Have you felt uplifted through a simple smile, help with a task or a positive interchange with someone — even a stranger? Kindness works both ways. A new study conducted by BYU researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad finds that offering a single act of kindness each week reduced loneliness, social isolation and social anxiety, and promoted neighborhood relationships.
Humanities professors Michael Call and Brian Croxall have introduced a new video gaming initiative to BYU’s campus. With the support of the College of Humanities, students gather each Monday at 4:00 p.m. in the Humanities Learning Commons for a short faculty lecture about the video game of the week. The game is then available to play throughout the week. Beginning with Stardew Valley and Minecraft, the highlighted games and analyses are continuing through the semester.
In her forum address at the Marriott Center, Kearney spoke on the importance of marriage and family, emphasizing the positive economic and personal impact it has.
BYU history professor and recently retired Army Col. Mark Choate says diplomatic missions are a lot like church missions: they carry a higher, broader purpose, run on small teams and accomplish a similar overarching goal of bringing peace to God’s children. Choate recently earned the prestigious Legion of Merit for his military service.
A futuristic BYU-designed, origami-inspired Flex Chair, cut out of a single piece of flat material and folded into shape, has made YouTuber Mark Rober’s Top 10 list. In a Nov. 2 video post, Rober spotlights the chair at #7 on his list of Crunch Lab builds in the past year, and credits BYU compliant mechanisms researchers for the innovative design.
Over the past 10 years, BYU professors coauthored a staggering 1,388 publications with colleagues at the University of Utah. While athletic competitions between the two schools produce a lot of headlines, academic collaborations produce a lot of research.
A new welding technique developed by BYU and Toyota for the Sienna’s sliding doors uses 40 times less energy, emits fewer emissions, and produces welds that are 10 times stronger. This new process, called refill friction stir spot welding, could prove critical as Toyota and other car manufacturers rely more and more on lighter aluminum parts.
A study co-authored by eight BYU students and three BYU faculty finds that exposure to the exhaust gas produced by diesel engines is tied to increased fat mass, enlarged fat cells, insulin resistance and inflammation. These changes can cause metabolic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.