The pandemic's drain on creativity

+ Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem? US Edition - Today's top story: Why being stuck at home – and unable to hang out in cafes and bars – drains our creativity [View in browser]( US Edition | 16 December 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Thanks to the pandemic, coffee shops around the country have closed, reduced their hours or restricted indoor seating. This means more than lost wages for the employees and extra miles on your drip coffee maker. Three architecture and design scholars from the University at Buffalo explain how it also represents the loss of [a space that encourages random encounters that are important incubators for ideas and inspiration](. Also today: - [The truth about Black men and marriage]( - [Cyberattacks on K-12 schools are increasing]( - [Baby, it’s cold outside – but can that give you a cold?]( Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor By encouraging random encounters and free-flowing conversation, coffee shops are engines of innovation. Hulton Archive/Stringer via Getty Images [Why being stuck at home – and unable to hang out in cafes and bars – drains our creativity]( Korydon Smith, University at Buffalo; Kelly Hayes McAlonie, University at Buffalo; Rebecca Rotundo, University at Buffalo By missing out on chance encounters and observations that jolt 'a-ha' moments, new ideas, big and small, go undiscovered. Politics/Election '20 - [The reality of Black men’s love lives and marriages is very different than what’s usually shown on TV – I spent years actually talking to them]( Armon Perry, University of Louisville The image of Black men in the US is distorted by the media and selective academic studies, says a scholar who has studied Black men's romantic lives. 'Black love matters' is his counter to that image. Education - [K-12 schools need to take cyberattacks more seriously]( Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina – Greensboro America's public schools often lack the adequate security to protect their students' most sensitive data from being linked on the web. - [COVID-19 means a lot more work for families of children with disabilities, but schools can help]( Sandra M. Chafouleas, University of Connecticut; Emily A. Iovino, University of Connecticut Some parents of kids with disabilities are doubling as specialized teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists and psychologists during the pandemic. Economy + Business - [Americans aren’t getting enough to eat during the coronavirus pandemic – here’s what’s happening in Los Angeles County]( Kayla de la Haye, University of Southern California Not having enough to eat is a major public health concern, not only because it causes hunger and distress, but also because it’s linked to poor nutrition and unstable diet patterns. - [Companies accused of crimes get more digital privacy rights than people under new Trump policy]( Sarah Esther Lageson, Rutgers University - Newark ; Elizabeth Chiarello, Saint Louis University A recent Labor Department memo urges agencies to avoid releasing press releases accusing companies of violating laws over fears of causing repetitional damage. People are denied the same protections. Health + Medicine - [Will going out in the cold give you a cold?]( Libby Richards, Purdue University Going out in the cold won't necessarily lead to you getting a cold. But cold weather in general is more hospitable to viruses, so it's wise to take steps to keep your immune system strong. Ethics + Religion - [Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem? Why the Gospels disagree over the circumstances of Christ’s birth]( Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, Fuller Theological Seminary The differences in the Gospels are hard to reconcile. That's because, says a scholar, they offer an important insight into the Greco-Roman views of ethnic identity. Most read on site - [Scientists suggest US embassies were hit with high-power microwaves – here’s how the weapons work]( Edl Schamiloglu, University of New Mexico High-power microwave weapons are useful for disabling electronics. They might also be behind the ailments suffered by US diplomats and CIA agents in Cuba and China. - [Oregon just decriminalized all drugs – here’s why voters passed this groundbreaking reform]( Scott Akins, Oregon State University; Clayton Mosher, Washington State University Possessing heroin, cocaine, meth and other drugs for personal use is no longer a criminal offense in Oregon. The idea is to get people with problem drug use help, not punishment. - [The iconic American inventor is still a white male – and that’s an obstacle to race and gender inclusion]( Anjali Vats, Boston College The story of invention in America typically features larger-than-life caricatures of white men like Thomas Edison while largely ignoring the contributions of women and people of color. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451