Before classes had even started this semester, pictures of student parties began to circulate on social media. A college experience had been promised, but not everyone read the fine print about the degree of isolation and social distancing that would be required. The reactions ranged from indifference, to abject horror, to finger wagging, to smug… Read more »
Systemic racism has ravaged our country since its creation; America was built on it and continues to bask in it. It has taken lives and left them nameless and forgotten. More recently, though, some of those names are being heard and some of those faces are being seen…
Black Lives Matter started in 2013, and took off in May 2020 to create one of the largest social justice movements in the country’s history. We have put together a list of organizations, businesses, and fundraisers either associated with or supporting the Black Lives Matter movement…
![[Protesters outside the county courthouse at the June 5th Enough is Enough protest.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/07/Enough-is-Enough.jpg)
This week, Bloomington has made national news for racist hate crimes and tolerance of them once again. This news has been covered well by the IDS, but Indiana University has made only one official statement, on Twitter and Facebook. That is unacceptable to me, so I am calling on our administration to do more…. (Content Warning: white supremacy, hate speech, violence).
![[smoggy vs clear photo of an arch in Delhi, India]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/06/delhi.png)
Since the coronavirus outbreak, many of us had to shelter-in-place or practice social distancing. For some of us, this meant working from home, and for others, it meant traveling to their workplace fewer days of the week. Either way, people commuting less to work can mean many different things: fewer cars on the streets, fewer factories, office and school buildings utilizing electricity. Though all these sound like a massive disruption of plans, there is a silver lining to it: the positive impact the lockdown has on the environment…
![[Black protesters hold up fists in the air.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/06/BLM.png)
In the aftermath of George Floyd and many others’ murders, police and armed forces have instigated violence against peaceful protesters across the nation. Our small community in Bloomington is no exception to racism and pervasive tolerance of it. We at ScIU support the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protests occurring across the country, and we condemn the escalating violence at the hands of local police departments, federal service members, and elected officials. Below is a starting point for helping protesters, amplifying the voices of Black scientists, and engaging with anti-racist literature…
Amid this pandemic, you may be having conversations with family members similar to my own. I was talking to my brother about going to the grocery store and buying some eggs for baking when I was pretty strictly told that “no, you shouldn’t because the virus can be transmitted through food.” As a scientist myself, this was intriguing advice. So, I asked him to show me where he had read it. Sadly, nowadays when we are bombarded with news at every corner we turn, we were unable to backtrack his source…
![[calm-woman-in-lotus-pose-meditating-after-awakening-at-home]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/05/calm-woman-in-lotus-pose-meditating-after-awakening-at-home-3791634.jpg)
We’re living in a very stressful time due to the sweeping, global effects of the COVID–19 pandemic. Although much of the focus has been on physical health, mental health is equally important during these times. Broad feelings of uncertainty, job loss, fear, and drastic changes to our normal schedules and activities take a toll on our mental well-being. Below are four of the skills that I have relied on to maintain and support my mental health during COVID–19, though their utility extends to any time I’m experiencing stress in my life…
Yesterday, April 24th, was the 30th anniversary of the launch of perhaps the most famous telescope: the Hubble Space Telescope. Orbiting the earth, this telescope has changed the way astronomers and the public alike view the universe. With over 1.4 million observations, providing data for more than 16,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers, Hubble has exceeded expectations…
On March 20, 2019, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Emeritus Dr. Brian O’Donnell and Research Scientist Dr. Alex Straiker met with the student community for a Q&A session entitled “Cannabis: Science and Policy.” “IU has been the world center for research regarding cannabinoid signaling,” said Dr. Straiker during his address at the Science Café talk. Having studied cannabinoid signaling for more than 20 years, Dr. Straiker mentions the growing enthusiasm for cannabis use in a variety of forms, like essential oils; not only recreationally, but also for the treatment of anxiety, autoimmune disease, inflammation, and pain management…
