The Academic Minute

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Catherine Haslam of the University of Exeter reveals how our attitudes about our age can influence our performance on mental tasks.

Catherine Haslam is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Exeter. With an expertise in clinical and cognitive neuropsychology, her research addresses various topics concerning memory (anterograde, retrograde and semantic) in younger and older adults. She holds a Ph.D. from the Australian National University.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Mary Gauvain of the University of California Riverside explains how exposure to cooking fire smoke in the developing world can impair cognitive development in children.

Mary Gauvain is a professor of psychology at the University of California Riverside. Her research is focused on understanding how social and cultural processes contribute to children's acquisition, organization, and use of cognitive skills. Her work has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and she holds a Ph.D. from the University of Utah.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Rachel Gross of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University explains how fears about not having enough to eat can contribute to obesity.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Luke Galen of Grand Valley State University examines the connection between social wellbeing and various degrees of religious belief.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Ruth DeFries of Columbia University reveals what we can learn about how humans have altered the landscape when we view the Earth from above.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Bill Ripple of Oregon State University explains the important role large predators play in the health of any ecosystem.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Larry Widrow of Queen’s University reveals evidence for a galactic shakeup, right in our cosmic backyard.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Joseph Auner of Tufts University explains how musicians have responded to the rapidly shifting technology behind modern electronic instruments.

In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Darby Dyar of Mount Holyoke College explains one of the more spectacular instruments aboard the Mars Science Lab’s Curiosity rover.