Molly Callahan - News @ Northeastern

Here’s why the drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani could lead to more violence, not less

Taking out the leader of a militant group—such as Soleimani, who commanded Iran’s powerful Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps—often results in the group “paradoxically becoming even more violent, because lower-level members with even less restraint become empowered,” says Northeastern associate professor Max Abrahms.

by Molly Callahan January 3, 2020

The biggest hashtag of 2020 might not be a hashtag at all

In 2018, it was #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and #NoBanNoWall. In 2019, it was the #ClimateStrike. In 2020, Twitter hashtags might not cut it, says Northeastern assistant professor Moya Bailey. “There’s more of a cultural shift that I think young people understand needs to happen, and that’s not something that’s easily conveyed in a hashtag or on a social platform,” she says.

by Molly Callahan December 23, 2019

Facebook changed its ad tools, but the results are still biased. What’s going on?

Facebook earlier this year promised to change the way it manages certain advertisements to prevent discrimination. But new research by Northeastern computer science professor Alan Mislove shows that it’s still biased. “What our research shows is a complex algorithm at work,” he says.

by Molly Callahan December 18, 2019

What’s wrong with the T-Mobile and Sprint merger?

The two wireless companies can merge, but only if they help create another major competitor to satisfy regulators. But the company they would create has never had a wireless operation. “It’s pretty unusual stuff,” says Northeastern economist John Kwoka.

by Molly Callahan December 17, 2019

Race, gender, shape high school students’ support for First Amendment protections

Boys and white students are less inclined than girls and students of color to agree with the statement: “The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees,” researchers at Northeastern and the Knight Foundation found.

by Molly Callahan and Tyler Machado December 16, 2019

Facebook has already decided how you’re going to vote

The social media giant is wielding significant power over political discourse in the United States, thanks to an ad delivery system that reinforces political polarization among users, according to new research from a team of computer scientists that includes Northeastern professor Alan Mislove.

by Molly Callahan December 10, 2019

Would it have been possible to predict the New Zealand volcano eruption?

The deadly eruption off the country’s North Island Monday may have been too small to appear in the data beforehand, according to Daniel Douglass, a geologist at Northeastern.

by Molly Callahan December 9, 2019

This 2020 Marshall Scholar wants to fix the big transportation problems in the US

The scholarship will allow Michael Tormey to study transportation for the next two years in the U.K. He dreams of creating urban systems that will ease congestion, reduce pollution, and save lives.

by Molly Callahan and Ian Thomsen December 9, 2019

Could the ‘Grace in Boston’ Peloton ad have been designed to be controversial?

In the wake of a Peloton commercial that provoked a tidal wave of backlash, a new theory has emerged: The company intentionally made a controversial commercial in order to create buzz. Not so fast, says Yakov Bart, an associate professor of marketing at Northeastern.

by Molly Callahan December 6, 2019

Thanksgiving at Northeastern: Where Friends gather ‘round

In one episode of the sitcom Friends, one of the characters (Joey) eats an entire 19-pound turkey on Thanksgiving. Cutting into his own slice of turkey, Omkar Reddy said, “I had to know what it was all about!” Reddy is among hundreds of international students who will celebrate Thanksgiving on campus this year.

by Molly Callahan November 25, 2019

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