A&S in the News- March 5-11, 2016

  1. One runoff, two candidates, $500,000 tab
    Al.com – March 5
    When Tuesday’s primary election ended, the hard part was just starting for Matthew Brown and Jackie Zeigler. They’re in a runoff for the District 1 state Board of Education seat. While challenger Zeigler captured the most votes in the four-candidate field, it wasn’t a majority. She and Brown, the incumbent, will do battle in what is expected to be an extremely low-turnout contest on April 12. The cost of the runoff? It’s $500,000, billable to the taxpayers of Alabama … William Stewart, a professor emeritus of political sciences at the University of Alabama, said calls to end the runoff elections have been mostly confided to academia.  “One of the best things the current Legislature could do is abolish runoffs,” he said. “If you don’t want to go this far, you could pass a law saying that if a candidate got at least 40 percent of the vote initially, that candidate would be the party nominee.”
  2. Multiple Tattoos Can Strengthen Your Immunological Responses
    Infection Control Today – March 8
    Receiving multiple tattoos can strengthen your immunological responses, potentially making you heartier in fighting off common infections, according to research by a trio of University of Alabama scholars. However, receiving a single tattoo can, at least temporarily, lower your resistance, says Dr. Christopher Lynn, UA associate professor of anthropology. The research was published online March 4 in the American Journal of Human Biology. Lynn said he had earlier noted first-hand that receiving tattoos can be physically draining. “They don’t just hurt while you get the tattoo, but they can exhaust you,” Lynn says. “It’s easier to get sick. You can catch a cold because your defenses are lowered from the stress of getting a tattoo.”
    Science Daily – March 8
    WAAY-TV – March 8
    E-Science News – March 8
    Healthcare Asia – March 8
    Medical Xpress – March 8

  3. UA professor to help map the Florida Everglades
    WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – March 7 (no video available)
    A University of Alabama faculty member has been commissioned by the National Parks Service to create a map of Florida Bay in Everglades National Park. Dr. Michael Steinberg, associate professor in New College and geography, and Brad Bates, a graduate assistant to Steinberg, have been working to develop an accurate map of the channels and flats to help ensure the conservation of the bay.
    WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – March 7

Also making headlines: 

  • Picasso, Close, other artists to be exhibited at Sarah Moody Gallery- Crimson White – March 8