Cornell in the National News, November 15, 2005

Tuesday November 22, 2005 Category: News Permanent Link

The following is a sampling of recent major news stories, courtesy of the Cornell News Office.

New Dog Flu Spreads in U.S., but Death Rate Is Low

National Geographic, November 13

Coverage of this major story began in late September when news first broke in major media across the country that the virus—isolated by Dr. Edward Dubovi of Cornell—had jumped species from horses to dogs. The initial reporting, which caused a lot of fear in dog owners, is now is now being balanced by stories discussing the bigger picture and future of diagnostics.

Dubovi hopes the attention raised by the new dog flu virus will help address a fundamental research problem related to animals and public health.

“As populations get denser and domestic animals mix with each other and with wildlife, we have to be aware that disease-causing agents can jump species,” he said in a written statement.

Big Portions Lead to Overeating, Even if Food Tastes Bad

Associated Press, November 10

(Story picked up by media outlets nationwide including NBC News, Washington DC)

“We’re finding that portion size can influence intake as much as taste,” said researcher Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and applied economics at Cornell University. “Large packages and containers can lead to overeating foods we do not even find appealing.”

Marketers Use Disease to Sell Food

AP, November 10

(Story picked up by media outlets nationwide including CBS News)

Story about how consumer behavior can be led by labeling and marketing foods with nutritious cue words (such as “whole grain”) quotes Cornell Professor Brian Wansink.

Companies also risk backlash when consumers don’t see instant—or sometimes any—results from foods that make health promises.

“You don’t drop 2 pounds in two days. You don’t see your cholesterol cut in half,” says Cornell University marketing and nutrition professor Brian Wansink. “It sets these foods up for failure when people don’t see immediate cure-all benefits.”

In search of the ivory-billed woodpecker

USA Today, November 9

The mystery of the ivory-billed woodpecker takes center stage this week in Arkansas, where search teams will comb the swamps again for the birds, now known to have survived the past six decades despite their dwindling habitat.

Twenty searchers will stay six months, mainly in the Cache and White rivers areas, and 14 volunteers will aid them, says Tim Gallagher, editor of Living Bird magazine, published by the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Science snapshot: London’s bridge is swinging ‘round

USA Today, November 6

(Version of story also appeared in the New York Times, November 8)

Story discusses research by Cornell’s Steve Strogatz and his team that explains why London’s Millennium Bridge was sent into a frightening swing by the steps of about 160 tourists when it opened in 2000.

The force of feet on a bridge isn’t the worry, rather it is their rhythm, says Cornell University’s Steve Strogatz. If the frequency of the marchers matches the bridge’s own structural frequency, this “resonance” may begin to shake the whole works up and down.

But all those tourists were walking across randomly, so how did they fall into rhythm and set the bridge to swaying?

“That’s what makes it interesting,” says Strogatz, an expert in natural synchronization, an area of study that encompasses the coordinated flashes of fireflies and fatal heartbeats. His analysis shows that the bridge, “does not move until the walkers cross a certain threshold and then it really takes off.”

U.S. Farmers Eye China’s Growing Market

Washington Post, November 6

Article discussing the complexity of trading agricultural products with China quotes Cornell’s Duncan Hilchey.

While it may seem obvious that farmers would look to China as a place to expand—the country continues to embrace capitalism even as the Communist Party remains in political control—there are numerous hurdles to clear to make it profitable.

“China is a huge market opportunity, but there are differences in what we can produce and what they can pay,” said Duncan Hilchey, an agricultural development specialist at Cornell University. “If in time their economy grows and we can produce products at a price they can afford we may be able to find things we can sell them. Currently it’s the reverse.”

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Cornell President Condemns Teaching Intelligent Design as Science

New York Times, October 22

A national movement to have intelligent design taught in science classrooms is “very dangerous,” Cornell University’s interim president, Hunter R. Rawlings III, said after taking up the issue Friday in a speech. But Rawlings charged that colleges were not engaging enough in the debate.

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African Food for Africa’s Starving Is Roadblocked in Congress

New York Times, October 12

Members of Congress often applaud the benefits of food aid for American farmers, but that is not really how it works, as Christopher B. Barrett, a Cornell University economist and co-author of “Food Aid After Fifty Years: Recasting its Role,” noted. “It’s the middlemen who enjoy most of the gains,” he said, “not the farmers.”

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Students Discover Economics in Its Natural State

New York Times, September 29

In Professor Robert Frank’s regular column, he describes how student interest and understanding of economic principles can be inspired by having them question —in writing—events they have observed themselves in day-to-day life. He writes:

Over the years, my students have posed and answered literally thousands of fascinating questions. My favorite was submitted by Jennifer Dulski, who asked, “Why do brides often spend thousands of dollars on wedding dresses they will never wear again, while grooms often rent cheap tuxedos, even though they will attend many formal social events in the future?”

To answer her question about wedding dresses, Ms. Dulski argued that because most brides wish to make a fashion statement on their wedding day, a rental company would have to carry a huge stock of distinctive gowns - perhaps 40 or 50 in each size. Each garment would thus be rented only infrequently, perhaps just once every four or five years. So the company would have to charge a rental fee greater than the purchase price of the garment just to cover its costs. In contrast, because grooms are willing to settle for a standard style, a rental company can serve this market with an inventory of only two or three tuxedos in each size. Each suit can thus be rented several times a year, enabling a rental fee that is only a fraction of its purchase price.

Writing not only clarifies what you already know; it is also an astonishingly effective way to learn something new.

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Sex Study: Flashy Feathers Cause Female Swallows to Cheat

National Geographic, September 29

For male barn swallows on the make, success is all about keeping their feathers in trim.

The birds attract mates by the color intensity of their feathers–—a signal of their desirability. A new study suggests that if males’ appearances change for the better, females are less likely to cheat.

“[Appearances] are also important for establishing sneaky pair bonds behind your mate’s back,” said biologist Rebecca Safran, who led the Cornell University study. “Upkeep and maintenance are just as important as the first impression.”