Halloween

Halloween is a fun evening for kids, but should parents be worried about their children eating too much candy? After all, Halloween comes just once a year.

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Whole Grains

If you think all carbs are the same, think again. A growing body of evidence suggests that people should eat more whole wheat, oats and other unrefined grains. University assistant professor of nutrition Len Marquart says the trick is to make whole-grain foods tasty and accessible.

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Grilled Meat and Cancer

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found further evidence that avoiding grilled or fried red meat that is very well done, burned, or charred may help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

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Apples

Apple orchards across the state recently hit their peak season, and Minnesotans who gobble them up likely don’t know that 80 percent of the apples sold in the state were developed at the U of M. Apple breeder Jim Luby says that Minnesota’s cold climate was a reason the university first started developing the fruit.

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Polio in Minnesota

None of the four Amish children from central Minnesota identified earlier this month as being infected with the poliovirus, had been vaccinated. That’s one reason that this surprising development—it’s the first polio outbreak in the United States in 26 years—shouldn’t cause undue alarm, according to Dr. Mark Schleiss.

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Rural Internet Access

U of M professors John Sullivan and Eugene Borgida recently concluded a study of two Minnesota cities that have taken different paths in the way Internet access is offered. In Grand Rapids, local leaders pushed for broad public access to the Net, while another similar size city simply let the marketplace dictate Internet progression. Borgida explains why they conducted the research.

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Bankruptcy Laws

This week laws change in the United States for both corporations and personal bankruptcy. Rajesh Aggarwal with the university’s Carlson School of management explains why the laws are changing.

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Norman Borlaug

Last year the Legislature and Governor Tim Pawlenty designated Oct. 16 Norman Borlaug World Food Prize Day in Minnesota. Borlaug is debatably the university’s most recognized alumnus, and his work was pivotal in starting the “Green Revolution” that increased food self-sufficiency in many countries. The university’s Mary Buschette says that Borlaug’s work saved lives.

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Bird Flu

Recently, the Bird Flu has been at the top of minds of health professionals and the public alike. National expert Mike Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, says that concern over the bird flu is justified.

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Family Time, Less Sports

Bill Doherty, a leading U.S. expert on family time and a university professor in family social science, is taking the lead on calling for parents to reclaim family time from youth sports. In one case, parents in Apple Valley, Minnesota, are demanding for no sports practices, games or other activities for children on Sundays.

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Stem Cells, Cancer Research

In a University of Minnesota study, researchers have turned human embryonic stem cells into cancer-killing cells in the lab. According to Dr. Dan Kaufman, who led the research, such killer cells normally are present in the blood stream as part of our immune system.

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Migrant Workers

It is widely known that migrant workers make up a workforce of somewhere between 2 and 3 million nationwide. In Minnesota, migrant workers make up a workforce of around 50,000 each summer. Lisa Sass Zaragoza, a U of M outreach worker in the department of Chicano Studies, says that Minnesota farmers have had a long relationship with workers.

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Recess

With budgets tight for K-12 schools, some elementary schools have stopped providing time for recess. U of M educational psychology professor and author of the book “Recess: Its Role in Education and Development” Anthony Pellegrini says that recess isn’t just about playing games.

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Wind Turbine

Energy prices are on the rise, and the university’s campus in Morris is on the cutting edge of research on creating hydrogen out of wind energy with its wind turbine. Director of the West Central Research and Outreach Center Greg Cuomo says that the Wind Turbine supplies 60 percent of the Morris campus's electricity.

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Ear Plugs

If you’re going to a concert, wear earplugs, advises Dr. David Opperman, a medical resident at the University of Minnesota. Sound advice? Well, it seems like common sense. But in a recent study measuring the benefits of ear plugs, Opperman was surprised to find opposition.

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Veterans Transition Center

This week the student group Comfort for Courage, working with the university, opened a first-of-its kind veterans transition center for Iraq and Afghanistan War vets. Andrew Davis, its director, explains the center.

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Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid vehicle production by auto companies is on the rise. Bill Roberts, the university’s associate director for Parking and Transportation Services, explains what Hybrids are.

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Kids and the Media

Recently, more Minnesota National Guard members were called to duty to serve in Iraq. Harris Center director and child expert Doctor Marti Erickson says that parents need to take time to explain the war.

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Agriculture Students

Although family farms are declining in Minnesota, the university’s ungrad enrollment for Agricultural sciences is at 20-year high. Charles Muscoplat, dean of the school explains the spike.

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Breast Cancer

For more than 20 years breast cancer awareness has been promoted in the month of October, providing women with information about the importance of early detection. According to Dr. Doug Yee, director of the Breast Cancer Program at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center, women in this age group should have annual screenings.

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Scholarships

October is Scholarship Month at the U of M and for many attending college a scholarship can make a world of difference. Freshman Perry Hemmingsen from Wabasha tells us why he chose Minnesota.

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