3Qs at the U

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 8) Jeffrey Dvorkin on journalism in a time of global pandemic

lanthierj — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 16:26:04 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 8) Jeffrey Dvorkin on journalism in a time of global pandemic lanthierj Mon, 07/20/2020 - 12:26

Topic

Our Community

3Qs at the U

Coronavirus

Alumni

��Ƶ Scarborough

Stay-at-home orders and physical distancing have made the practice of journalism more challenging. And yet, as one ��Ƶ expert argues, good journalism is more important than ever.

In episode eight of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – the alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with Jeffrey Dvorkin, the director of the journalism program at the ��Ƶ Scarborough, about the difficulties of gathering news during COVID-19 and the need for mainstream media to cut through misinformation.

“One of the outcomes that I worry about is, can journalism still convey a sense of who we are as a culture…if we are barely out there,” Dvorkin says. “It’s up to mainstream media…to help the public figure out what is going on, what information they need to be aware of and what information they can comfortably ignore because it’s just nonsense.”

3Qs at the U is a weekly video series in which Yammine asks a U of T researcher three questions on a timely topic. It’s produced by U of T Scarborough interactive digital producer Cory Lawrence.

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3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 7) Roberta Timothy on anti-Black racism and COVID-19

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 16:14:59 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 7) Roberta Timothy on anti-Black racism and COVID-19 Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 07/06/2020 - 12:14

Topic

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Along with COVID-19, one of the defining developments of 2020 has been widespread growth in the movement against anti-Black racism, including police brutality.

In episode seven of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with Roberta Timothy, an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, about the historical context of anti-Black racism and colonial violence, as well as the significant health disparities Black people are encountering during the current pandemic.

“Systemic, institutional and organizational changes need to happen,” Timothy says. “Keeping communities safe means addressing the lack of safety and threats of violence in our life.”

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3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 6) Peter Newman on LGBTQ communities and COVID-19

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 21:56:03 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 6) Peter Newman on LGBTQ communities and COVID-19 Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 06/22/2020 - 17:56

Topic

Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

LGBTQ

The public health response to the global pandemic has called on everyone to change their lives considerably. But it has had an unequal effect on different communities – including people who are LGBTQ.

In episode five of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with Peter Newman, a professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, about how our “one size fits all” approach to the pandemic risks further marginalizing those who are LGBTQ.

“LGBTQ communities were experiencing a lot of disparities in terms of health and public health before this pandemic ever existed,” Newman says. “Telling people certain things about staying at home and avoiding contact with people outside the home is a very different experience … and it’s not considered in terms of how might this impact them.”

As an example, Newman cites the scenario of a gay man who is living with his partner, but has avoided telling his family about the arrangement because he hasn’t come out to them: “Now that they’re both stuck at home, how are they going to do that?”

He adds, however, that the LGBTQ community has built up “tremendous strength” in response to decades-long challenges like HIV. “I would venture to say we know how to do pandemics, actually … and the experience of the community is really, really important in terms of how we navigate this one,” Newman says.

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3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 5) Jennifer Brant on Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 16:02:34 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 5) Jennifer Brant on Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19 Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 06/15/2020 - 12:02

Topic

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

COVID-19 has served as a reminder of the devastating history that Indigenous Peoples have endured with infectious diseases. What still needs to be done to ensure the well-being of Indigenous communities?

In episode four of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with Jennifer Brant, an assistant professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, about how the structural inequities faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada have left their communities particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.

“[Government initiatives] all appear to be Band-Aid level responses that fail to address most of the structural inequities such as access to safe, clean drinking water,” Brant says. “I find it shocking that we’re still having this conversation today after years of calling attention to the issue.”

But Brant points to the creative and tangible ways that communities have been responding, such as protecting their elders from the disease. “What’s really inspiring is that we’re also seeing Indigenous communities come together virtually,” she says. “A big part of this is that sense of togetherness even though we’re separated physically.”

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3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 4) Lisa Kramer on personal finances and COVID-19

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 20:16:23 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 4) Lisa Kramer on personal finances and COVID-19 Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 06/08/2020 - 16:16

Topic

Rotman School of Management

U of T Mississauga

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the global economy. What are people doing in response?

In episode four of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with Lisa Kramer, a professor of finance at U of T Mississauga about the impact of the pandemic on personal finances.

“Many people are suffering reduced income … and this is obviously leading to tighter finances, so we’re having to figure ways to be creative with the reduced budgets that we have,” Kramer says.

“Government at all levels have pulled all the levers at their disposal to help us get through this,” she says. “There will be another side. We’re seeing lots of great measures to help us get through this.”

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3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 3) David Samson on sleep

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 25 May 2020 15:44:55 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam: (Ep. 3) David Samson on sleep Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 05/25/2020 - 11:44

Topic

We know sleep is important, and yet sometimes we just can’t get enough. What should we do to try to get a better night's rest?

In episode three of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with David Samson, a sleep expert from U of T Mississauga.

“You want good sleep hygiene and you want good light hygiene,” says Samson, an assistant professor of anthropology who studies the connection between sleep, our health, and other cognitive functions. “Sleep hygiene means that the environment that you're sleeping in is distraction-free. You don't want any big LCD screens blasting you with blue-wave light because blue-wave light … is going to inhibit melatonin and melatonin is the principal hormone that drives your sleep-awake regulation.”

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3Qs at the U with Science Sam – (Ep. 2) Steve Joordens on anxiety

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 15 May 2020 13:37:37 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam – (Ep. 2) Steve Joordens on anxiety Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 05/15/2020 - 09:37

Topic

Anxiety may feel like a common topic today, but what do we really know about it?

In episode two of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with U of T’s Steve Joordens about about anxiety, particularly during COVID-19 isolation.

“I think the best way to understand it is to kind of think about why we have this reaction at all, and it's really the act of a system that's goal is to keep us alive in the face of sudden threat,” says Joordens, a psychology professor at U of T Scarborough who specializes in consciousness, attention, and memory, and often speaks generally on mental illness topics.

3Qs at the U is a weekly video series in which Yammine asks a U of T researcher three questions on a timely topic. It’s produced by U of T Scarborough Interactive Digital Producer Cory Lawrence.

See a complete list of all episodes

3Qs at the U with Science Sam – (Ep. 1) Anthropologist Madeleine Mant

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 11 May 2020 17:56:51 +0000

3Qs at the U with Science Sam – (Ep. 1) Anthropologist Madeleine Mant Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 05/11/2020 - 13:56

Topic

Did you know that 17th century plague doctors wore scary bird-like masks? Why would they do that?

In episode one of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a ��Ƶ alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with U of T anthropologist Madeleine Mant about the 17th-century plague doctors and their bird-like masks.

“I know there's the phrase ... ‘history doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes’ – well understanding the past is so critical because it gives us the chance to learn,” says Mant, a lecturer at U of T Mississauga who combines medical anthropology and medical history research with a theatrical twist. “COVID-19 itself as a disease is new, but looking back can remind us that human societies have faced massive crises before and survived.”