Extra Credit: Our pick of stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.
What food is healthy to eat? Depends who’s asking (The Conversation)
by Julie Hussin
Is a fatty diet good for you? Maybe—at least if you have Inuit ancestry. A newly published study found that genetic mutations among Greenlandic Inuits help them make the most of a diet very high in animal fats. This points to the fact that the definition of a “healthy diet” depends partly on who’s doing the eating.
History, citizenship, and trash (the Washington Post)
by Nora Stel
How can the protest movement around Beirut’s garbage crisis best achieve both an end to the health hazard and broader reforms? Academic studies of a similar situation that occurred in South Lebanon in 2012 may offer some clues.
The Uses of Anger (the New York Times)
by Matthew Hutson
When selling a business or negotiating a peace treaty, it would be foolish to get angry, right? Maybe not. A series of studies suggest that—depending on the circumstances—anger can sometimes be a good negotiating tool. More surprisingly, it can sometimes help both sides in a conflict do better.
Was this the first creature to walk on all fours? (IFLScience)
by Josh L Davis
When our ancestors first climbed out of the sea, they spent a long time skittering around with their limbs out to the side like modern-day lizards. In a newly published paper, paleontologists report on the earliest known creature to move around on all fours like a cow or a dog 260 million years ago.
Why we believe lies (Pacific Standard)
by Tom Jacobs
Why do politicians lie? You might think it’s because they can trick under-informed voters. But a new study suggests the reality is even worse. Repetition of a lie can makes us accept a statement as true even when we know better.
Have you seen a story online that does a good job of bridging the gap between the news and scholarship? Or something that seems particularly well-researched? Let us know and we may include it in next week’s roundup. Email us at jstordaily_submissions (at) jstor (dot) org.
