Bob Brockie of the Dominion Post discusses some of the science discoveries over the last month that, while fascinating, didn’t make the news.
The include the finding that the universe is far more run-down that previously though, that crows are very good at recognising distinct people, Roman coins, the impact teachers can have on the maths performance of their female students, and improving tomatoes’ shelf life.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“Researchers at the University of Chicago find that few female primary school teachers are qualified in maths, most of them fearing the topic. Their anxieties show up in the classroom, where girl pupils, but not boys, pick up on the fear and do worse at maths. Psychology professor Sian Beilock, who led the research, says: “Having a highly math- anxious female teacher may push girls to confirm the stereotype that they are not as good as boys at math, which in turn, affects girls’ math achievement.””