This episode of Brainstorm covers environmental policy and culture Prof. Eli Suzukovich III’s “Maple Syrup and Climate Change” course, which combines lessons about indigenous philosophy, climate change and the economics of the sugar industry. Students also get hands-on field work opportunities as they navigate the sweet history of maple trees on campus. ZELLA MILFRED: Maybe...

The post Brainstorm: Maple Syrup and Climate Change — tapping into the history and science of Northwestern trees appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

    Evidence suggests students learn to read the best through a method focused on phonics. This approach teaches students to associate letters with sounds, so they’re able to figure out unfamiliar words. But for decades, schools have used a different approach. Now, advocates, educators and parents are pushing for a move to evidence-based reading...

The post Brainstorm: Sounding it out: Advocates fight for better reading education appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

    From the Lakefill to the quads, bunnies are hopping their way into the hearts of Northwestern students. In this episode of Brainstorm, The Daily spoke to Northwestern students, a professor and an urban ecology expert to answer the question gnawing at Evanston residents: What’s with all the bunnies? SASHA EDEN GOLDBERG: I feel...

The post Brainstorm: Background on the bunnies appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

    Far from the lightspeed space travel of science fiction, real-life astrobiologists apply disciplines ranging from computer programming to molecular analysis in order to study alien life. The Daily spoke with three scientists to ask: How are we looking for life beyond Earth? SHANE LARSON: Of all the natural wonders of the world, the...

The post Brainstorm: Looking for life among the stars appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

    What does it mean to have a relationship with nature? For Indigenous kids, especially those who grew up in urban areas, this question can have complicated answers. To support these relationships and fill in what Western education might miss, researchers in Northwestern’s learning sciences program — led by Professor Megan Bang, in partnership...

The post Brainstorm: ISTEAM — centering Indigenous knowledge in science education appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator divides the world’s personalities into 16 different types. While the labels it produces may be alluring, is there any science behind the test? The Daily spoke to Northwestern MBTI experts and enthusiasts to find out. CLAY LAWHEAD: I’ve taken this test before. And I’ve gotten two different answers. I got ENFP...

The post Brainstorm: You’re not an ENFJ: Debunking the Myers-Briggs Test appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

When you look up at the night sky, do you ever wonder where all those stars came from? Brainstorm’s Neya Thanikachalam spoke to the experts to find out. JEFF ANDREWS: Then when you look at a telescope, when you look at the sky, you see these sort of clusters of stars that look roughly like...

The post Brainstorm: What stars can tell us about the universe appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

How much caffeine is too much caffeine? Brainstorm spoke to the experts to find out (and drank copious amounts of coffee while doing so). NEYA THANIKACHALAM: Hi everyone! Long time, no listen. Sorry it’s been a while, I’ve just been grinding away at all of my schoolwork — EMMA EDMUND: Now is that a coffee...

The post Brainstorm: The Buzz Behind Caffeine appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

As some Northwestern students prepare to return to campus in the fall, what do they need to know about the risks of college life during the pandemic? Three COVID-19 experts at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine weigh in. XINKUN WANG: A college campus really is an incubation area for the virus…  MERCEDES CARNETHON: …There certainly...

The post Brainstorm: The Risks of Returning to Campus appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.

Auntie Flo has come to town… and not everyone knows what that actually means. Our latest episode of Period Pressure dives into the stigma behind periods and why it’s so hard to talk about them. SPEAKER 1: Auntie Flo’s come to town… SPEAKER 2: …That time of the month… SPEAKER 3: …Satan’s waterfall… SPEAKER 4:...

The post Brainstorm: Stopping the stigma appeared first on The Daily Northwestern.