A sci-fi-inspired aircraft, complete with blue glow

Edition: US - Today's top story: Inspired by sci-fi, an airplane with no moving parts and a blue ionic glow [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 24 November 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note You’ve seen them in the movies: aircraft and spacecraft that just … fly. No propellers or jet engines, just a blue glow out the back. Long believed impossible, or at least impractical, that technology is now real. MIT aerospace engineer Steven Barrett explains how [a nine-year research effort]( led his team to design, build and fly an aircraft propelled by an ionic wind. Only 3 percent of Americans call themselves vegans, yet these fringe foodies inspire unusually strong opinions among almost everyone, writes Joshua T. Beck, a behavioral scientist at the University of Oregon. Beck explains [why people become vegans]( – and why more meat-eaters like him may join their ranks in the future. In 1996, a graduate student named Mark Robson discovered a 17th-century collection of 120 poems on the shelf of a library at the University of Leeds. The author was “the Noble Hadassas,” whom Robson hadn’t heard of – nor had anyone he asked. University of California, Davis Ph.D. student Samantha Snively explains how [scholars used a riddle to discover the poet’s true identity](, and why the poems – written in a time when women were expected to be silent and chaste – are so remarkable. Jeff Inglis Science + Technology Editor Top stories A time-lapse image showing the plane flying across a gymnasium. Steven Barrett, MIT [Inspired by sci-fi, an airplane with no moving parts and a blue ionic glow]( Steven Barrett, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ionic winds – charged particles flowing through the air – can move airplanes using only electricity; no propellers or jet engines needed. The scholar who led the project explains how it works. A Thanksgiving feast. pixabay.com [Why people become vegans: The history, sex and science of a meatless existence]( Joshua T. Beck, University of Oregon A behavioral scientist explains why people become vegans, why some meat-eaters find them so irksome and how scientists may be nudging us all toward a more plant-centric existence. For centuries, Pulter’s manuscript lay untouched at the University of Leeds’ Brotherton Library. University of Leeds Library, Brotherton Collection, MS Lt q 32 [In the 1600s Hester Pulter wondered, ‘Why must I forever be confined?’ – now her poems are online for all to see]( Samantha Snively, University of California, Davis In a time when women were expected to be silent, no topic was off limits for Pulter, who penned verses about politics, science and loss. Her manuscript was just published in a free digital archive. Science + Technology [Technology giants didn’t deserve public trust in the first place]( Zachary Loeb, University of Pennsylvania Scholars and skeptics warned about Facebook long before its founder was even born. Technology companies keep asking for more and more data and proving they can't be trusted. [Using your phone on a plane is safe – but for now you still can’t make calls]( Sven Bilén, Pennsylvania State University Phones' functions go far beyond making calls these days. Here's the basics on why you can use some features and not others – and why planes may someday soon be filled with passengers yakking on phones. Ethics + Religion [Amazon’s move will gentrify neighborhoods – at what social cost?]( Alexandra Staub, Pennsylvania State University When large companies move into an area, the result is often gentrification. When this happens, the economic and social costs for displaced residents is typically high. [3 ethical reasons for vaccinating your children]( Joel Michael Reynolds, University of Massachusetts Lowell Billboards spreading misinformation on the risks of vaccination have popped up around American cities. A bioethicist explains why decisions not to vaccinate children are indefensible. Economy + Business Don’t let go. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu [Why do Black Friday shoppers throw punches over bargains? A marketing expert explains ‘psychological ownership’]( Colleen P. Kirk, New York Institute of Technology Psychological ownership is that feeling that someone stole 'your' parking spot or nabbed the last sweater you had your eye on. We have a tendency to get territorial when we fell it's been violated. Politics + Society [Kavanaugh’s impact on the Supreme Court and the country may not be as profound as predicted]( Ofer Raban, University of Oregon With Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, many predict that the court will move to the right on issues from abortion to gun rights. But Supreme Court rulings are often not the last word on a matter. [Parks help cities – but only if people use them]( Thaisa Way, University of Washington Research shows that access to urban green space makes people and neighborhoods healthier. But parks can't work their magic if their design ignores the needs of nearby communities. Education Students at Person High School use cardboard goggles to take a virtual tour of University of North Carolina campuses. Person County Schools [Virtual reality tours give rural students a glimpse of college life]( Carol Cutler White, Mississippi State University A new virtual campus tour project in North Carolina could change the way students in rural or otherwise remote areas are able to 'see' prospective colleges without ever leaving their high schools. Environment + Energy [The government aims to boost ethanol without evidence that it saves money or helps the environment]( André Boehman, University of Michigan Vehicles made before 2001 could suffer fuel system or engine damage if they're run on E15. [A sharing economy for plants: Seed libraries are sprouting up]( Michael Carolan, Colorado State University Sharing seeds was common practice among farmers throughout history until the rise of agribusiness. Now seeds are trademarked and regulated, but there's a new place to get them for free: the library. Health + Medicine [Why bigotry is a public health problem]( Ronald W. Pies, Tufts University As death tolls rise from hate crimes, a psychiatrist wonders: Is it time to treat bigotry like a disease? [Accelerating health care innovation by connecting engineering and medicine]( Jeffrey W. Holmes, University of Virginia Health care relies on increasingly sophisticated devices for implanting into the body or monitoring it. Yet most med school graduates are not versed in engineering. That needs to change. Arts + Culture ‘It’s really difficult to live as a rock musician in Bangladesh,“ says Samir Hafiz, a guitarist in the heavy metal band Warfaze. Facebook [Rock ‘n’ roll is dying in Bangladesh]( Mubashar Hasan, University of Oslo For decades, Bangladesh had a very vibrant – and highly political – rock scene. But the genre is struggling to survive the country's crackdown on dissent and increasing Islamic conservatism. [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111