Scientists are building an animal fart database
Washington Post – Jan. 11
Do baboons fart? What about salamanders? Millipedes? These questions sound like the sort Bart Simpson might have asked to derail science class. But real-life scientists are now taking to Twitter to provide answers. So far, they’ve created a hashtag — #DoesItFart — and a Google Spreadsheet that details the flatulence habits of more than 60 animals … “We spend a lot of time with our study organism and see some interesting or weird behaviors,” said Nick Caruso, a researcher of salamanders (which do not fart) at the University of Alabama and creator of the open-access #DoesItFart spreadsheet. “This type of info, unless directly relevant to the study, may not make it into our publications and we don’t always get a chance to talk about it.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal – Jan. 11
Short List – Jan. 11
Huffington Post – Jan. 11
The Record (Germany) – Jan. 11
Local Realtor predicts strong ’17, despite challenges
Athens News-Courier – Jan. 11
There’s great news, good news and bad news related to Limestone County’s housing market for potential sellers, buyers and renters in 2017. First, the great news — realtors are anticipating a strong year, despite national forecasts to the contrary. A robust 2017 would represent a continuation of a successful 2016, which saw many new and pre-existing homes gobbled up by first-time buyers and those transferring to the area. Year-to-date home sales through November were up 19.4 percent over prior year, according to the University of Alabama’s Alabama Center for Real Estate, or ACRE. In November alone, local home sales totaled 121 units, an increase of 39 percent over November 2015.
Marri-AGE
Psychology Today – Dec. 23
At 25, I recognize and hope that I’ve probably still got a generous chunk of life left to live. I am by no means over the hill, day old bread, slipping into the grave—or whatever other toxic euphemism we’ve got stored up in our cultural arsenal. (Christina M. Pierpaoli is a third-year graduate student in the Clinical Geropsychology doctoral program at the University of Alabama under the mentorship of Dr. Patricia A. Parmelee)
Baboons yak ‘wahoo,’ make vowel-like sounds like humans, suggesting speech may date back 25 million years
Japan Times – Jan. 11
Baboons make sounds that are similar to the vowels a,e,i,o and u, researchers said Wednesday, suggesting that some monkeys have had the physical capacity for language for millions of years. The findings in the journal PLOS ONE add a new dimension to the long-running debate over how language began and evolved, by showing that baboons possess a tongue and larynx that allow them to make a series of vowel-like sounds … Other researchers involved in the study came from Grenoble Alpes University, the University of Montpellier and New College, University of Alabama.
Democratic Underground – Jan. 11
The Nation – Jan. 11
The Local – Jan. 11
Malay Mail – Jan. 11
True Viral News – Jan. 11
Bruises of BP fight linger as 2017 legislative session looms
Al.com – Jan. 11
Memories of a hard fight over BP settlement money haven’t faded, but Mobile-area lawmakers and the business community are looking toward the 2017 legislative session, in which tax credits, workers’ compensation and deregulation may be some of the top issues … Bonner, a former congressman who is now vice chancellor for economic development with the University of Alabama system, said he was speaking about the whole southwest Alabama region, with an emphasis on legislative cooperation between Mobile County and Baldwin County leaders.
UA Political Scientist gives insight on President’s farewell speech
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Jan. 11
President Obama gave his farewell address to the nation. The president thanked Americans for his family and for their support. We spoke today with a University of Alabama political science expert to get his insights on the President’s words about his upcoming transition.
Volunteering opportunities in Tuscaloosa are plentiful
Crimson White – Jan. 12
Is giving back to the community one of your New Year’s resolutions? Many seasonal charities and volunteer
opportunities are wrapping up, but there are still people in need after the holiday season is over. It can be challenging to fit volunteering into your schedule, but there are still ways to give back. The Tuscaloosa community offers many ways for
students to volunteer despite busy class schedules. The West Alabama Food Bank is one of the organizations that serves the Tuscaloosa area. The food bank was incorporated in 1987 as a
nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity and hunger in West Alabama. UA students and organizations often collaborate with the food bank in its mission. Students interested in volunteering, along with organizations that are interested in planning a collaborative
volunteering event, can call the food bank at (205) 759-5519. “The West Alabama Food Bank is so easy to work with,” said Terrence Lewis, a senior majoring in
education. “They put on many
programs to help raise money and also have an easy and convenient
way for me to donate money when I’m not able to attend one of
their events.”