“Black Panther”
Lend a Hand: Exhibit features art inspired by ‘Black Panther’: Tuscaloosa News – July 1
The University of Alabama’s Paul R. Jones Museum will feature a new exhibition, “BAM! Black Panther and the Black Arts Movement in the Paul R. Jones Collection,” beginning Friday. The exhibition, curated by Emily Bibb and Wendy Castenell, UA assistant professor of art and art history, was inspired by the recent blockbuster action movie “Black Panther.”
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – July 6
Tuscaloosa News – July 7
Immigration
Illegal vs undocumented: The heated divide over how we talk about immigration: Al.com – July 1
“Illegals should be immediately deported,” roared a Fairhope man. “We cannot trust our safety from these illegal invaders,” warned a Semmes woman. “Send them home, not to Alabama,” a Foley woman said. And on and on the hot political rhetoric went on the change.org petition that surfaced last week … Jennifer Kenney, an assistant professor at The University of Alabama’s department of criminology and criminal justice, said the discourse starts at the top, where Trump has referred to some people coming into the country as “animals.” “When you hear the most powerful man in the world calling these folks ‘animals’ then, ‘they aren’t human’ and ‘we can do anything we want with them,'” said Kenney. “It’s like Native Americans once being called savages and African Americans, during slavery, being called ‘monkeys’ and ‘apes.’
Mass Shooters
The mindset of mass shooters (Live interview): National Public Radio (National) – July 2
A little more than a week ago the FBI released a first of its kind report on the mindset of mass shooters. That report from the bureau’s behavioral analysis unit looks at about 60 shooters in more than a decades-worth of attacks …I’d like to welcome Adam Lankford to the show. He’s a criminology professor with The University of Alabama.
Dragons
Do fire-breathing dragons torch their teeth?: How Stuff Works – July 3
Fire-breathing dragons really capture the imagination — leading many writers to ponder just how such a creature might spew forth a torrent of flame. How do we square such a fantastic adaptation with real-life biology? … How did ancient humans dream up fire-breathing beasts? Theories vary, but University of Alabama biologist Stephen Secor proposes an interesting one. He wonders what might have happened if our ancestors killed a gorged python and took it back to their camp.
Travel Risks
“Shooting and robbery are frequent”: China warns its citizens about risks of travel to the US: Zero Hedge – July 3
The Chinese Embassy in Washington issued a security advisory last week, warning Chinese citizens traveling to the US that “shooting, robbery, and theft are frequent.” Tourists were also warned to “be alert to suspicious people around you, avoid going out alone at night.” … China may be right: according to a 2015 University of Alabama study, Yemen is the only other country in the world with a higher rate of mass shootings, adjusted for population.
“Immigrant Life”
UA artist opens exhibit at Gadsden State’s Ayers campus: The Chamber (Gadsden) – July 5
Gadsden State Community College’s Fine Arts Department presents its summer art exhibition “Immigrant Life” by Juan Lopez-Bautista, an artist and University of Alabama biology professor. The show is in the Pierce Cain Learning Resource Center at the Ayers Campus through Aug. 10.
Alabama Blues Project
Alabama Blues Project finally has a permanent home: Tuscaloosa News – July 6
The Alabama Blues Project isn’t singing those need-a-home blues anymore. The Tuscaloosa-based nonprofit organization has been offered office space in the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, which is also home to the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and Tuscaloosa Arts Council, on Greensboro Avenue. . . . Alabama Blues Week, a week of multiple live performances at area venues, will be hosted by the Alabama Blues Project, beginning Monday and continuing through July 15. The Alabama Blues Project will be collaborating with The University of Alabama’s School of Music faculty and College of Continuing Studies in hosting the week of events, most of which take place at the Paul W. Bryant Conference Center.
Frog and Firefly
Watch this frog light up after it swallows a firefly: LiveScience.com – July 6
Cellphone video recently captured an incredible sight: After a tiny frog gulped down a firefly, the unlucky insect kept flashing from inside the amphibian’s gullet, perhaps broadcasting a final, desperate SOS. . . . Then again, maybe it didn’t. Because the frog had very recently eaten the firefly when the footage was captured, it’s also possible that the effects of the toxins hadn’t had enough time to do any real damage, Nick Caruso, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Alabama, told Live Science in an email. “Likely if we followed that frog for an hour or so, we might see a different story,” Caruso said.
Black Hole
UA astronomer aids discovery of rare mid-sized black hole: Tuscaloosa News – July 6
A University of Alabama astronomer is part of an international team of researchers who found a rare mid-sized black hole. “It’s a class of black of hole that we don’t have a lot of data evidence they exist,” said Jimmy Irwin, UA associate professor of astronomy and physics, in a news release. “If we understand how intermediate-mass black holes form, we can understand how large black holes form.” The finding, which demonstrates an effective method to detect the intermediate class of black holes, was announced in the journal Nature Astronomy in June.