University News and Communications publishes VUToday, a compilation of Vanderbilt mentions in the media, each weekday. Read a selection of Vanderbilt news stories for the week of Oct. 31. To subscribe to the daily VUToday newsletter, visit news.vanderbilt.edu/vutoday.
Time: The five best ideas of the day
This list of articles compiled by the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C., highlights research by a team of Vanderbilt engineers, led by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Cary Pint, who created a high-performance battery using junkyard metal scraps and laundry detergent salt.
BBC (U.K.): How liars create the ‘illusion of truth’
Studies show that the more often we hear a statement, the more likely we are to believe it is true—regardless of the underlying facts. The article references a study led by Lisa Fazio, assistant professor of psychology, who found that the “illusion of truth” can be created from frequently hearing a statement repeated, even when the person hearing the statement is aware of a contradictory fact.
CBS News: Will the NFL’s ratings drop throw media companies for a loss?
If the NFL’s TV ratings keep declining as they have so far in the 2016–17 season, it could put the corporate behemoths that own the broadcast and cable networks in a bind. After all, they’ve spent tens of billions on rights for the NFL and other sporting events in recent years, betting that they’ll turn a profit from selling ad time. John Vrooman, senior lecturer in economics, is quoted.
Science 360 (National Science Foundation): Bioluminescent sensor causes brain cells to glow in the dark
A new kind of bioluminescent sensor causes individual brain cells to imitate fireflies and glow in the dark. The probe, which was developed by a team of Vanderbilt scientists, is a genetically modified form of luciferase, the enzyme that a number of other species including fireflies use to produce light. Lead author Carl Johnson, Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences, is quoted.
The Washington Post: Opinion: Here’s what citizens who vote for authoritarians have in common
Mollie Cohen, a research fellow with the Latin American Public Opinion Project, and Amy Erica Smith of Iowa State University write that voters’ education levels make a big difference in support for both leftist and rightist authoritarian candidates. Their research shows that the more education you have, the less likely you are to vote for an authoritarian—even if you have an authoritarian psychological predisposition.