UM researcher proves waiting is worth it
Ever felt something was “worth the wait?” As Barbara E. Kahn, University of Miami dean and researcher, has found, this may actually be true.
Kahn’s research proved that longer wait times are more likely to help individuals prepare for anticipated negative events, which can reduce stress levels.
For students, the idea that waiting is better may be beneficial in an academic environment. Kahn’s findings can be applied to a situation like waiting for a test, by helping the student better prepare emotionally for what is ahead.
Kahn, who conducted research with Elizabeth Gelfand Miller of Boston College and Mary Frances Luce of Duke University, published her findings about waiting and its correlation to stress in the February 2008 edition of Journal of Consumer Research.
“Our research showed that time spent waiting is not always a negative thing,” Kahn said. “When you are waiting for a stressful event, the waiting can be used productively to help you cope with the negative event.”
According to Kahn, these findings may provide insight for marketers who tend to believe shorter wait times are better.
-Chelsea Kate Isaacs
Scientists bring heat with new global warming reports
University of Miami researchers may have made what have been called breakthrough contributions in the field of global warming research.
A study, released in January by researchers at UM and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Miami Lab, stated that global warming may in fact decrease the number of hurricanes that strike the United States, reported The New York Times. The study, published in Geographic Research Letters, said warmer waters could increase vertical wind speed, weakening the hurricane’s strength. This research supports earlier claims that warmer sea waters might cause atmospheric instabilities that could prevent the formation of a potential tropical storm. However, it challenges recent research that suggests global warming could be contributing to an increase in the frequency and intensity of Atlantic hurricanes, which thrive in warm water.
UM scientist Sang-Ki Lee, along with Chunzai Wang of NOAA, found a slight decline in hurricanes hitting the U.S., after examining 150 years of hurricane records. The Times said conflicting views surround the results of the study, but author Robert Henson said scientists are “trying to defuse the emotion and focus on the research.”
-Chelsea Kate Isaacs
Richter Library adds new collection of Jose Martí poems
The Otto G. Richter Library has added a new addition to the ten-year-old Cuban Heritage Exhibit.
A collection of poems by Jose Martí, Cuban independence hero and poet, will be placed on display tonight during a ceremony at the Roberto C. Goizveta Pavilion on the second floor of Richter.
The poems will be part of the children’s books exhibit called “200 Years of Cuban Children’s Books,” which chronicles Cuban history from the 1800s to present.
While many of the selections in the exhibit were published in Cuba by native authors, there will also be a section of poems and stories written by Cuban exiles that were published outside of the country.