In a time of heightened polarization, particularly as the nation waits for election results, many Ohioans find themselves grappling with differences extending beyond politics.

A course, titled The Biology of Hope and Belief at Ohio State University, examines the often contentious debate between science and faith. It seeks to address these complexities, providing a platform for students to explore the relationship between scientific understanding and personal belief systems.

Megan Meuti, associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University, said a key objective is to foster an understanding of what science can explain and what it cannot.

"There is a strong biological basis to hope and belief," Meuti asserted. "All faith perspectives and no faith perspectives are welcomed and valued in the class. But what they walk away from believing at the end of the semester is between them and their God, if they recognize one."

Meuti pointed out the approach may be especially important in a state where beliefs about science often clash with traditional views. She added the course encourages respectful dialogue and critical thinking, both of which are vital in navigating complex topics.

Part of the course features the Socratic teaching interview, where students engage others in discussions about evolution and related topics. Meuti noted the assignment promotes not only an understanding of scientific concepts, but also effective communication skills to help students navigate different perspectives.

"Many students have shared that was the starting point for a two- to three-hour conversation with the person that they were talking to," Meuti recounted.

The course curriculum, originally developed by Susan Fisher, was designed to address the concerns of students who may reject scientific concepts like evolution due to their religious backgrounds. Meuti stressed as they progress through the course, students develop critical skills for both their academic and personal lives.

Human beings are hardwired to pair-bond and most people have experienced some of the social pressures to find a life partner and start a family but a new study suggested while romantic relationships are important, friendships also play a key role in our happiness.

Natalie Pennington, assistant professor of communication studies at Colorado State University, and a team of researchers surveyed 940 American adults. She said fewer people call their romantic partner their best friend than you might expect.

"Only about 14.4% of the sample said 'this is my romantic partner and it's my best friend.'" Pennington reported. "It raises that question of how much pressure we're putting on that romantic relationship."

People surveyed who saw their partners as their best friends said they felt closer to them and interacted with them more often than those whose best friends were not their romantic partners. But Pennington noted those whose best friends were not their partners reported greater feelings of social support. The study was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Pennington pointed out as people get older, they are more likely to call their romantic partner their best friend, in part due to social networks tending to shrink over time. She added having multiple people you can lean on, and help support, can be a challenge.

"Because you've got to maintain several different types of relationships, different degrees of closeness," Pennington explained. "When you have more people, that means that you have greater opportunity to get different types of support, different types of feedback, learn from each other."

For people still looking for a romantic partner or a friend, Pennington suggested starting small. She stressed communication is a lot like exercise. Talking to people more often helps stretch and strengthen that socializing muscle.

"Talk to the barista as you order a coffee. Turn and chat to somebody on the bus or the train," Pennington advised. "When we take those little actions to start talking to strangers, and getting a little bit more comfortable and confident socializing, it can really help us grow our relationships."

Notre Dame is launching a major effort to shape the future of social media policy and it could affect every corner of Indiana.

This week, the university is hosting lawmakers, tech leaders and scholars to draft a national roadmap for regulating platforms like Facebook and YouTube. They will focus on how social media influences democracy, civic trust, and everyday life.

David Campbell, professor and director of the Democracy Initiative at the University of Notre Dame, said the meeting is just the beginning.

"Our hope is the policy experts will hear from the scholars what the research said about the effects of social media and hopefully, the two groups together can settle on concrete recommendations that can be made," Campbell explained.

Campbell pointed out online activity can affect Indiana communities, not just the nation. The university plans to continue this work beyond the event, with a nonpartisan focus.

Campbell stressed the university wants to turn expert research into real policy solutions that strengthen civic trust.

"This convening demonstrates Notre Dame's commitment to being an important voice in the national conversation about the state of American civil society; in this case social media," Campbell emphasized. "To ensure that concrete ideas are being proposed and implemented to try to get us out of the mess that we're in."

Notre Dame is partnering with bipartisan group Issue One on the project.


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E-cigarettes in Maryland are getting cheaper and bigger, delivering higher amounts of nicotine to users, according to a new study.

The study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation and the Truth Initiative, an anti-tobacco nonprofit, found e-cigarette sales have increased by 250% since 2020. The sharpest increase was in disposable e-cigarettes, which have increased their nicotine content by more than 2,000%. Disposable e-cigarettes make up nearly 75% of nicotine content sold.

Megan Diaz, research director of the Schroeder Institute at the Truth Initiative, said disposable e-cigarettes are still often marketed to people under age 18. In Maryland, nearly 15% of high school students said they've used an e-cigarette at least once in the past 30 days.

"They come in a variety of flavors. They're just highly attractive to youth. They are providing the most amount of nicotine to the market right now," Diaz outlined. "This is a problem, because youth are really attracted to these products."

Most disposable products are also on the market illegally and more than 80% of e-cigarette sales are from nicotine products not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, making them illegal. The FDA has only authorized 34 products to be on the market.

In 2023, nearly 90% of nicotine sold in the U.S. came from nontobacco flavored products, which research suggests is a major motivation for youth use of nicotine. Diaz pointed out there are science-based treatments to help people fight their addiction to nicotine. Truth Initiative offers free online quit programs and just started a new program geared toward young people to help them quit their nicotine addiction.

"Nicotine is a highly addictive product," Diaz emphasized. "We do offer a free program at Truth Initiative that helps everyone, not just youth. It also helps adults to quit tobacco and nicotine."

Those interested in participating in the EX Program can text "EXPROGRAM" at 88709 or visit ExProgram.com.