Press Releases in June, 2010 | Brown University News and Events

Brown Team Finds Widespread Glacial Meltwater Valleys on Mars

Glacial Rivers: Brown University researchers have found evidence that melting glaciers spawned rivers on Mars as recently as several hundred million years ago. This image shows a river that sprang from a past glacier from an unnamed crater in Mars’ middle latitudes.

A research team led by Brown University has documented dozens of channels carved by melted water from glaciers located in the midlatitude region of Mars. The glaciofluvial valleys were carved in Mars’ most recent epoch, the team reports, supporting the idea that the Red Planet was home to diverse watery environments in its recent past. Results are published in Icarus. (Distributed June 23, 2010)

Carbon Dioxide Is the Missing Link to Past Global Climate Changes

Timothy Herbert: Professor of Geological Sciences

Carbon dioxide is the missing ingredient in explaining the advent of Ice Ages in the Northern Hemisphere and why those cold epochs have caused changes in the tropics for the past 2.7 million years. In a paper in Science, Brown University geologist Timothy Herbert and others analyzed ocean sediment cores and found a definitive link between the Ice Ages and ocean surface temperatures in the tropics. They believe carbon dioxide explains the link. (Distributed June 17, 2010)

$42M Renovation to Make New Home for Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences

New Home for a New Department: Work has begun at the Metcalf laboratories, with completion scheduled for October 2011.

Brown University will renovate the Metcalf laboratories to create a home for the newly created Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences. The renovation began in June with an expected completion date of October 2011. (Distributed June 9, 2010)

Expert Sources and Commentary

Sleep – High Quality and Enough of It – Is Essential for Child Health

Insufficient or poor-quality sleep produces more than grogginess. Inadequate sleep may be a significant factor in childhood obesity, poor decision-making, and lower performance at school. (Distributed June 8, 2010)

Through July 11

Bell Gallery presents VoiceOver: Jon Laustsen, Amy Podmore, Charles Jones

Charles Jones, Accord Group/Kyoto: Hand-stitched saddle leather, fabricated steel, Lexan128 x 78 x 74.5 inches (2008)

The David Winton Bell Gallery of Brown University presents the work of three area artists: Jon Laustsen (Pawtucket, R.I.), Amy Podmore (Williamstown, Mass.), and Charles Jones (Boston). VoiceOver, an exploration of the narrative tradition in sculpture, will continue through July 11, 2010. It is open to the public without charge. (Distributed June 8, 2010)

Study: Mining Is a Major Driver of Sub-Saharan Africa’s TB Epidemic

Data mining: Data analysis shows a correlation between greater mining production and a rise in tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa.

A study by Mark Lurie of Brown University and an international team of researchers has developed the first statistical evidence linking mining to high rates of tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa. The exponential rise in TB in the region had been attributed to higher rates of HIV, but this paper finds a more direct link between work in the mines and incidence of TB. (Distributed June 7, 2010)

Louis B. Rice, M.D., Named Chair of Medicine at Alpert Medical School

Louis B. Rice, M.D.: Chair, Department of MedicineThe Warren Alpert Medical SchoolChief of MedicineRhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital

Louis Rice, M.D., a specialist in infectious disease, has been appointed chair of the Department of Medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School and chief of medicine at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals. Rice’s research includes developing antibiotic usage strategies to minimize resistance. (Distributed June 1, 2010)