The A﹠P Professor Science & Education Updates - Issue #191

Life Science

People with the greatest opposition to the scientific consensus tend to have the lowest levels of objective science knowledge but the highest levels of self-rated knowledge, according to new research published in Science Advances. The findings are in line with the Dunning-Kruger effect, a well-documented phenomenon in which people who are lacking in skills or knowledge tend to overestimate their abilities. ...

For decades, the U.S. medical system has adhered to a legally recognized standard for death, one embraced by most states. Why is a uniform standard for the start of human life proving so elusive?

Everyone will probably gain something from the updated vaccines. Here’s how to make the most of it.

A collection of photos of genetically unrelated lookalikes, along with DNA analysis, revealed that strong facial similarity is associated with shared genetic variants.

These undiagnosed infections could be a major factor in the rapid transmission of the omicron variant, the researchers said.

Each sugar substitute "significantly and distinctly" altered stool and microorganisms in the mouth, and two of the sweeteners (saccharin and sucralose) significantly impacted sugar tolerance, the researchers report.

Teaching & Learning

In what's believed to be the first case of its kind, a student argued that Cleveland State University violated his Fourth Amendment rights when he complied with a webcam recording of his exam space.

TAPP News & Notes

I was very happy with the way my first experiment with this approach worked. Perhaps more importantly, my students were very happy with it. Ever since that first time, I've regularly had students tell me, "that was fun, I wish all my profs did their first day this way." It even shows up on the end-of-semester course evaluations—so it must have made an impression!

Is your Anatomy & Physiology Course a $#!+ Show? Or Is It an Interesting Story with Real-World Applications?