Market forces may have driven America’s foreclosure crisis, but RACIAL SEGREGATION also played a significant role, according to research by Professor Douglas Massey and Ph.D. candidate Jacob Rugh published in the October issue of American Sociological Review. Using data from the 100 largest U.S. cities, the authors found that metropolitan areas with more segregation of blacks and Hispanics had higher rates of foreclosure. The authors recommend establishing regular government audits of the markets for credit, homes, and other goods to enforce civil rights law and curb discrimination.
The BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS of worms and humans may wind down for similar reasons, according a study led by Professor Coleen Murphy and published in Cell Oct. 15. Similarities in the genes that control the reproductive span of women and female C. elegans, nematodes commonly used to study genetics, might lead to new strategies for preserving fertility in women, according to the researchers.
DRYING SOILS Nature