On Good Authority

Louisiana is losing land to coastal erosion at the rate of one football field every 100 minutes. Franziska Trautmann, an alumna of the Tulane School of Science and Engineering and co-founder of Glass Half Full, explains how her organization plans to fight coastal erosion by recycling Louisiana’s glass.

Does a belief in God and strong religious devotion give students an edge in the classroom? Tulane sociologist Ilana Horwitz explores the issue in her new book God, Grades and Graduation. Horwitz, assistant professor in the Department of Jewish Studies and the Fields-Rayant Chair in Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane, discusses the surprising ways in which a religious upbringing shapes the academic lives of teens in the United States.

On this episode of On Good Authority, we sit down with writer Maurice Carlos Ruffin to discuss the inspiration behind his debut novel We Cast a Shadow and his most recent collection of short stories The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You. An award-winning author, Ruffin has used fictional storytelling to raise awareness about race issues in America and highlight the people of New Orleans and the city’s culture. He is one of more than 100 authors taking part in the inaugural New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University this week.

Tulane School of Liberal Arts professor Matt Sakakeeny discusses the many aspects of New Orleans brass bands that set them apart. We explore the genre’s African and European origins, their important role in neighborhood social aid and pleasure clubs, and how new generations carry on the tradition while adding their own mark to the music. For more information on Sakakeeny’s research, visit his website. To learn more about The Roots of Music, visit their website.

Love songs make the world go round. But why? And what can we learn from their history? School of Liberal Arts professor Rien Fertel discusses why romance music (and icons like Taylor Swift) matter to the human experience.

Brain fog, forgetfulness and debilitating fatigue are some of the symptoms people are having months after contracting COVID-19. Doctors are still trying to understand why and how to best treat it. A conversation with neurologist Dr. Michele Longo, founder of the Tulane Neurology Post-COVID Care Clinic, one of the first in the country to help the growing number of patients dealing with lingering symptoms of long COVID. She talks about the latest treatments, what researchers are learning and how long most symptoms usually last.

Why do children, especially girls, see the world of politics as one that is designed for and inhabited by men? School of Liberal Arts professors J. Celeste Lay and Mirya Holman break down the findings of their study of children’s political attitudes and gendered political socialization.

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings are no longer in place, is this the year that Thanksgiving and the holidays return to normal? Tulane epidemiologist Susan Hassig is back to answer all your questions about how to plan for the holidays this year — and stay safe from COVID-19.