Faculty Experts & Current Events

What can we do when power grids fail us?

As winds pick up and the ground stays dry, Pacific Gas and Electric has announced another power shutoff in Northern California to prevent wires from sparking fires. But to put a stop to further damage, the key may be grids that don’t need shutting off: community networks of resources and democratic energy.

by Aria Bracci November 19, 2019

Instagram ‘likes’ are disappearing. You might like it.

Rachel Rodgers, an associate professor of applied psychology at Northeastern, says this change could have a positive effect on the mental wellness of users of the social media platform.

by Khalida Sarwari November 15, 2019

30 years ago the Berlin Wall fell. And then Prague happened.

Just after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Jonathan Kaufman, director of Northeastern’s School of Journalism, reported for The Boston Globe from Berlin and Prague. Thirty years later, he reflects on the experience: “History, and people, often surprise you.”

by Molly Callahan November 8, 2019

Is Oklahoma’s mass commutation of prisoners too small to make a difference?

The release of nearly 500 inmates in Oklahoma this week was not enough, says Natasha Frost, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Northeastern. “About half the population of state prisons are people who commit violent crimes,” she says. “Until we’re willing to do something about those offenders, we’re not going to make a major difference in prison populations.”

by Emily Arntsen November 5, 2019

Here’s how to find out if your clothing was made in an unsafe factory

The Wall Street Journal found that Amazon has been selling clothes from dozens of factories in Bangladesh that have been blacklisted for dangerous workplace conditions. Northeastern professor Shawn Bhimani offers ways for you to find out how and where your products were made.

by Ian Thomsen November 1, 2019

Twitter has banned political ads. Is Facebook next?

It was the announcement everyone wanted to hear from Mark Zuckerberg, but instead it came from Twitter’s chief executive officer Jack Dorsey: There will be no more political advertising. Don’t expect a similar announcement from Facebook, says David Lazer, University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Computer and Information Sciences at Northeastern.

by Khalida Sarwari October 31, 2019

Here’s how Brexit–postponed again–is testing political norms in the UK

Brexit has spurred “a re-appraisal of our political and constitutional arrangements,” says Anthony Grayling, who is the founder and master of NCH at Northeastern in London. And, with a looming general election, those arrangements stand to change again, says Northeastern political science professor Mai’a Cross.

by Molly Callahan October 30, 2019

Here’s what you might have missed during Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional hearing

Buried within the five hours of testimony was an important question: Does Facebook’s system for delivering advertisements reinforce discrimination on the basis of gender and race? The answer, it appears, is yes. Northeastern associate professor Alan Mislove studied Facebook’s ad-delivery algorithm and found some troubling results.

by Molly Callahan October 28, 2019

Here’s what makes unrest become a protest

A modest train fare hike, a small increase in bus fare, and an unpopular bill: These are the events that touched off protests in Chile, Brazil, and Hong Kong. In regions where there’s been a shift toward populism, sudden changes in demographics, and where there’s growing economic inequality, such minor events can become “triggering events,” says Northeastern professor Thomas Vicino.

by Molly Callahan October 23, 2019

Mitt Romney’s secret Twitter account has a surprisingly harmless explanation

What was the former candidate for president and current U.S. senator doing in the shadows of social media anonymity? He was likely using a proven strategy to avoid the pitfalls of Twitter’s timeline algorithm, says John Wihbey, an assistant professor of journalism and media innovation at Northeastern.

by Molly Callahan October 22, 2019