Ancient Homo sapiens may have benefited from sunscreen, tailored clothes and the use of caves during the shifting of the magnetic North Pole over Europe about 41,000 years ago, new University of Michigan research shows. Study: Wandering of the Auroral Oval 41,000 Years Ago (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adq7275) These technologies could have protected Homo sapiens living in Europe from… Continue reading Sunscreen, clothes and caves may have helped Homo sapiens survive 41,000 years ago
News Tag: Research
Off the road: 1 in 4 seniors quit driving due to sight issues
Research indicates an urgent need for updated vision screening policies and safer infrastructure to protect aging drivers ANN ARBOR—Older drivers with vision impairment are dramatically more likely to stop driving or avoid challenging road conditions—with severe cases four times more likely to give up driving altogether, a national University of Michigan study finds. Driving is… Continue reading Off the road: 1 in 4 seniors quit driving due to sight issues
Yang finds unintended consequences of an early education program in the Philippines
A major policy change in early education in the Philippines led to an unexpected drop in test scores and academic achievement—revealing the challenges that even well-intentioned reforms can have and the importance of wisely investing in the first years of learning. The “natural experiment” came about in 2012, when the Philippine government introduced the Mother… Continue reading Yang finds unintended consequences of an early education program in the Philippines
MCUAAAR Convenes Spring Conference
The Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research (MCUAAAR) convenes its spring conference April 9, 2025. Presenters will discuss several issues including: residential racial segregation and suicidal risk, attitudes towards familial vs. governmental assistance for older Black adults, racial code switching, and financial exploitation of older Black adults. The speaker lineup includes Eskira Kashay and… Continue reading MCUAAAR Convenes Spring Conference
Study examines how older adults benefit from information and communication technology
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — Information and communication technology (ICT) has become an inseparable part of the modern world, so much so that it can sometimes fade into the background of everyday life. But for older adults, it can be more than just a mundane piece of existence; it can be a lifeline… Continue reading Study examines how older adults benefit from information and communication technology
The loneliness paradox: Being alone may not be so bad
Research discusses why the way we talk about solitude might be making us lonelier ANN ARBOR—In an era of hyperconnectivity, loneliness has been declared a global epidemic with significant consequences for mental and physical health. Public health campaigns and media discussions have long sought to combat this crisis—but could they be making it worse? New… Continue reading The loneliness paradox: Being alone may not be so bad
Paper explores more cost-efficient methods in survey research with national samples
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — A new paper from a team at the Institute for Social Research, led by Brady West and Bill Axinn, explores new methods for collecting data for demographic research from national samples. In “Toward a New Approach to Creating Population-Representative Data for Demographic Research,” the team examines the use… Continue reading Paper explores more cost-efficient methods in survey research with national samples
From Portraits to Policy: A Profile of Artist-Researcher Angel Zhong
Across the work of Guiying (Angel) Zhong – a portrait artist, activist, and social science researcher– common themes emerge: Mending what is broken; filling the cracks in what is missing; expressing truth that can elude words. Zhong (she/they), one of the nine Junior Professional Researchers who joined the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research… Continue reading From Portraits to Policy: A Profile of Artist-Researcher Angel Zhong
Declining Fertility Rates Key to Narrowing U.S. Gender Pay Gap, Study Finds
A new study revealed that a decline in the number of children among U.S. employees has played a significant role in reducing the gender pay gap. Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics Director Alexandra Killewald and Harvard University PhD Candidate in Sociology Nino José Cricco published their findings in Social Forces in November. “Having children leads to wage losses for… Continue reading Declining Fertility Rates Key to Narrowing U.S. Gender Pay Gap, Study Finds
Multi-generational data to reveal effects of persistent disadvantage on young children’s health
ANN ARBOR – Emily Treleaven, an affiliate of the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, has received R01 funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to assess how persistent, intergenerational social and economic disadvantages shape disparities in health, infections, and healthcare… Continue reading Multi-generational data to reveal effects of persistent disadvantage on young children’s health