What If We Leave It Up to Chance? Admissions Lotteries and Equitable Access at Selective Colleges

Many prominent social scientists have advocated for random-draw lotteries as a solution to the “problem” of elite college admissions. They argue that lotteries will be fair, equitable, eliminate corruption, reduce student anxiety, restore democratic ideals, and end debates over race-conscious admissions. In response, we simulate potential lottery effects on student enrollment by race, gender, and income, using robust simulation methods and multiple minimum thresholds for grades and standardized tests. In the overwhelming majority of lottery simulations, the proportions of low-income students and students of color drop precipitously. With a GPA minimum, we find the proportion of men could drop as low as one third. Admissions lotteries with minimum bars for GPA and/or standardized tests do not appear to produce more equitable outcomes.

Sanctions and international interaction improve cooperationto avert climate change

We report the protocol relative to the experimental project "Sanctions and international interaction improve cooperation to avert climate change",which connected through the internet pairs of laboratories from Kiel and Bonn (Germany) and Moscow and Tomsk (Russia). The connection was realized through Z-Tree. Each research session comprised 24 participants, who were randomly allocated to 4 groups, whose members were three from one laboratory and three from the other. After receiving instructions and passing a comprehension test, participants interacted over ten rounds. Each participant had a fixed allocation of money in each round, which could have been kept for oneself or contributed to a group account. Contributions decreased the probability that everyone suffered a 75% loss in their personal account at the end of the interaction. A random draw determined whether occurrence the loss event occurred, and individual payoffs were paid privately in cash at the end of the session.

A New Upper Bound for Sampling Numbers

We provide a new upper bound for sampling numbers $$(g_n)_{n\in \mathbb {N}}$$ ( g n ) n ∈ N associated with the compact embedding of a separable reproducing kernel Hilbert space into the space of square integrable functions. There are universal constants $$C,c>0$$ C , c > 0 (which are specified in the paper) such that $$\begin{aligned} g^2_n \le \frac{C\log (n)}{n}\sum \limits _{k\ge \lfloor cn \rfloor } \sigma _k^2,\quad n\ge 2, \end{aligned}$$ g n 2 ≤ C log ( n ) n ∑ k ≥ ⌊ c n ⌋ σ k 2 , n ≥ 2 , where $$(\sigma _k)_{k\in \mathbb {N}}$$ ( σ k ) k ∈ N is the sequence of singular numbers (approximation numbers) of the Hilbert–Schmidt embedding $$\mathrm {Id}:H(K) \rightarrow L_2(D,\varrho _D)$$ Id : H ( K ) → L 2 ( D , ϱ D ) . The algorithm which realizes the bound is a least squares algorithm based on a specific set of sampling nodes. These are constructed out of a random draw in combination with a down-sampling procedure coming from the celebrated proof of Weaver’s conjecture, which was shown to be equivalent to the Kadison–Singer problem. Our result is non-constructive since we only show the existence of a linear sampling operator realizing the above bound. The general result can for instance be applied to the well-known situation of $$H^s_{\text {mix}}(\mathbb {T}^d)$$ H mix s ( T d ) in $$L_2(\mathbb {T}^d)$$ L 2 ( T d ) with $$s>1/2$$ s > 1 / 2 . We obtain the asymptotic bound $$\begin{aligned} g_n \le C_{s,d}n^{-s}\log (n)^{(d-1)s+1/2}, \end{aligned}$$ g n ≤ C s , d n - s log ( n ) ( d - 1 ) s + 1 / 2 , which improves on very recent results by shortening the gap between upper and lower bound to $$\sqrt{\log (n)}$$ log ( n ) . The result implies that for dimensions $$d>2$$ d > 2 any sparse grid sampling recovery method does not perform asymptotically optimal.

An objective-based prioritization approach to improve trophic complexity through ecological restoration

Reassembling ecological communities and rebuilding habitats through active restoration treatments requires curating the selection of plant species to use in seeding and planting mixes. Ideally, these mixes should be assembled based on attributes that support ecosystem function and services, promote plant and animal species interactions and ecological networks in restoration while balancing project constraints. Despite these critical considerations, it is common for species mixes to be selected opportunistically. Reframing the selection of seed mixes for restoration around ecological objectives is essential for success but accessible methods and tools are needed to support this effort.We developed a framework to optimize species seed mixes based on prioritizing plant species attributes to best support different objectives for ecosystem functions, services, and trophic relationships such as pollination, seed dispersal, and herbivory. We compared results to approaches where plant species are selected to represent plant taxonomic richness, dominant species, and at random. We tested our framework for 176 plant species found in European alpine grasslands and identified 163 associated attributes affiliated to trophic relationships, ecosystem functions, and services.In all cases, trophic relationships, ecosystem functions, and services can be captured more efficiently through objective-based prioritization using the functional identity of plant species. Solutions (plant species lists) can be compared quantitatively, in terms of costs, species, or objectives. We confirm that a random draw of plant species from the regional plant species pool cannot be assumed to support other trophic groups and ecosystem functions and services.Synthesis and Applications. Our framework is presented as a proof of concept to help restoration practitioners better apply quantitative decision–support to plant species selection in order to meet ecological restoration outcomes. Our approach may be tailored to any restoration initiative and habitat where seeding or planting mixes will be applied in active treatments. As global priority and resources are increasingly placed into restoration, this approach could be advanced to help make efficient decisions for many stages of the restoration process.

Results of a randomised controlled trial comparing two different incentives to improve survey response rates

Background: Efforts to improve institutional research culture require that we understand current research cultures as experienced by our research communities. Low response rates in qualitative surveys of researcher experience may reduce their usefulness. Various incentives to improve response rates have been proposed, but it is not known whether the chance of a single, large incentive is more effective than a greater chance of a smaller incentive.Methods: We embedded a randomised controlled trial within the Edinburgh Research Culture Survey, comparing the effect on number of responses received of (1) a single reward of £1000 or (2) a reward of £50 for 1 in every 50 respondents, selected by random draw. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Edinburgh College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Results: The incentive offered had no effect on the number of responses received (odds ratio 0.94 [95% CI 0.83 to 1.06]), but, having completed the survey, more participants entered the random draw in the £1000 incentive group (odds ratio 1.49 [1.16 to 1.92]). Staff were more likely to complete the survey, while students were more likely to enter the random draws. Most respondents provided answers to almost all of the survey items (IQR 171 to 172 or 175 items), and this did not differ between groups.Conclusions: In this test of different incentives to increase survey participation, we observed no difference between a moderate chance of a modest reward and a small chance of a high reward. Those conducting such surveys can select their incentive system based on other factors such as cost.

Effect of different Pilates workout endings on the kyphotic and lumbar lordotic angles

Introduction: There are no studies that investigate whether different workout endings of the Pilates method (PM), either prioritizing the activation of powerhouse muscles or the relaxation of muscles trained during the session, affects spinal curvature. Objective: Identify the immediate effect of a PM session that ends with soft tissue mobilization or wall exercises on the kyphotic and lumbar lordotic angles. Methods: A crossover clinical trial with 19 female Pilates practitioners that used a Flexicurve ruler to evaluate thoracic and lumbar spine curvature before and after a PM exercise protocol, and after endings that involved soft tissue mobilization using massage balls or wall exercises. The order of the different endings was chosen by random draw and the study volunteers participated in two interventions, with intervals of seven to ten days between them. Two two-way ANOVAs were performed (one for each postural variable), using the factors “assessment time” (pre-session; post-PE; post-ending) and “type of ending” (soft tissue or wall exercises). Results: There was no significant difference between the assessment times or endings for the kyphotic (p = 0.972; p = 0.747) and lumbar lordotic angles (p = 0.574; p = 0.627), respectively. Conclusion: Pilates instructors can opt for more relaxing or more active endings without affecting the kyphotic and lumbar lordotic angles.

Decisions on Extending Group Membership—Evidence from a Public Good Experiment

We experimentally compare the consequences for group cooperation of two decision mechanisms involving the extension of group membership. We analyze an exogenous decision (random draw) and an endogenous decision (made by a particular group member) mechanism to extend a temporary agent’s group membership. Our results reveal that the prospect of group membership extension affects not only the temporary but also the permanent group members’ contributions with an endogenous mechanism.

Perceptions, Knowledge, and Practices Concerning Indoor Environmental Pollution of Parents or Future Parents

Indoor pollutants can have short- and long-term health effects, especially if exposure occurs during prenatal life or early childhood. This study describe the perceptions, knowledge, and practices of adults concerning indoor environmental pollution. Adults of 18 to 45 years of age were recruited in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine (Brittany-France) in 2019 through a stratified random draw in the waiting rooms of general practitioners (GPs) (n = 554) who completed a self-questionnaire. The 71% who had already heard of this type of pollution were older (p = 0.001), predominantly women (p = 0.007), not expecting a baby (p = 0.005), and had a higher knowledge score (p < 0.001). The average knowledge score was 6.6 ± 6.6 out of 11, which was higher for participants living in a couple and with a higher level of education (p < 0.001). Some practices were well implemented (>80% of participants) (aeration during renovation) whereas others were insufficiently practiced (<60% of participants) (paying attention to the composition of cosmetic products). Factors associated differed depending on the frequency of integration: living in a couple and having a child for well implemented practices and educational level, knowledge level, and perception for those under implemented. Knowledge must be improved to modify perceptions and certain practices, making sure not to increase social inequalities in health.

Team Visibility and City Travel: Evidence From the UEFA Champions' League Random Draw

Does hosting a sports team boost the visibility of a city among tourists? I test this proposition by looking at the effect of playing soccer’s UEFA Champions' League on air travel. I compare routes across cities that had their teams randomly drawn into the same group in the first phase of the competition to routes across cities hosting teams randomly allocated to different groups. The average effect of being drawn into the same group is between 5% and 8% more arrivals for the 3 months following the group stage, a period which coincides with a break in the competition. The first appearance of a team in the competition has a larger impact on air travel, providing suggesting evidence of diminishing returns of exposure.