The U.S. government’s recent recommendation that every person between the ages of 13 and 64 be offered an HIV test by their medical provider is “long overdue,” Professor of Medicine Kenneth Mayer, M.D., states in this opinion piece.

In an article about the celebration of Rosh Hashana, Professor of Judaic Studies Lynn Davidman notes that new forms of Jewish spirituality reflect a larger trend in American religion as individuals increasingly seek to worship in their own ways.

Thomas Webster, associate professor of engineering, discusses his research on nanotube scaffolds. Such scaffolds may one day help stem cells grow in stroke-damaged brains. Webster presented his research team's findings at the American Chemical Society meeting this month in San Francisco.

Background music may be ubiquitous, but how do nonstop tunes affect the way we hear? The answer has something to do with the difference between hearing and listening. Elaine Bearer, composer and professor of medical science whose research lab investigates the ways sound is perceived and experienced, says people "are not being conscious of it; they are not noticing it. Are they hearing it? Of course. Their ears are intact; they're hearing it. Are they listening to it? No."

Brown University, with the Federation of American Scientists and University of Southern California, has developed “Immune Attack,” a new video game that engages students and teaches complex biology and immunology topics in a manner different from the traditional classroom approach. The goal is to immerse the student in immunology concepts to make learning fun and exciting.

Professor of Africana Studies Tricia Rose reflects on Peter J. Nash, former rapper with 3rd Bass who is now a baseball author, historian and filmmaker.

After President Bush addressed the United Nations, Thomas Biersteker, professor of transnational organizations at the Watson Institute for International Studies, provided analysis about the U.N. and U.S. foreign policy. Audio of the segment can be downloaded from this site.

Martin A. Weinstock, professor of dermatology and community health, responds to a recent discovery of a genetic defect, reported in the Sept. 21 edition of Nature, that gives new clues about how the skin tans. The story appeared on several Web sites around the country.

“America is witnessing a potentially explosive combination of trends,” The Economist writes. “Social inequality is rising at a time when the escalators of social mobility are slowing. ... The returns on higher education are rising: the median earnings in 2000 of Americans with a bachelor's degree or higher were about double those of high-school leavers. But elite universities are becoming more socially exclusive. Between 1980 and 1992, for example, the proportion of disadvantaged children in four-year colleges fell slightly (from 29 percent to 28 percent) while the proportion of well-to-do children rose substantially (from 55 percent to 66 percent).” The article responds to Wall Street Journal reporter Dan Golden’s new book, “The Price of Admission.”

In a letter to the editor, Vartan Gregorian, former president of Brown University, takes exception to the newspaper’s Sept. 9 excerpt from Wall Street Journal reporter Dan Golden’s book, which reviews admission practices at several Ivy League schools, including Brown.

As the number of schools failing to meet federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) standards grows, many educators are calling for a new system of accountability. Among them is Assistant Professor of Education Martin R. West. He said that although AYP may reflect how students are doing at a particular point in time, “it is not the best indicator of the quality of education students are receiving at any given school.”

Brown University experts will be among those participating in a project that hopes to implement recommendations made in 2005 to keep Greenwich Bay and its watershed free of pollution.

Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University researchers say that Alzheimer's is caused by a lack of insulin in the brain. The research was led by Professor of Pathology and Lab Medicine (Research) Suzanne de la Monte, who has coined the term “type 3 diabetes” to let people know “that you don't really have to have type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome to have the brain abnormalities."

The work of Professor of Orthopedics Joseph (Trey) Crisco, who helped develop Head Impact Telemetry, is mentioned in this article about how technology is helping make football safer for athletes.