ScIU Conversations in Science at Indiana University: Indiana University Bloomington

Using mathematics to study psychology. Part 1

By: Mingjia Hu

If you’ve ever thought about the life of a graduate student in psychology, you might have pictured someone who is asking research participants probing questions about their hidden thoughts, or perhaps someone who is discreetly observing human subjects completing some tasks while taking quick note of their behavior. In reality, we psychology students spend most of our time learning advanced statistical methods and grappling with quantitative analyses of noisy behavioral data that are difficult to interpret....

Increasing inclusivity one element at a time

By: Jakyra Simpson

Achieving full inclusion for people with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics – STEAM – has become a global matter. People with disabilities in STEAM are underrepresented in postsecondary academic environments and the job market...

What makes a joke funny? Part 2

By: Priyamvada Modak

Making others laugh is a tough job, but surely there are a few who have mastered it. So, what is the secret of their success? Is there a formula or a trick to being funny? This blog post tries to answer this question by discussing what psychologists and cognitive scientists (who take humor very seriously :p) have found out...

Can we climb mountains on neutron stars?

By: jormoral

Each year around a thousand people attempt to reach the peak of Mount Everest, which is the tallest mountain on Earth, rising up approximately 9 km above sea level. In Mars, the mountain Olympus Mons goes up about 22 km, which more than doubles the height of Mount Everest. Furthermore, Galileo Galilei observed that the Moon also has mountains. What about mountains on other types of astrophysical bodies? How tall are they? Can we climb them?...

What makes a joke funny? Part 1

By: Priyamvada Modak

Have you ever been to a stand-up comedy show and wondered how someone is able to make other people laugh? Or perhaps you were awestruck by how the writer of your favorite comedy show/movie was able to identify exactly what a whole bunch of strangers will find funny? This blog may be able to quench some of that curiosity...

How rat behavior may inform our understanding of racism

By: ScIU Editorial Team

Imagine that you wake up in a small room with no doors. You quickly realize that there is no way out. Oh, shoot. Further, you see that there is another individual trapped in a small cylindrical Plexiglas container in the middle of this arena, with barely any room to move. You are not sure what the consequences could be if you go investigate—something could hurt you. Someone may grab you and trap you in a claustrophobia-inducing container as well. The first thought that comes to mind may be the Saw movie series, so you would likely be reluctant...

Miss Understanding: Debunking misconceptions about vaping

By: Lindy Howe

“This isn’t nicotine, it’s just a vape!” Have you heard this before? Well, if you have, you’re probably not the only one. The real question is, is it true? There is so much information online, it’s hard to really know! Turns out, there is also a lot of misinformation about vaping. Lucky for you, kind reader, Miss Understanding (that’s me – hi) is here to debunk a few of the misconceptions surrounding vaping...

Wakanda Forever: The chemistry of Vibranium

By: Jakyra Simpson

Proceed with caution as there are some movie spoilers here for those who haven’t already seen the Wakanda Forever: Black Panther movie. If you have seen the movie or even read the Marvel comics, then you should be familiar with the powerful element, Vibranium. Vibranium is an element that possesses astonishing chemical and physical properties...

What you might not know about keeping animals: Misconceptions about zoos

By: Chloe Holden

Zoos, aquariums, and animal sanctuaries are really important because they support animal conservation, species survival, insightful animal research, and educational programs. However, there’s a lot of misinformation and misconceptions about zoos and animal sanctuaries that animal activists, such as PETA, use in order to deter people from enjoying, learning from, and supporting facilities that house wild animals...

ScIU Conversations in Science at Indiana University