Author: knutson4

Noted: According to Constance Flanagan, author of “Teenage Citizens: The Political Theories of the Young” and an associate dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology, social movements must build momentum over time, and the urgency of an issue like the environment can be difficult to sell because the consequences are long-term and abstract. It is harder to galvanize support to stop temperatures from rising slowly over several decades than to respond to a school shooting that left numerous children dead.

“There’s no one event that grabs media attention or people’s interest,” she said. “It really has to be cumulative, and climate

Quoted: He and fellow jumping worm expert Brad Herrick, a University of Wisconsin ecologist, stress that since there are not yet any proven silver bullet methods to kill off these slithery pests, information may be their worst enemy. “Since humans are the main vectors for spread, education and best management practices can go a long way to slowing the spread,” Herrick said. “Gardeners informing other gardeners” is the best weapon we have right now.

Quoted: “You can see why states might think this is a good solution,” said Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “For one it provides a kind of balance that you have representatives from both parties at the polling place so they can keep a check on one another.”

Noted: In fact, the giant Canada goose received serious consideration for protection under the Endangered Species Act when the program was created in 1973, according to Stan Temple, Beers-Bascom professor in conservation and professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin.

Quoted: “Europe, the United Nations and other U.S. allies opposed the invasion and annexation,” said Yoshiko Herrera, a University of Wisconsin political scientist. “It wasn’t just Obama who opposed it.”

Our guests are Stan Temple, professor emeritus of forest and wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Leah Horowitz, professor of civil society and community studies in the School of Human Ecology at UW–Madison.

Noted: Keith A. Findley, Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, University of Wisconsin Law School

Easiest reforms:

If forensic science wants to claim the mantle of “science,” it must follow fundamental scientific principles, like double-blind testing. Systems should be created to at least shield analysts from domain-irrelevant but contextually biasing information. This can be complicated at times, but it can be done without disclosing the vast array of information that analysts routinely receive today. Proper case management and intake systems can ensure that analysts receive only the information they need, and only when they need it.

Noted: As political scientist and University of Wisconsin professor David Canon points out, athletes garner more media coverage than traditional candidates, which is especially advantageous when running against an incumbent, according to the Dallas Morning News. Typically incumbents dominate the media coverage, as one July 2004 study concluded, so a background in professional athletics can be a major boost for a challenger.