The Internet

Stanford scholar Dan Jurafsky found that the words used in online restaurant reviews provide a surprising source of insight into human psychology. While positive reviews of expensive restaurants were rife with sensual and sexy metaphors, the good food at cheap restaurants prompted references to drugs. more »

Julia Sneden writes: I was at the checkout counter of a local supermarket last Saturday, watching as a pleasant woman rang up my groceries. In the brief pause as I wrote my check, the cashier turned to the youngster who was bagging the groceries. "Hey, do you know if the library is open today?" she asked. "Nah," the bagger replied scornfully. "I don’t do libraries. I can Google anything I need to know." more »

Julia Sneden writes: Nowadays, when I have to learn something new, it seems to take forever, and when I take notes, I lose them almost as quickly as I have written them down … which drawer did I put that in? Which drawer in which desk/table/bureau? In which room? What color was the paper I wrote them down on (this is more likely to stick in my brain, and helps if there’s a pile of other bits of paper wherever it was that I put it ...) more »

An Introduction to Marine Science and Conservation, a new MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from Duke University taught by David W. Johnston, Asst. Prof, Marine Conservation & Ecology, will encourage students to use the papers in the Collection to gain a deeper understanding of marine life and how scientists study the ocean.    more »