Skip to main content
ScIU Indiana University Bloomington

Current Events

What’s in a name? How the Black Lives Matter movement is reshaping bird taxonomy

Posted by

[A drawing of a black bird is centered on the image. The bird is enclosed in a blue circle with a gold border. A black box with white text that reads “Bird Names for Birds” is located on top of the bird’s legs.]

Since May 2020, millions of people around the world have shown their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by attending protests, posting on social media, and signing petitions. In the scientific community, perhaps one of the most vocal groups of researchers for this social justice movement has been birders. The birding community was the first group of scientists to create a social media initiative to celebrate diversity in STEM in May 2020: Black Birders Week.

How many people has COVID-19 really killed in the U.S.?

Posted by

A silhouette of a young man wearing a white mask is superimposed over the American flag.

In late August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their provisional death counts page to indicate that COVID-19 was the sole cause of death listed on death certificates in only 6% of cases. This fact was interpreted by some as only 6% of reported fatalities, or around 10,000 people, actually died of… Read more »

COVID-19 at IU and the importance of waiting for the evidence

Posted by

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 »

Where is our administration right now?

Posted by

[Protesters outside the county courthouse at the June 5th Enough is Enough protest.]

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).

COVID-19 lockdown: Some good news for the environment

Posted by

[smoggy vs clear photo of an arch in Delhi, India]

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…

It can’t be about science right now

Posted by

[Black protesters hold up fists in the air.]

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…

Are you sure you should eat that?

Posted by

[Image showing two cartoon people six feet apart, saying

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…

4 Go-To Skills to Support Your Mental Health During COVID–19 (and Beyond)

Posted by

[calm-woman-in-lotus-pose-meditating-after-awakening-at-home]

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…

College of Arts + Sciences

Are you a graduate student at IUB? Would you like to write for ScIU? Email sciucomm@iu.edu