Insights from Robert Hockett at Cornell’s Law School about the significance of Congress’ plans to reform the Committee on Foreign Investment.

Physicists at Cornell have created a tiny, shape-shifting robotic exoskeleton that could power electronics the size of a human cell.

This article references Cornell research that tested the effect of Facebook exposure on self-esteem.

Eli Friedman, associate professor of international and comparative labor at Cornell, said China’s biggest cities “simply cannot function without migrant workers”.

Trade policy professor Eswar Prasad says China has shown solid ability to handle "micro-stresses" in financial markets.

Molecular sequencing work of samples is underway at Cornell to identify possible viruses and bacteria that could be causative agents.

Amanda Rodewald, professor and director of conservation science at the Lab of Ornithology, writes this opinion piece about the need to conserve biodiversity.

A feature on how climate change will impact the Finger Lakes including comments and explanations from climatologist Mark Wysocki, entomologist Mark Whitmore, Executive Director of the Cornell Institute for Climate Solutions Michael Hoffman, and plant and soil ecology professor David Wolfe. Data from the Northeast Regional Climate Center is also referenced and the Climate Smart Farming website is highlighted as a resource to analyze trends on the various fields and crops.

Why are people are so naturally drawn to sweets? "Sugar releases dopamine and opioids in the brain, which are substances that are known to be released in the reward center of the brain," explains Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Some people can take one bite of a dessert and be satisfied," Kumar adds. "For others, one bite of something sweet is a trigger to really lead to a binge."

 

From a dozen proposals to the agency’s New Frontiers competition, NASA announced two finalists Wednesday. One proposed mission, led by Steven Squyres, professor of physical sciences, is Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return, or Caesar, a spacecraft that would go to Comet 67P and bring back a small chunk to Earth for closer study.

This piece mentions a possible proposal for a cometary sample return, named Caesar, led by planetary sciences professor Steven Squyres. Another proposal mentioned, the Enceladus Life Finder, led by Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science Director, Jonathan Lunine, would fly to Saturn’s moon with instruments that could identify carbon-based molecules and other ingredients to discern if the oceans possess conditions amenable for life.

Ornithologist Kevin J. McGowan, offers an explanation: “Almost all parrots have a similar social system: an individual bonds and mates with a single other individual, and they spend all of their time together for the rest of their lives. Pet parrots mimic human speech and other noises because they’re trying to be a good mate.”