“We often hear that children are hit or beaten because that is how their parents were brought up, as in the case of Adrian Peterson. Parents may only have their own childhood experiences in their ’toolkit’ for parenting. We need to expand that toolkit, to offer parents alternative methods of discipline that are both effective and safe.
“The only way most of us know how to parent is how we were raised. When that experience included the infliction of injury, we need to break the cycle and help parents learn alternative methods that will raise kids up, not beat them down.
“Many parents who beat their children don’t know any other way to discipline them. Most don’t want to harm their kids; they just don’t have options in their parenting toolbox."
On the move: Water quality and antimicrobial resistance testing goes mobile
Penn researchers have developed a mobile field laboratory allowing them to test water quality and track antimicrobial resistance in and around San Cristóbal in the Galápagos.
Penn researchers Vanessa and Alexis North are studying one of the largest collections of Egyptian blue objects ever found in the ancient Near East, shedding new light on how the world’s first synthetic pigment may have traveled far beyond Egypt.
A new role for dental providers? Rethinking where vaccines are given
Vaccinations have traditionally been administered in primary care settings or pharmacies. However, for about a decade, some states have authorized dentists to administer vaccines, and many others did so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effectiveness of this approach has led some countries and states to expand or consider expanding the role of dental providers in delivering routine vaccines, including those against COVID-19 and the human papillomavirus (HPV), and in providing vaccine education.
Penn student develops a way for computer chips to run more efficiently
Fluid Silicon, a platform from President’s Sustainability Prize winner Nhlanhla Mavuso, allows computer chips to continuously monitor their health and self-tune as their characteristics change. The technology has the potential to reduce energy usage in data centers and improve reliability in mission-critical applications.
