The groundhog saw its shadow this February, calling for a heck of a lot more than six additional weeks of academic excellence. We don’t make the rules (sorry).

Can being labeled as an “easy” child have an impact on your adult life? What are the best ways to attract birds to the yard? Is it possible to feel younger just by thinking younger? Is tap water safe to drink? What really happens when you flush a toilet on a plane? 

For a more comprehensive listing of the articles featuring UNLV experts, check out our frequently updated In The News page. But before then, here are some of the more prominent stories from the month.

Health & Science

• National Geographic covered the phenomenon of a unique planetary alignment with help from astronomer Jason Steffen.
• Neurologist Jeffrey Cummings spoke of the significance of blood biomarkers in Alzheimer’s diagnoses in Nature, Chemical & Engineering News, and (with fellow UNLV researcher Jefferson Kinney) PBS.
• Psychologist James Hyman expresses how much of feeling young is in the mind with Popular Mechanics.
• Science News shared thoughts from psychologist Erin Hannon on studies about infants sensing rhythms.
• Hematologist Marc Kahn talked to KSNV: News 3 about how late nights can hurt heart health, and why an increasing amount of young women have heart disease.
• Neuroscientist Dustin Hines shares advice on overcoming anxiety when falling asleep in Better Sleep.
• Infectious disease expert Brian Labus commented on the safety of tap water in Real Simple.
• Registered dietitian nutritionist Samantha Coogan talked about myths around coffee “jitters” in Verywell Health.
• Public health expert Manoj Sharma made an appearance in a story from Health about how stretching can impact blood sugar.

Culture & Technology

• Historian Elizabeth Nelson was featured in a series of Valentine’s Day stories on The History Channel: the origins of the day, St. Valentine’s background and death, along with the day’s religious ties. Nelson commented on the consumerism now associated with Valentine’s Day in Snopes, and debunked myths around its origins in LiveNow from Fox.
• Gaming experts Kasra Ghaharian and Brett Abarbanel commented on the role of AI in the future of casino workers in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Abarbanel also talked about sports betting trends and prediction models on Vegas PBS.

Politics & Economics

• Travel Weekly spoke to gaming researcher Anthony Lucas about tourists' perceptions of Las Vegas.
• The Wall Street Journal’s story about developments in the Epstein files features thoughts from political scientist Rebecca Gill.
• Sociologist Barbara Brents commented on the push for unionization among Nevada sex workers in the Associated Press.
• The Guardian covered prediction markets with gaming expert Gregory Gemignani.
• Business law expert Benjamin Edwards talked about Wall Street investment risk in The Guardian. Edwards also wrote a column on the rise of investment scams in The Hill.
• Reuters covered a drop in leisure spending in Las Vegas with economic researcher Andrew Woods.
• Fox News’ story concerning regret around the legalization of marijuana shares commentary from cannabis policy expert Riana Durrett.

Experts Roundup

• The Associated Press covered a missing toucan in Las Vegas with biologist Donald Price. He also gave advice for attracting birds to your yard in Good Housekeeping.
• Newsweek asked aviation historian Dan Bubb about the rules behind opening and closing window shades on a plane. Bubb additionally discussed a crackdown on carryons with Scripps News, and explained what happens when you flush on an airplane in Travel + Leisure.
• Tara Pike, the founder of the UNLV Rebel Recycling program, was featured in a Las Vegas Sun story highlighting her decades of stewardship spent improving the Valley’s sustainability.
• Hydrologist David Kreamer explains how deserts can exist beside oceans in Live Science.
• Psychologist Christopher Kearney talked about how traits from childhood might translate as an adult in Parade.
• Gender roles psychologist and Women’s Research Institute of Nevada director Rachael Robnett commented about the likelihood of teenage girls quitting sports in Parents. 
• The Guardian discussed what our thoughts can tell us about our own consciousness with psychology expert Russell Hurlburt.
• Health scientist Janet Dufek detailed the benefits of walking backward in The Independent (also featured in MSN).