It's only rock 'n' roll...

English Professor David Shumway discusses the fading cultural relevance of pop music in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required):

The fate of hip-hop may be the best illustration of the increasing marginalization of popular music and its impact on American culture. Hip-hop is arguably the last great innovation in popular music, the successor to ragtime, jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock 'n' roll. All of those forms emerged out of African-American culture and changed the tastes of Americans of all races. Hip-hop also attracted a large audience of young white listeners, but it did not come to dominate public consciousness the way its predecessors had. That has less to do with the particular qualities of hip-hop than with the fragmentation of the market. Most Americans didn't hear the music routinely, so it remained foreign to their ears.

Early hip-hop stars like Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy were at least as critical of American society as Dylan ever was, and they led some commentators to imagine hip-hop artists as authentic and politically significant spokespeople for poor, urban African-Americans. But in the last 10 years or so, even though hip-hop artists like Jay-Z are popular music's most innovative contributors, the form has become less political, and its performers seem less culturally central.

In a different, more unified market, hip-hop stars might have become leaders like James Brown. As it is, popular music seems headed back to the margins of cultural life, and that is a loss for all of us. 

Shumway is the director of Carnegie Mellon's Humanities Center. 

Jonathan Potts

It's not easy being green

It's summertime and everything is turning green - or is it? Terry Collins, director of the Institute for Green Oxidation Chemistry, will discuss the work ahead in making society green by transforming chemistry to remediate environmental damage and alter polluting manufacturing processes with environmentally friendly alternatives. Tune in to Collins' interview with SCIENCE AND SOCIETY host David Lemberg, who will talk with Collins at 4 p.m., Thursday, June 21. Visit SCIENCE AND SOCIETY for the podcast at www.scienceandsociety.net/podcasts.

Lauren Ward

A good walk spoiled

Round two of the 107th U.S. Open is already underway this morning at the Oakmont Country Club, where the tournament is being held for a record eighth time. Carnegie Mellon History Professor Steve Schlossman recently described Oakmont as "arguably the most punishing 18 holes in the world", so it' s no surprise that only two players in yesterday's opening round were able to squeak below par.

Schlossman, by the way, is a golf historian--and a former high school and collegiate golf champion--who has taught a course here on the history of the game. Sports, "a central cultural institution", are a worthy subject for scholarly inquiry, Schlossman says.

"Here at Carnegie Mellon, because of our special interest in social history, the topic of sports is a very good one for exploring race, social class, gender and age," he says.

Jonathan Potts

Making the grade

Good news for Carnegie Mellon spin-off Carnegie Learning Inc.: The company's math curricula has been named one of the top three most effective middle and high school mathematics programs in the nation by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Data-Drive Reform in Education. Meanwhile, Carnegie Mellon is partnering with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute to help middle school students in Worcester, Mass., prepare for state math tests.

Not bad for a university with no school of education, wouldn't you say? 

Jonathan Potts