September 18, Vol. 25, No. 11                                            
  
It Hurts So Good ... for Charity   
The Ice Bucket Challenge has raised more than $100 million for ALS research.
No one likes to inflict pain or discomfort upon themselves, like dumping a bucket of ice water over their head, unless it's for a good cause, says Christopher Olivola, assistant professor of marketing at the Tepper School of Business.

Olivola, whose research focuses on human decision-making and behavioral economics, has conducted a series of studies and experiments examining the science of charitable giving. His findings help explain the fundraising successes of campaigns that are linked to physical activities requiring pain or effort, like running a marathon or even the widely popular "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge," a fundraiser to support victims of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

"Our studies have demonstrated that when someone endures pain for a charitable cause, for example by soaking themselves in ice-cold water, the sacrifice of their own comfort makes their contribution to the cause seem far more meaningful than if they were baking cookies or attending a charitable ball. This is what we have termed as the 'Martyrdom Effect.' The result is that monetary giving increases accordingly," Olivola said.

Learn more.

Building a Longer-Lasting Artificial Lung
Keith Cook has received a four-year, $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support development of artificial lungs that patients may use long term in the comfort of their own homes while waiting for a lung transplant.

Keith Cook
Cook, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is leading the project and collaborating with researchers from the University of Washington, Columbia University and Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

For the last 20 years, researchers have worked on artificial "bridge" lungs that support patients in need of a lung transplant who are placed on a waiting list. These devices have typically lasted only days to a couple weeks before failing, and require close monitoring inside a hospital. Cook, now supported by the NIH grant, has been tasked with developing devices that last much longer - the goal is three months - and can be worn in homes.

The design and coatings help to prevent blood clots from forming.
"What got us this grant is that our initial results look very promising," Cook said. He said the initial results showed a substantial decrease in the formation of blood clots inside the artificial lung, one of the largest hurdles in building a reliable long-term device.

 
Intimate Strangers Provide Views on U.S. Politics 
Immigrants bring a different set of values and customs with them, allowing them to see things from fresh viewpoints.

In her new book "Intimate Strangers in American Political Discourse," Carnegie Mellon English Professor Andreea Deciu Ritivoi analyzes foreigners' perspectives on American politics - and the critical challenges they face. Using four respected intellectual exiles as examples - Hannah Arendt, Herbert Marcuse, Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Edward Said - Ritivoi explores the benefits of their "stranger ethos" in order to improve political systems and societal problems.

Ritivoi describes how Arendt, Marcuse, Solzhenitsyn and Said each steered major political schools of thought in American political discourse after World War II. Being a foreigner enabled them to argue and reason in certain ways. In an effort to convince their audiences that they were "American enough" to understand their new environment, they used precise rhetorical tactics and inspired radical new approaches to longstanding problems in American politics.
 
Pittsburgh Biennial Opens at Miller Gallery

Artists reconfigure the debris of today's world to create work with a fresh perspective.
The Miller Gallery's Pittsburgh Biennial exhibition opens tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 19, and features an eclectic group of artists living in or connected to Pittsburgh. The exhibit runs through Nov. 30.

Using processes in painting, sculpture, video and sound, these artists collect and reconfigure the data and debris of today's world, producing works with a fresh perspective. Throughout the exhibition, a rotating roster of presentations will showcase innovative experiments in dance, social practice, performance and more. 
 
And Last But Not Least ...  

Happy Birthday, Smiley, :-)! 

The School of Computer Science will mark the 32nd birthday of Smiley, the :-) emoticon, with Smiley cookies and other giveaways at 11:45 a.m. Friday on The Cut.

Smiley's inventor, Scott Fahlman, research professor in the Language Technologies Institute, will be on hand to talk about what prompted him to first use the emoticon on a CMU computer bulletin board on Sept. 19, 1982.
 
CMU Night at the PSO - Saturday 

YouTube phenom
Valentina Lisitsa
(right) returns to Heinz Hall to display her formidable virtuosity in the the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's rendition of Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," this Saturday, Sept. 20.  

 

Students, staff, faculty and alumni can purchase tickets starting at $15. The price includes admission and a post-concert reception in the Dorothy Porter Simmons Regency Rooms (lower level of Heinz Hall). The reception is sponsored by the Office of the President.

Food Tasting - Tuesday

Take your taste buds on an international tour as you enjoy free, tasty samples offered by Dining Services at Taste of the Tartans, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Sept. 23 in Rangos Ballroom, Cohon University Center.


All members of the CMU community are welcome to sample food from restaurants and vendors from all locations on campus. 


See something? Say something. Help ensure the safety and well-being of the CMU community by calling:

University Police: 412-268-2323
Ethics Hotline: 1-877-700-7050

 Calendar Highlights 

   This issue features:

Ramayya Krishnan
Ignacio Grossmann
Andy Gellman
Tom Joyce

Baruch Fischhoff, Julie Downs, Alex Davis and Gabrielle Wong-Parodi

   News Briefs 
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