Faculty Experts & Current Events

The Bloomberg memes say he’s got enough money to take risks. But what do they say about democracy?

Since entering the presidential race in November, Michael Bloomberg’s campaign has poured tens of millions of dollars into a media blitz to promote his candidacy. Northeastern professor John Wihbey says that while the candidate's strategy may be placing him in an unfavorable light from an optics standpoint, he has the financial wherewithal to experiment with different modes of advertising.

by Khalida Sarwari February 28, 2020

Amazon’s new grocery store is watching our every move. But we asked for this.

In Amazon Go Grocery, customers are surveilled: Their purchases are tracked digitally, no cashiers required. But to two Northeastern professors, it’s simply a sign of the times, in which people accept surveillance and expect convenience.

by Aria Bracci February 26, 2020

The cruise ship was kept at bay. The spread of coronavirus was not.

An outbreak of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has kept more than 3,700 people quarantined in Japan aboard a cruise ship where dozens of new cases have been reported daily. As the two-week isolation period ends, Northeastern public health professor Neil Maniar says the strategy was probably doomed from the start.

by Emily Arntsen February 19, 2020

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus disease COVID-19

Here are some simple Dos and Don’ts that will help protect you from any respiratory virus, including this one.

by Gregory Grinnell and Laura Castañón February 13, 2020

Facial recognition technology: In our rush to deploy it, are we ignoring the risks?

London has announced that it will install cameras across the city to catch and identify criminal suspects, joining a growing list of cities that have embraced facial recognition technology. David Choffnes, whose research focuses on network security and privacy, cautions that with so much at stake, it’s worth considering the potential risks of public surveillance tools before rushing to deploy them.

by Khalida Sarwari February 12, 2020

Young people are talking politics on TikTok. Is this a good thing?

Though the popular social media platform doesn’t seem to be inherently suited for political content, it could be susceptible to the spread of misinformation ahead of the presidential election, says Nicholas Beauchamp, an assistant professor of political science.

by Khalida Sarwari February 11, 2020

How long can China’s mass quarantine stave off a coronavirus pandemic?

Though the effort to head off a pandemic is centered in China now, the rest of the world cannot close itself off forever, said speakers at a panel on Northeastern’s Boston campus Wednesday convened to discuss the outbreak.

by Laura Castañón February 5, 2020

Iowa caucus: Maybe there shouldn’t have been an app for that

The Iowa Democratic Party went wrong when it put its faith in an untested app to count the votes during Monday’s caucuses. Will there be a lasting effect on the race? Stephen Intille, associate professor computer sciences, and Nick Beauchamp, assistant professor of political science weigh in.

by Emily Arntsen February 4, 2020

Here’s what you need to know about the novel coronavirus outbreak

Ensuring that people are properly educated about the coronavirus, and providing them with resources to protect against other viral illnesses, will be critical to reducing the risk of transmission of the coronavirus, says Neil Maniar, who directs Northeastern’s Master of Public Health program.

by Khalida Sarwari February 3, 2020

Better planning might have limited flood damage in Brazil. But would it have been enough?

Resilient, sustainable planning could help, says Thomas Vicino, who studies metropolitan development and housing in Brazil. The question is whether society has “the political will to confront the realities of climate change.”

by Molly Callahan January 31, 2020