Imagine there was one changeable factor that affected virtually every measure of a country’s health— including life expectancy, crime rates, addiction, obesity, infant mortality, stroke, academic achievement, happiness and even …
Culture
What Reality TV Teaches Teen Girls
Of the many aspects of American culture reflected in reality television, actual reality is not one of them. But not every viewer knows that: a new survey by the Girl Scouts Research Institute finds that some 8 out of 10 girls who …
Steve Jobs Had LSD. We Have the iPhone
Days before Apple founder Steve Jobs died, the New York Times ran an op-ed proclaiming that “You Love Your iPhone. Literally.” Our infatuation with our iPhones is not mere addiction, but genuine love, the piece asserted, because …
Woman’s Quest to Avoid Mirrors for a Year Raises Questions of Body Image
Bad hair day? Kjerstin Gruys wouldn’t know. She’s nearly halfway through her quest to spend an entire year — including Oct. 1, her wedding day — avoiding mirrors.
CDC: Why Are U.S. Circumcision Rates Declining?
Why are newborn circumcision rates dropping in the U.S.? In a report released Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that hospital circumcisions had declined over the past 10 years, after more than a …
Should Being Beautiful — or Ugly — Pay Off?
Beauty, or lack thereof, seems to be the topic of the week.
The Math Gender Gap: Nurture Trumps Nature
(Updated) Rural India might not seem a likely place to study the roots of gender differences in math performance. But a new study of two tribes living in the northeast of the country offers intriguing evidence that biology alone …
The Interrupters: Stopping the Contagion of Violence
Is violence a virus? The literal answer is no, but the metaphor offers important insight into stopping the epidemic.
Viewpoint: Smoke a Joint, Lose Your Child?
People caught with small amounts of marijuana in New York State are supposed to receive no more than a $100 fine, the equivalent of a traffic ticket. Instead, in New York City, many such people are being accused of child neglect, …
Survey: 1 in 8 Fake Using Their Cell Phone to Avoid Talking to Others
We carry cell phones ostensibly to enhance communication with other people. But according to a new survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, many people pretend to use their cell phones to avoid having to …
Why Laughing at Yourself May Be Good for You: First-Ever Study
In these gloomy, uncertain times, the ability to have a good laugh — especially at your own expense — may be essential for survival. But are people really capable of having a sense of humor about themselves?
No Longer the Perfect Victim? Nafissatou Diallo Defends Herself
As the Manhattan District Attorney’s office weighs whether or not to prosecute the sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, his accuser has stepped forward to tell her side of the story.
Child’s Play: What’s So Bad About ‘The Breast Milk Baby’?
Little girls love mimicking their mommies. They clomp around in high heels, push toy Dyson vacuums and tenderly strap stuffed animals into baby strollers. Big sisters — and brothers — who see their mothers nursing a new baby …