Archive

Northeastern law graduate Kelly Cooke was selected to referee women's ice hockey at the Beijing Winter Games. Is the National Hockey League next for her?Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

With one ice hockey ‘goal’ met, she has her sights set on another

Kelly Cooke is headed to the Beijing Olympics to referee women’s ice hockey. The 2019 law school graduate’s ambitions don’t end there; she hopes to ascend to the pinnacle of the sport—the National Hockey League—one day as an on-ice official.

by Peter Ramjug January 21, 2022

Rare weather incidents such as the December wildfire in Colorado pose risks for insurance companies. A Northeastern startup, risQ, helps cities gauge and adapt to the risks of a changing climate. The firm was just acquired by a large financial company. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

This Northeastern-born startup helps cities gauge and adapt to the risks of a changing climate

The fittingly-named risQ was started by engineering professor Auroop Ganguly and two Northeastern alums in 2016. They sensed a niche market opportunity to provide climate-related risk calculations to insurance companies, but then pivoted to cities. The startup was just acquired by a Fortune 500 company.

by Peter Ramjug January 21, 2022

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Photos of the week: Jan. 17 to 22

The first week of classes for the spring semester was a busy one: Northeastern students, faculty, and staff celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and found cozy nooks on the Boston campus to work away from the frigid cold. Researchers studied the effect of vaccine misinformation on social networks, and the varying ways those social platforms are regulated around the world.

by Matthew Modoono and Alyssa Stone January 21, 2022

Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

What has changed in the way we talk about COVID-19? Revisiting pandemic terminology amid omicron.

What does it mean to be “exposed” to the coronavirus? How widespread are infections? How should data be interpreted? Northeastern experts flesh out the important distinctions.

by Tanner Stening January 20, 2022

Not dating your best friend’s ex may put you at higher risk of an STI

Most teenagers don’t date their friends’ exes out of respect for their friends. But researchers in the Network Science Institute found that this behavior actually puts teenagers at a higher risk for exposure to STIs than if they were to date people completely at random.

by Emily Arntsen January 20, 2022

Photo of a smartphone screen showing 5G service.

Is 5G really a threat to air travel?

Why did international air carriers feel it necessary to cancel or adjust flights based on the emergence of 5G towers in the U.S.? Answers and a potential solution are offered by Tommaso Melodia, the William Lincoln Smith Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 20, 2022

Social media sites, especially Facebook, were the top conduits for vaccine misinformation, according to a U.S. survey of health care workers who treated unvaccinated patients. The findings point to an 'urgent' misinformation problem. Photo Illustration by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Vaccine misinformation on social media is an ‘urgent’ problem

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals say that COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on social media channels is an “urgent” problem that may be negatively influencing people’s decisions to get inoculated, according to a survey by researchers from Northeastern and partner institutions.

by Peter Ramjug January 20, 2022

Omicron’s increased infectiousness and decreased severity among vaccinated and boosted people has led university officials to end wellness housing for students who test positive for COVID-19. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University

COVID-19 is evolving. So is Northeastern’s approach to managing it.

As the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has evolved, so too has Northeastern University’s management of it. Most recently, the university has moved to phase out its wellness housing for most students who test positive for COVID-19.

by Molly Callahan January 19, 2022

How these worms avoid getting poisoned

Hydrogen peroxide is deadly to most organisms—and worms are no exception. But Northeastern biologist Javier Apfeld has figured out how one kind of worm can detect and dodge the toxic threat.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki January 19, 2022

Only 21% of people wore a high-quality mask such as the N95, according to a U.S. survey by Northeastern and other partner institutions. Cloth masks, gaiters, bandanas, and surgical masks remain the top choice of most people. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

N95, bandana, or something in between: Which masks are the most popular?

Masks remain a vital tool in limiting the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers from Northeastern and several partner institutions looked into which face masks are most preferred.

by Peter Ramjug January 19, 2022