Featured Research Video
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Food fight: How a community in Mexico used food to resist the Aztec empire
Inspired by an ancient people’s use of food to resist defeat, anthropologist Keitlyn Alcantara now uses food to resist cultural loss among Latin American middle schoolers in Nashville. Read MoreOct 1, 2019
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High standards of female songbirds could be driving their mates to evolve
Picky females force male songbirds to become better singers. Read MoreSep 4, 2019
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Public options can strengthen society: Vanderbilt law professor
Robust public options for retirement, banking, child care and other broadly beneficial services – beyond health care – would position more Americans to participate equally in society, argues Vanderbilt law professor Ganesh Sitaraman in a new book. Read MoreSep 3, 2019
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How peer pressure does—and doesn’t—influence our choices
New research by marketing professor Kelly Haws helps explain why we match our friends' orders at a restaurant—but not exactly. Read MoreAug 27, 2019
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Intense look at La Brea Tar Pits explains why we have coyotes, not saber-toothed cats
The most detailed study to date of ancient predators trapped in the La Brea Tar Pits is helping Americans understand why today we’re dealing with coyotes dumping over garbage cans and not saber-toothed cats ripping our arms off. Read MoreAug 5, 2019
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The momentum myth: Staggering primaries didn’t affect outcome of 2016 nominating contests
During the 2016 primary season, voters didn't shift their preferences based on who was winning, according to an analysis of more than 325,000 tracking poll results. Read MoreJul 29, 2019
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Tennessee stands at a political crossroads: Vanderbilt Poll
Despite opportunities for broad consensus, Tennessee’s long history of pragmatic politics could be affected by rising polarization along party lines, according to the most recent statewide Vanderbilt University Poll. Read MoreJun 6, 2019
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Road test proves adaptive cruise control can add to traffic jam problem
For the experiment, the team put seven different cars from two manufacturers on a rural highway and simulated actual driving conditions. Read MoreMay 7, 2019
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Vanderbilt Poll: Nashville residents uneasy about growth
Vanderbilt's 2019 poll of Nashville residents indicates a growing number think the city is no longer “on the right track,” and that the city is growing too quickly. Mayor David Briley receives high marks, however, with a 66 percent approval rating. Read MoreApr 30, 2019
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Indicators of despair rising among Gen X-ers entering middle age
In 2016, a surprising decline in life expectancy was ascribed to "deaths of despair" among working-class middle-aged white men displaced by a changing economy. However, new research shows indicators of despair are rising among Americans approaching middle age regardless of race, education and gender. Read MoreApr 15, 2019
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Engineering students, doggie day care owner team up to build the better pooper scooper
The How to Make (Almost) Anything class instructor said the actual project isn't as important as working together to address real-life concerns. Read MoreMar 18, 2019
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Study links Celebrex, heart valve calcification after earlier research declared drug safe
A big-data analysis of patient records at Vanderbilt University has found a link specifically between Celebrex and heart valve calcification. Read MoreFeb 22, 2019
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They call it puppy love, but what is it really?
Even if animals have ulterior motives for teaming up, they teach humans a lot about love, says Vanderbilt University animal biologist Patrick Abbot. Read MoreFeb 12, 2019
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How making an accusation makes you seem more trustworthy
Making an accusation about unethical business practices undermines trust in the accused and enhances trust in the accuser, but only if the accusation is made in good faith, according to new research led by Vanderbilt business professor Jessica Kennedy. Read MoreJan 29, 2019
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Stress fractures and running wearables: The mistake that could mean injuries
Working with an orthopedic specialist who advises the NFL Players Association, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Karl Zelik discovered that sensors only measuring the impact of the foot hitting pavement tell users little about the forces on bones that lead to stress fractures. Read MoreJan 17, 2019
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Low health literacy associated with early death for cardiovascular patients
Patients hospitalized with a cardiovascular event are more likely to die within one year if they have low health literacy, according to new research by Lindsay Mayberry and Sunil Kripalani. Read MoreNov 8, 2018
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Karate kicks keep cockroaches from becoming zombies, wasp chow
Far from being a weak-willed sap easily paralyzed by the emerald jewel wasp’s sting to the brain, the cockroach can deliver a stunning karate kick that saves its life, biologist Ken Catania has found. Read MoreOct 31, 2018
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Volcano researcher learns how Earth builds supereruption-feeding magma systems
After studying layers of pumice, measuring the amount of crystals in the samples and using thermodynamic models, the team determined magma moved closer to the surface with each successive eruption. Read MoreOct 11, 2018
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Crime, not money, drives migration from El Salvador and Honduras
A new analysis shows that immigration policies designed to deter economic migrants do not dissuade migrants fleeing crime from seeking asylum. Read MoreSep 18, 2018
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Age, race and gender split in political parties could lead to voter discrimination
A vastly expanding gap in age, gender and diversity between the nation’s largest generation—millennials—and baby boomers is exacerbating voter discrimination, according to a Vanderbilt Law School expert. Read MoreSep 14, 2018