University of Arizona in the News

A sweeping survey of ancient settlements in Mexico led by University of Arizona archaeologist Takeshi Inomata offers new clues to pre-Columbian life in North America. "The main point of this study is the discovery of nearly 500 standardized complexes across a broad area, many of them having rectangular shapes," wrote Inomata. "Until three years ago, we had no idea about the presence of such complexes. They really force us to rethink what was happening during this period."

An article on the investigation in to an earthquake reported 467 miles beneath the Earth's surface quotes University of Arizona seismologist Eric Kiser, whose team examined data from multiple seismometers, including Japan's dense sensor network – the Hi-Net array – to determine the source of the temblor – a slab of subducted Pacific seafloor that pierced the top of the lower mantle as it settled. "We're talking very, very slightly," Kiser said.

A story examining the growth of online counseling and therapy sessions offered by University of Arizona Campus Health Counseling and Psych Services during the pandemic quotes associate director Aaron Barnes: "I think the face of mental health has pretty much changed forever. I think most therapy will be conducted online from here on out, which is something I never expected to see. It's opened up resources for people who might've never had the opportunity before. I think that's pretty cool, too."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that people can get boosters that are different from the vaccine they originally received. "From the data we've got, Moderna is doing a touch bit better. We’re not talking orders of magnitude," said Deepta Bhattacharya, a professor of immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson.

University of Arizona doctoral student in physiology Kat Kennedy writes about her research that finds menstruating women who sleep less than six hours a night were 44% more likely to have an irregular period and 70% more likely to have heavy bleeding during a period than healthy sleepers who got seven to nine hours.

University of Arizona immunologist Deepta Bhattacharya explains his lack of concern over the continuing drop in his COVID-19 antibody levels since he became fully vaccinated in March.

An article casting Frank Herbert's science fiction novel as a cautionary tale about humanity's relationship with water – both on Earth and beyond – quotes an email from Stefano Nerozzi, a postdoctoral research associate from the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, regarding potential human settlement of Mars, a hyper-arid desert by Earth's standards: "Due to the very low atmospheric pressure, water can only exist as vapor or ice near the surface.

Mounting data suggest that older people are at higher risk of severe disease from a breakthrough infection of COVID-19 – and scientists say that should come as no surprise. Older age brackets have been disproportionately at risk throughout the pandemic, and that continues to be true even once someone is fully vaccinated. Experts say they still don't have an adequate explanation for why older people were more susceptible to COVID-19 even before vaccines were available.

Plenty of research on happiness suggests it arises when we are generous, grateful and connected with our people. But another lesser-known pathway toward happiness is learning, growing and challenging ourselves in new ways. Thriving tends to occur when we experience success, but also when we are continually developing our skills and capabilities. Learning can also build resilience, because – by definition – learning requires you to realize you don’t already know it all and encourages you to try something new and fill in gaps of information.

University of Arizona researchers Christopher L. Castro and Diana Zamora-Reyes write that monsoon prediction is becoming more complicated due to climate change.