology at Oklahoma State University.

Peter Dunn is one of the country’s preeminent bird researchers. A distinguished professor of biological sciences, Dunn is part of a team that studied the common yellowthroat, which is a type of songbird found throughout much of North America.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Dunn about the research that looked at the courtship preferences of the female common yellowthroat. Hint: It’s not just about the distinctive sounds of the male. For veteran birders, the study might help answer questions about why these songbirds have those distinctive black “masks” around their eyes. For those interested in getting into birding as a hobby, Dunn offers some tips on how to get started, too.

We know that obesity can be harmful to our health, but dieting and exercise for the single goal of weight loss can often be disheartening and may even be harmful. What will it take for the fitness industry — and society — to make fitness more inclusive for both body types and marginalized identities?On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about research and activism around body image and fitness with Christy Greenleaf, a professor of kinesiology in UWM’s College of Health Sciences, and Chrissy King, a certified personal trainer and creator of the Body Liberation Project. Both are members of the Future of Fitness Advisory Board for SELF magazine.

The stresses of everyday life build up and can be detrimental to our health and sleep – and not just during the holidays. Two health psychologists say that more easy-access resources are needed to help people cope.On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk with Marcellus Merritt, an associate professor in UW-Milwaukee’s College of Letters and Science, and Matthew Zawadzki, an associate professor at the University of California-Merced. Their research has shown that tapping into leisure activities can be a powerful tool to manage everyday stress. Merritt and Zawadzki are studying why leisure activities can help protect our health.

For many of us, the holiday season is a time to go to the movies. But some people remain wary about returning to the cinema because of the pandemic. How have theaters responded? And what does the future hold for how we take in films?On this episode of Curious Campus, we talk about movie theaters and the movies with Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece, an associate professor and director of the film studies program at UW-Milwaukee; and Andrew Mencher, director of programming and operations at the Avalon Theater in Washington, D.C.Mencher also is owner and operations director of The Cinema Club, a national organization that, in non-COVID times, offers sneak previews to new independent and foreign films. Szczepaniak-Gillece is a co-moderator of the Milwaukee chapter of The Cinema Club.

Jon Pearce got an internship with a startup while still in college, setting his path toward becoming a founder. Valarie King-Bailey spent more than 20 years working for other companies before starting one of her own. Despite different timelines, both found their calling.

Mo Faisal set out to build better and more energy efficient semiconductor chips. Lindsay Tjepkema wanted to update the business-to-business marketing playbook. Both founded startups to do it.