Monetary rewards for healthy behavior can pay off both in the pocketbook and in positive psychological factors like internal motivation, according to a new ²ÊÃñ±¦µä study. While programs involving monetary incentives to encourage healthy behavior have become more popular in recent years, the evidence has been mixed as to how they can be most effective and how participants fare once the incentives stop, said CU-Boulder doctoral student Casey Gardiner, who led the new study.

Monetary incentives for healthy behavior can pay off, says CU study

April 1, 2016

Monetary rewards for healthy behavior can pay off both in the pocketbook and in positive psychological factors like internal motivation, according to a new ²ÊÃñ±¦µä study. While programs involving monetary incentives to encourage healthy behavior have become more popular in recent years, the evidence has been mixed as to how they can be most effective and how participants fare once the incentives stop, said CU-Boulder doctoral student Casey Gardiner, who led the new study.

Colorado business confidence holds steady heading into second quarter of 2016, says CU-Boulder index

March 31, 2016

The optimism of Colorado business leaders remains unchanged entering the second quarter of 2016, but is projected to slightly dip ahead of the third quarter of the year, according to a ²ÊÃñ±¦µä report.

a person meditating

CU-Boulder researchers examine compassionate behavior’s ‘active ingredients’

March 29, 2016

Researchers at the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä have developed a quantitative framework for predicting compassionate behavior, a significant step forward in the quest to identify the key psychological processes underlying human compassion.

Closeup of arctic sea ice

Arctic sea ice at lowest maximum for the second straight year, CU-Boulder ice experts report

March 28, 2016

Arctic sea ice was at a record low maximum extent for the second straight year, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä and NASA.

a subalpine meadow with wildflowers

Atmospheric nitrogen leads to loss of plant diversity in sites across U.S., CU-Boulder study finds

March 28, 2016

Rising levels of atmospheric nitrogen pollution threaten plant diversity at nearly one-quarter of sites across a widespread portion of the U.S., according a new study led by ²ÊÃñ±¦µä researchers.

Many types of energy drinks stacked in cans

Adolescent caffeine use may heighten anxiety risk, CU-Boulder study finds

March 23, 2016

New research may cause parents to think twice before letting their kids drink energy drinks or grande lattes. A ²ÊÃñ±¦µä study suggests that consumption of caffeine puts adolescents at risk of suffering anxiety-related jitters long after they stop ingesting it.

Mentor working with student

Undergrads hit labs this spring break

March 22, 2016

While many students are enjoying some downtime over spring break, 21 undergraduate researchers at CU-Boulder are building robots, creating data visualization tools and advancing X-ray technology. The students are doing this as part of Spring Break for Research , an initiative, now in its second year, that pairs high achieving undergraduate students with graduate student mentors for a week of hands-on research.

CU-Boulder postdoctoral researcher Brian Harvey making tree measurements in Yellowstone National Park

Fires, drought linked to climate change affecting high-altitude forests

March 21, 2016

Large, severe fires in the West followed by increasing drought conditions as the planet warms are leading to lower tree densities and increased patchiness in high-elevation forests, according to a new study. The researchers found that the rate of post-fire tree seedling establishment decreased substantially with greater post-fire drought severity.

CU-E3 satellite graduate student team members

Aerospace engineering students shoot for the moon and past it

March 21, 2016

A CU-Boulder student team is shooting for the moon and beyond with a tiny satellite under development that has just taken another step closer to launch. As one of the top five teams selected by NASA, the team of 10 graduate students will continue developing a small CubeSat satellite about the size of a shoebox called the CU Earth Escape Explorer (CU-E3) with a $30,000 award from NASA.

New Horizons

More surprises in store for the New Horizons spacecraft?

March 17, 2016

Students at CU-Boulder, who built a dust counter for the New Horizons mission to Pluto, have been eyeing the data for decade now. And the results are showing the solar system really is pretty barren if you put aside the planets, rings, moons, comets and asteroids.

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