To teach evolution, you have to understand creationists
“Evolution educators do not simply need to spread the word about evolution,” Binghamton historian Adam Laats writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education. “We need to convince and convert Americans who sincerely hold differing understandings about the nature and meaning of science.” Read more
One affair, two standards
The popular narrative surrounding David Petraeus’ affair reflects a sexist double standard — one that is quick to forgive men and eager to blame women for transgressing the sexual boundaries of matrimony, Binghamton’s Leigh Ann Wheeler writes in the Times-Union of Albany. Read more
Hurricane Sandy unlikely to spur needed economic stimulus
Experts, including Binghamton economist Solomon Polachek, tell the Huffington Post that like past hurricanes, Sandy will probably hurt the economy at the local level and have no discernible economic impact at the national level. Read more
Why teenagers act weird
New research shows what really causes your teen’s weird behavior — and what to do about it, Binghamton’s Linda Spear tells Prevention magazine. Read more
Civil War death toll may be really off
Demographic historian J. David Hacker of Binghamton University talks with Robert Seigel of NPR’s All Things Considered about how he arrived at his new estimate of Civil War casualties. Read more
A burden too heavy to bear
Was there something about Southern society in the Civil War era that made suicide more likely? And what effect did so many suicides have on a society that before the war had roundly, even punitively, condemned the act? Binghamton historian Diane Miller Sommerville considers these questions in The New York Times’ Disunion blog. Read more
New estimate raises Civil War death toll
By combing through newly digitized census data from the 19th century, J. David Hacker, a demographic historian from Binghamton University, has recalculated the Civil War death toll, the New York Times reports. Read more
