Morning or mourning in America?

[Click here to view this message in your web-browser]. Edition: US 21 January 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair] Editor's note Experts in political rhetoric Christian Lundberg and Joshua Gunn break down Donald Trump’s first speech as president of the United States. They see glimmers of Reagan-esque optimism in the 45th president’s inaugural address but in the end Trump reverted to many of his themes from the campaign trail: gloom, division and scapegoating. “If there was uncertainty during the transition,” [they write], “there's now even more uncertainty about how President Trump will govern.” Over two hundred people were arrested Friday at inauguration protests. Today, as the Women’s March on Washington gets underway, philosopher Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer looks at how the [power of protest] can help save democratic values. Nick Lehr Editor, Arts and Culture Top story President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Patrick Semansky/AP Photo [Trump's inaugural speech: Is it morning or mourning in America?] Christian Lundberg, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill; Joshua Gunn, University of Texas at Austin An address that's normally a call for unity instead mirrored the rhetoric of his campaign: unfocused, contradictory and divisive. Politics + Society - [The art of protesting during Donald Trump's presidency] Jeremy David Bendik-Keymer, Case Western Reserve University On the face of it, our democratic values are in trouble. But we should be hopeful about the power of protest. - [One way Trump is different from European nationalists] Brian Porter-Szücs, University of Michigan An historian based in Poland sees many similarities between Trump and authoritarian nationalists like Poland's Jarosław Kaczyński. But the parallels only go so far. - [Can Trump make real change as president?] Sharece Thrower, Vanderbilt University A scholar of presidential power looks at personality, rationality and the institution of the presidency for clues about what the incoming administration can accomplish. Health + Medicine - [Price, author of long proposal to replace Obamacare, short on specifics in hearing] Miranda Yaver, Yale University Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) has written a proposal to repeal Obamacare, a program under the Department of Health and Human Services, which he would head. Here are things to consider for his next hearing. - [To honor Dr. King, pediatricians offer four tips to teach kindness to kids] Nia Heard-Garris, University of Michigan; Danielle Erkoboni, University of Pennsylvania Children learn hatred and violence, two pediatricians write, and they also learn love and respect. As we celebrate Martin Luther King Day, the two doctors offer things you can do to teach tolerance. - [Rural America, already hurting, could be most harmed by Trump's promise to repeal Obamacare] Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, University of Michigan; Mahshid Abir, University of Michigan Repeal and replacement of Obamacare would hurt rural health care, causing closure of hospitals and physician practices. What does this mean for a group of people whom Donald Trump has pledged to help? Arts + Culture - [Why time seems to fly – or trickle – by] Michael Flaherty, Eckerd College Time is fixed, but people experience hours, months and days in very different ways. One researcher has spent decades exploring this universal phenomenon. - [Why each side of the partisan divide thinks the other is living in an alternate reality] Lauren Griffin, University of Florida; Annie Neimand, University of Florida If someone sees or hears something they don't want to believe...they probably won't believe it. Environment + Energy - [Detecting methane leaks with infrared cameras: They're fast, but are they effective?] Arvind P. Ravikumar, Stanford University Infrared cameras are the technology of choice for detecting gas leaks across the US. New research shows that these cameras can be quite inaccurate, and leaks can persist without being detected. - [How can we predict the hottest year on record when weather forecasts are so uncertain?] Michael A. Rawlins, University of Massachusetts Amherst For the third consecutive year, it's the hottest year ever. A climate scientist explains how these predictions are made and why they're completely different from forecasting the weather. Economy + Business - [Trump snubs ethical norms because we've forgotten why they matter] Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon We haven't had a major government ethics scandal since Watergate, which means Americans have forgotten how bad it can be. That's why Trump may end up accidentally reminding us. - [Why the 'free market' for drugs doesn’t work and what we can do about it] Marcelle Arak, University of Colorado Denver; Sheila Tschinkel, Emory University Trump has vowed to use new bidding procedures to curb the soaring cost of new drugs. There's a better solution, however, that doesn't risk also curbing the development of lifesaving treatments. - [How progressives can still make change in the age of Trump] Sandra Waddock, Boston College Conservatives have been very successful framing a compelling narrative about who they are and what they stand for. Progressives will have a tough four years if they don't do the same. Science + Technology - [Using electricity, not molecules, to switch cells on and off] William Bentley, University of Maryland; Gregory Payne, University of Maryland New research works out how to translate between the language of biology – molecules – and the language of microelectronics – electrons. It could open the door to new kinds of biosensors and therapeutics. - [Data should smash the biological myth of promiscuous males and sexually coy females] Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, University of Missouri-St. Louis Victorian attitudes influenced what scientists thought they were observing about sexual behaviors in the animal world. But modern techniques reveal the myth for what it is. - [Is part of Chelsea Manning's legacy increased surveillance?] Sanjay Goel, University at Albany, State University of New York Government agencies and contractors are now less trusting of their workers, and keeping a much closer eye on them, both on and off the job. [The Conversation on Twitter] [The Conversation on Facebook] You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly]. We’ll miss you. 745 Atlantic Ave. 8th Floor Boston, MA 02111