Social Sciences

In TV's portrayal of law and justice, civil liberties have become public enemy No. 1, according to a new book by a nationally known media critic at the University at Buffalo. "Law and Justice as Seen on TV" (New York University Press), examines the social and political impact of TV law and crime shows over the past 50 years -- from depictions of saintly public defenders to modern portrayals of tough-on-crime, heroic prosecutors.

Distinguished classicist Ann Ellis Hanson will discuss "Alternative Medicine in Greco-Roman Antiquity: The Role of Amulets" during a lecture at 3 p.m. Feb. 23 in 120 Clemens Hall, North Campus.

University at Buffalo geographers have developed the first software tool that determines precisely how long it takes for fire companies to reach fires, medical emergencies and sites of other rescue operations in order to assess how well a city is being served by the quantity and distribution of its firefighting resources.

Can the presence of Fido or Fluffy calm an owner's stress, as some studies have suggested? Or is the science as fuzzy as Fifi's coat? A research scientist at the University at Buffalo, reviewed the scientific evidence to date relating to pets and cardiovascular responses. Her conclusion? Your beloved cat or dog can have a positive effect on your cardiovascular health, but don't stop taking your heart medicine.

A research paper by University at Buffalo industrial geographers maintains that the launch of the proposed Boeing 7E7 "Dreamliner" will cost $13.4 billion, nearly double what the company estimates, because it is, in fact, covering the launch of two distinct aircraft.

The next time you're about to pop a chunk of moldy Gorgonzola, lamb's lung, aged beef or urine-scented kidney into your mouth, consider its meaning. "Part of the experience of this sort of meal," says Carolyn Korsmeyer, professor of philosophy at the University at Buffalo, "involves an awareness, however underground, of the presence of death amid the continuance of one's own life."

On the corner of Niagara and Jersey streets in Buffalo is a community garden, with bright red hibiscus blooming in the summer, and evergreens decorated for the holiday season. The once-vacant lot is testament to how communities throughout Buffalo are reclaiming blighted, abandoned property and turning it into welcoming green space and a source of fresh food. The gardens also may be a way in which members of urban neighborhoods can reclaim political visibility and empowerment, says a graduate student in the Department of Geography at the University at Buffalo.

Women tend to adapt to their husband's drinking behavior during the first year of marriage, with his drinking behavior influencing who they choose as friends and the role of drinking in their social life, according to research conducted at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions.

Although the ancient Inca are renowned for their highly organized society and extraordinary skill in working with gold, stone and pottery, few are familiar with the khipu -- an elaborate system of colored, knotted strings that many researchers believe to be primarily mnemonic in nature, like a rosary -- that was used by the ancient conquerors to record information. Because the Inca didn't employ a recognizable system of writing, researchers like UB's Galen Brokaw have focused on the khipu as a way to further illuminate Inca history and culture.

The National Science Foundation has selected the University at Buffalo's National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis to receive a highly competitive, five-year, $3.8 million grant to fund a multidisciplinary, graduate-level training program in geographic information science.