If you have been watching Netflix recently, you might have noticed the hit show “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The series, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, had a moment — it captured 14 million viewers in just two weeks after its release this fall. And it has an Oregon connection — one of the co-writers for the fourth episode, Mat Johnson. Johnson is a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, teaching English, creative writing and comic studies.

“They have eyes like ours, and they have large brains, but the brain is organized completely differently because they evolved differently,” says University of Oregon visual neuroscientist Cris Niell. “And the fact that so little is known about it—as a visual neuroscientist, I was just captivated.”

“What we thought about in this paper is, instead of doing trial and error, maybe we could predict the effect of the stimulation before we stimulate,” said Luca Mazzucato, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Oregon and a study co-author.

A new working paper by Timothy Moore of Purdue University, William Olney of Williams College and Benjamin Hansen of the University of Oregon offers a novel way of examining the spread of fentanyl.

Christopher Hendon, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon, said: “Water not only reduces static electricity and therefore reduces mess as you’re grinding, but it can also make a major impact on the intensity of the beverage and, potentially, the ability to access higher concentrations of favorable flavors.”

Tuong Vu, a professor in the Department of Political Science, is quoted in a Deutsche Welle story about a corruption scandal in Vietnam. Vu said that Prime Minister Nguyễn Phú Trong could now have his sights set on some more big-name targets, including the former party boss of Ho Chi Minh City, Le Thanh Hai, who is "known as the most corrupt official in Vietnam."

Paul Slovic, a psychology professor who has studied the effects of visual imagery on human behavior, is quoted in the Washington Post that graphic images can change attitudes, but only in particular circumstances

Josef Dufek, the director of the Center for Volcanology and Gwen and Charles Lillis Chair in the Department of Earth Sciences, is quoted in a story by the New York Times about a potential volcano eruption in Iceland.

A column in the Nov. 3 edition of the Wall Street Journal features work by University of Oregon Department of Economics Assistant Professor Woan Foong Wong, exploring that more goods are traveling greater distances than ever before.

Lana Lopesi, assistant professor in the department of Indigenous Race and Ethnic Studies, recently published 'Pacific Arts Aotearoa,' a tome chronicling the legacy of Pasifika art and artists over six decades.

“It is useful to think of mathematics as a language,” says physicist Richard Taylor of the University of Oregon tells Science News. Some words and concepts will overlap across cultures but look different, while others will remain unique.

Biology professor Chris Doe spoke at a student research conference in New Mexico. Doe worked with other scientists to mentor students interested in scientific research. “There’s really an amazing group of scientists here to help motivate young people from this area to stay in science or join into science,” he said.

Jefferson Public Radio (JPR) featured astronomy professor Scott Fisher in advance of an annular solar eclipse that will appear on the morning of Oct. 14. “Eugene is nearly smack in the center of the ‘path of annularity,’ which will sweep across southwestern Oregon,” Fisher said.

AP News interviewed Alexandra Rempel, environmental studies professor, about heat pumps being used in homes instead of traditional heating and cooling systems. Heat pumps are more sustainable, but less efficient in colder regions. “Overall, the benefits do outweigh the limitations in most places, but there are some limitations,” she said.

Science Magazine featured Lucas Silva, environmental science professor, about a new study that suggests dark earth found in the Amazon Rainforest was created by indigenous civilizations. It was also found that modern-day village practices continue to create dark earth. “This could change everything,” Silva said.