For the second year running, Syracuse University is claiming an entire week on “The Academic Minute,” the nationally syndicated program that brings university research to NPR stations across North America and to international listeners worldwide.

Five scholars will each take a turn during “Syracuse Week,” Aug. 17–21, sharing work that spans food policy, artificial intelligence, architecture, political science and marine biology:

Monday, Aug. 17: Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, examines how new SNAP work requirements will restrict benefits for adults ages 60–64, increasing food insecurity and ultimately costing taxpayers more through Medicare and Medicaid.

Tuesday, Aug. 18: Jason Davis, research professor in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, explores whether humans can still distinguish real people from AI-generated ones. In a study co-authored with Gina Luttrell, participants identified synthetic profiles correctly only 54% of the time—barely above random chance—while an AI detector hit 88% accuracy. (Related article)

Wednesday, Aug. 19: Lawrence Chua, associate professor in the School of Architecture, argues that architecture shapes not just space, but time itself. From Rome’s stone-inscribed calendars to today’s airport priority lanes, he traces how buildings have long organized whose time is valued—and whose is not.

Thursday, Aug. 20: Ryan Griffiths, professor of political science in the Maxwell School, draws on his book “The Disunited States” to argue that American secession, however appealing to the polarized, would almost certainly turn violent.

Friday, Aug. 21: Dana Cusano, research assistant professor of biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, describes how suction-cup tags and remote-sensing technology help identify whale foraging hot spots in Massachusetts Bay—with real-time alerts pushed to mariners to prevent deadly ship strikes on endangered right and sei whales. (Related article)

Each segment airs on NPR-affiliated stations and is posted online at academicminute.org following its broadcast date.