'Til Mortgage Do Us Part: The Science

View a Webcast of economists discussing the housing market crisis.

On July 29, the National Science Foundation will examine the human dimensions of the nation's mortgage crisis in a virtual press briefing. One year after passage of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 that authorizes $300 billion in new 30-year fixed rate mortgages for subprime borrowers, top economists answer media questions about how the psychology and neurobiology of individual investors affects the housing market.

Yale University economist Robert Shiller, who predicted the housing market crash in 2006, will answer questions along with Caltech economist Colin Camerer, one of the founders of a new field called neuroeconomics that studies brain scans to understand economic decision making, and economist Nancy Lutz, program director for economics at NSF.

What:Webcast highlighting the biological and behavioral dimensions of the nation's mortgage crisisWhen:July 29, 2009, at 11:30 a.m. EDTWhere:Media can call 866-844-9416 to participate in the webcast by phone. The verbal passcode for callers is NSF. Media can take part in the webcast online by going to http://www.science360.gov/live. Please note: A username and password will not be required to access this page on July 29. All are encouraged to submit questions in advance at webcast@nsf.gov.Who:Robert Shiller, behavioral economist at Yale University; Colin Camerer behavioral and neuro economist at Caltech, and NSF economist Nancy Lutz.

-NSF-

Of Mutts and Men

Domesticated animals provide man with benefits such as food, clothing and muscle power. Dogs, which descend from gray wolves that originated in Eurasia, were the first animals domesticated by man. Since that time, man has imposed a strong artificial selection pressure for desirable traits, resulting in the various dog breeds we have today.A recent study published in the August 3 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides insight into the origin of some ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115370&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

New Hope for Fisheries on the Horizon?

Scientists have joined forces in a groundbreaking assessment on the status of marine fisheries and ecosystems.The two-year study, led by Boris Worm of Dalhousie University and Ray Hilborn of the University of Washington and including an international team of 19 co-authors, shows that steps taken to curb overfishing are beginning to succeed in five of the 10 large marine ecosystems that they examined.The paper, which appears in the July 31 issue of the journal Science, ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115279&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Membrane Breaks Through Performance Barrier

Engineers have developed a new method for creating high-performance membranes from crystal sieves called zeolites; the method could increase the energy efficiency of chemical separations up to 50 times over conventional methods and enable higher production rates. The ability to separate and purify specific molecules in a chemical mixture is essential to chemical manufacturing. Many industrial separations rely on distillation, a process that is easy to design and implement but consumes ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115332&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Researchers Link Jellyfish, Other Small Sea Creatures to Large-Scale Ocean Mixing

The ocean's smallest swimming animals, such as jellyfish, can have a huge impact on large-scale ocean mixing, researchers have discovered."The perspective we usually take is how the ocean--by its currents, temperature, and chemistry--is affecting animals," says John Dabiri, a Caltech bioengineer who, along with Caltech graduate student Kakani Katija, discovered the new mechanism. "But there have been increasing suggestions that the inverse is also important, ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115295&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

NSF Selects University of Michigan Historian to Head Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected University of Michigan historian Myron Gutmann, director of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, to head its directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE). The directorate supports research that builds fundamental knowledge of human behavior, interaction, social and economic systems, and organizations and institutions.Gutmann, who specializes in historical demography and ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=115316&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.