Driverless cars could cut auto sales in half 
(Christian Science Monitor, February 12, 2015)
Today’s sky-high auto sales could plummet as driverless cars start hitting the streets, research suggests. The reason? Driverless cars would let people share a vehicle for separate trips. More

A historic gathering of b-school deans tackles gender inequality
(Poets & Quants, February 12, 2015)
To little fanfare, a potentially historic moment has taken place in the business school arena, involving 10 powerful women and a senior White House adviser. The 10 women are deans at leading U.S. business schools, including Alison Davis-Blake, the Edward J. Frey dean at U-M’s Ross School of Business. The adviser is a member of the three-person panel that advises the President on economic policy. More

Obesity breakthrough: Researchers identify new genetic markers for obesity in largest-ever genomic study on the disease 
(International Business Times, February 11, 2015)
Why do some people stay slim while others develop obesity? Scientists have come closer to uncovering the genetic roots of obesity with new research that links 140 regions on the human genome to the disease. More

War on words: University of Michigan spends $16K on ‘Inclusive Language Campaign’
(The Washington Times, February 9, 2015)
U-M has launched a $16,000 campaign aimed at teaching students that certain words are considered offensive and should not be used on campus. As part of the new “Inclusive Language Campaign,” dozens of posters have been plastered across the Ann Arbor campus warning students not to use words that could offend others, such as “crazy,” “insane,” “retarded,” “gay,” “tranny,” “gypped,” “illegal alien,” “fag,” “ghetto,” and “raghead.” More

The fake city helping create tomorrow’s cars 
(BBC News, February 9, 2015)
Some 40 miles from the Motor City, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, is building a fake town centre, complete with roads, buildings, roundabouts, buses, and even robotic pedestrians. This stunt city is designed to give the connected, “talking” cars of the future a place to test their skills. More

Did this 100-year-old film make people racist? 
(BBC News, February 7, 2015)
When the first ever feature-length film premiered in LA 100 years ago, viewers were astonished by its cinematography, gripping battle scenes, and three-hour running time. But it was also racist and helped revive the Ku Klux Klan. Did Birth of a Nation have a greater impact on real life than any other film?  More

Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Notorious RBG, the power of dissent and breaking gender barriers
(mlive.com, February 6, 2015)
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg talked about topics ranging from gender equality and campaign financing to family life and her nickname Notorious RBG Friday morning when she headlined the University of Michigan’s 2015 Tanner Lecture on Human Values in front of a jam-packed Hill Auditorium. More

Michigan’s new, tougher approach to human trafficking
(Michigan Radio, “Stateside,” February 4, 2015)
Thanks to a new package of laws that took effect last week, Michigan has a tougher new approach to human trafficking and the sex trade. Bridgette Carr, a University of Michigan law professor, served on the state task force whose human trafficking report helped guide the legislature as it crafted the new law, which has garnered lots of praise. More