+ How big will the coronavirus be? [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
9 March 2020
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
[Aviva Rutkin]
A note from...
Aviva Rutkin
Data Editor
In just a few short weeks, the U.S. Census Bureau will officially launch the 2020 census.
This once-in-a-decade event aims to count millions of people across the U.S. The results have far-reaching implications, from how many congressional seats each state gets to how federal funding is dispersed across the country.
But roughly one-quarter of Americans have little to no intention of filling out their census forms. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Jessica Stanford digs into why some people don’t trust the census – [and what the bureau could do to change their minds](.
Also today:
- [What moves does Washington have left to stop a recession?](
- [A researcher who spent 24 months with Uighurs describes what she saw](
- [Joe Biden’s occasional flashes of eloquence](
Top story
Fears of the census may have informed the Bureau’s 2020 tagline. U.S. Census Bureau
[Why some Americans don’t trust the census](
Jessica Stanford, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A quarter of Americans, many of them non-white, are worried about data privacy and confidentiality in the 2020 census.
Economy + Business
-
[Washington’s recession-fighting toolbox is nearly empty as US economy braces for possible coronavirus outbreak](
Bill Ferguson, Grinnell College
The Fed and Congress have little ammunition available for fighting an economic downturn if COVID-19 triggers one.
Health + Medicine
-
[How big will the coronavirus epidemic be? An epidemiologist updates his concerns](
Maciej F. Boni, Pennsylvania State University
Initial data from the outbreak in China did not reveal as much information as scientists needed to assess the epidemic. Now, more accurate data suggest an epidemic worse than some previously thought.
-
[Crisis communication researcher shares 5 key principles that officials should use in coronavirus](
Matthew Seeger, Wayne State University
Communication from public health and government officials during a health threat is a critical component of preventing and treating a disease. An expert who worked on the anthrax scare explains.
-
[What’s the difference between pandemic, epidemic and outbreak?](
Rebecca S.B. Fischer, Texas A&M University
From the neighborhood to the newsroom to the White House, nobody stays silent during a health emergency. These terms are often mixed up, and it matters who is using them and when.
Politics + Society
-
[Speeches, both scripted and off the cuff, turn Biden’s campaign around](
David A. Frank, University of Oregon
A good public speaker needs to be able to write and deliver an effective speech as well as to improvise.
-
[From border security to climate change, national emergency declarations raise hard questions about presidential power](
Daniel Farber, University of California, Berkeley
Declaring an issue is a national emergency lets presidents act quickly and with few constraints. But once they get this kind of power, it's hard to take it back – and it can produce bad policies.
Science + Technology
-
[How technology can combat the rising tide of fake science](
Chris Impey, University of Arizona
The internet has allowed pseudoscience to flourish. Artificial intelligence could help steer people away from the bad information.
Ethics + Religion
-
[I was in China doing research when I saw my Uighur friends disappear](
Sarah Tynen, University of Colorado Boulder
A scholar who spent 24 months in the Uighur-dominated regions of China recalls when the Chinese crackdown on Uighurs started in 2017 – people were picked up and never returned.
Environment + Energy
-
[Dung beetles help rainforests regrow – but extreme drought and wildfires in the Amazon are killing them off](
Filipe França, Federal University of Pará; Joice Ferreira, Federal University of Pará
A new study finds 70% of Amazonian dung beetles were killed by the severe fire and droughts of 2015 to 2016. By spreading seeds and poop, dung beetles fertilize forests and aid regrowth of vegetation.
Arts + Culture
-
[Should you listen to music when you work?](
Manuel F. Gonzalez, Baruch College, CUNY; John R. Aiello, Rutgers University
Research shows that the type of task – and style of music – tend to determine whether listening will help or hinder your performance.
Most read on site
-
[5 ways life would be better if it were always daylight saving time](
Steve Calandrillo, University of Washington
Washington, California and Florida are mulling a permanent switch to DST. Proponents say that doing so could improve health, save energy and prevent crime.
-
[What really works to keep coronavirus away? 4 questions answered by a public health professional](
Brian Labus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
What can you do to keep yourself and your family safe from the coronavirus? A public health scholar explains antiseptics – and emphasizes the importance of good hand-washing.
-
[Why having fewer OSHA inspectors matters](
David Weil, Brandeis University
A reduction in OSHA inspectors may lead to a reduction in workplace safety.
Today’s quote
[The number of federal OSHA inspectors fell to a low of 875 in 2019, compared to a high of 1,469 in 1980.](
[Why having fewer OSHA inspectors matters](
David Weil
Brandeis University
[David Weil]
[Help fight misinformation and science denial. Support The Conversation.](
[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