Early Whales Had Legs
National Public Radio (“All Things Considered”) – Sept. 13
…”The origin of flukes is one of the last steps in the transition from land to sea,” explained vertebrate paleontologist Mark Uhen of the Alabama Museum of Natural History in Tuscaloosa. To shed light on this mystery, Uhen analyzed new fossils that amateur bone hunters discovered exposed along riverbanks in Alabama and Mississippi…The first whales known to possess flukes are close relatives of Georgiacetus that date back to 38 million years ago. But while only about 2 million years separate Georgiacetus from these other whales, Uhen now finds that Georgiacetus apparently did not possess flukes. The new 2-inch-long tail vertebra he analyzed — one of some 20 tail vertebrae the ancient whale had — is not flattened as the vertebrae near whales flukes are. Instead, Uhen suggests that Georgiacetus wiggled large back feet like paddles in order to swim…”The idea we are now helping confirm is that this ancient whale wiggled its hips to swim, moving its feet like hydrofoils or paddles. So it swam rather like a modern whale, which undulates its body up and down,” Uhen told LiveScience. The scientists detailed their findings in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
U.S. News and World Report – Sept. 12
Tehran (Iran) Times – Sept. 13
ScienceBlogs.com – Sept. 13
UA Class Seeks Truth About Sarah Palin
NBC 13 (Birmingham) – Sept. 14
…Dr. Jennifer Greer’s freshman level media and politics class at the University of Alabama. Students have been learning how to dig into all the information circulating about the candidates…to find out what’s true and what’s rumor…
$1 million donated to Culverhouse
Crimson White – Sept. 15
The University’s nationally ranked school of accountancy in the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration recently received a $1 million pledge from the world’s largest accounting firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers pledged the money for the college to further its students as they prepare for the workforce after graduation. The money from Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ pledge will go to three funds to support the undergraduate and graduate accounting students…“The shortage of doctoral students and faculty in accounting is one of the greatest challenges facing accounting education and the accounting profession,” said UA President Robert Witt in a press release. “This generous contribution will greatly enhance our efforts to attract qualified doctoral candidates and faculty.”…
Discrepancies aside, new voters will play huge role
Florence Times Daily – Sept. 15
…The unknown question in November’s general election, however, is who will the majority of new voters support, Democrats or Republicans, said David Lanoue, chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama. “The overall dynamic of the race is going to be difficult to determine,” said Lanoue, who added he hasn’t seen anything to suspect that Alabama will break its 30-year tradition of voting for the Republican presidential ticket…
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 15
Parents, educators differ on cell phone use
Montgomery Advertiser – Sept. 14
…Why would anyone suggest they don’t be in touch with their parents throughout the day?” Melissa Jackson, director of the University of Alabama’s psychology clinic, has one answer to that question. She wonders if parents trying to alleviate their own anxieties are only succeeding in making their children more dependent. Children aren’t required to use problem-solving skills if they have constant, direct access to their parents through their cell phones. “From a professional standpoint, I don’t think that (children having cell phones is a good thing,” said Jackson, who also is a child and adolescent specialist. “I believe it’s just giving a wrong message. “As parents, we really want to empower our children, and teach them to rely on their own judgment on things,” she said. “When you give them direct access to their parents, it makes it less likely that a child will rely on their own problem solving (abilities).”…
Reed’s Grocery closing after 35-year run
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 14
…David Ford, a management and marketing professor at the University of Alabama who teaches entrepreneurship, said so-called mom-and-pop stores like Reed’s Grocery are falling victim to ‘economies of scale’ — they simply cannot compete with much larger corporate-owned stores. ‘If you’re a little mom-and-pop and a chain moves in next door, there’s nothing you can do,’ Ford said. ‘They’re getting their gas cheaper, they’re getting their snacks and drinks cheaper.’ Corporate-owned stores are able to negotiate much lower prices on just about everything they sell, he said…
Fear of shortage triggers run on gas
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 13
…University of Alabama professor Peter Clark, an expert in oil and gas pricing, said suppliers and store owners are to blame for the spike in prices, not the oil companies.
‘The gasoline that they’ve got in their tanks didn’t cost any more today than it did yesterday,’ Clark said. ‘The amount of gasoline available today is the same as it was yesterday and the day before. Clearly, there is no shortage. ‘I think gas prices have been raised in anticipation of a problem, not because of an actual problem. Nothing has changed that dramatically overnight.’…
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 12
Is There More Religious Tolerance After 9-11?
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – Sept. 12
…University of Alabama religious studies professor Dr. Steven Ramey says this “us vs. them” mentality is present in the presidential campaign: most notably past rumors that Democratic candidate Barack Obama is Muslin…
UA physicist’s paper used in lawsuit
Crimson White – Sept. 15
…Benjamin Harms, professor of theoretical high-energy physics at the University, wrote a paper published six years ago in the International Journal of Modern Physics that suggested black holes could cause catastrophic events…This August, Harms’ paper was used in an argument written by a German scientist named Rainer Plaga that stated the black holes the machine can create can actually be released in the world and cause chaos throughout it…
Rowing revolution
Tuscaloosa News – Sept. 14
…In July, UA NCAA women’s rowing coach Larry Davis offered two weeklong camps for members of the community who were interested in learning to row…Pollini began rowing in spring 2002 for UA’s club team, and rowed with them for four years…With the addition of the master rowers, there are now three rowing teams in the area: the NCAA UA women’s team, the UA men’s club team and the masters team..
Bama Fans Flock to Tuscaloosa Despite High Gas Prices
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 14
Bama fans poured into Tuscaloosa, despite the erratic fuel prices…
UA Goes Green on Gameday
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – Sept. 13
The University of Alabama has started a new recycling program on gamedays. Blue bags were given to tailgaters on the quad for recyclable items…bins were set up around campus and inside the stadium.