A survey by the scientific journal, Nature, revealed that twenty percent of respondents admitted to having used common stimulating drugs for nonmedical purposes, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported Friday. The drugs used by survey participants, many of whom are scientists, professors and engineers, included Ritalin, commonly used to treat ADHD, Provigil, used to treat sleeping disorders such as narcolepsy, and beta blockers, which help decrease anxiety. The intended effects of the drugs also included increased concentration and memory. Some claim that the survey's results suggest that scholars and even professors join the ranks of students who use pharmaceuticals to increase academic performance, according to the Chronicle.
Despite disagreement over the credibility of Wikipedia, many professors have accepted the incorporation of the free online encyclopedia and its burgeoning counterparts into research and academics, according Inside Higher Ed. Larry Sanger, co-founder of the Wikipedia, said he is dissatisfied with its current state due to issues regarding vandalism that stem from the encyclopedia's open policy of contribution. Sanger is now the editor-in-chief of Citizendium, a Wikipedia initiative with slightly altered policies, including a requirement of the author's name and the use of expert "citizens" to monitor contributions. Scholarpedia, of a higher intellectual caliber, is a second extension of Wikipedia in which all entries are prepared by credible experts, according to Inside Higher Ed. "The only difference between the peer-review process in Scholarpedia and in [other scholarly journals] is that the reviews are open to the public and the reviewers may choose to (but do not have to) reveal their name," Eugene M. Izhikevich, a neurobiologist at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego and Scholarpedia's editor-in-chief, said.
Monday marked the start of Dartmouth's Graduate ppreciation Week, a celebration that recognizes graduate students' work. The Arts and Sciences Graduate Poster Session, where graduate students will share their work on topics ranging from alternate theories of gravity to a summary of a zinc transporter found in plant roots, will take place at The Top of the Hop on Tuesday evening. A Graduate Pop Culture and Current Events Tournament, in which students will compete for the title of master of pop culture and current events, will take place on Saturday. Other upcoming events include an ice cream social, a Dissertation Fellows' Lunch Panel, a Grad Student Teaching Assistant Appreciation Lunch and karaoke at India Queen.
