Over the past decade, many U.S. cities have seen a new rise in infestations of the common bed bug — known scientifically as Cimex lectularius — in residences, hotel facilities and elsewhere. The phenomenon has had significant social and health consequences in densely populated cities such as New York, and the topic has seen extensive news coverage.
Journalists, bloggers and communicators of all kinds often find themselves in a contentious debate over the truth behind global warming. The reasons that “skepticism” or “contrarianism” and the like persist in public discourse are numerous, and there is a great deal of research literature on this question.
The tendency for individuals to overestimate their own merits has long vexed psychologists, philosophers, employers, co-workers and spouses. Formally known as self-enhancement bias, it’s nearly universal but varies significantly from country to country. What societal factors might promote its prevalence?
Earth is home to approximately 9 million species of plants, animals and fungi. Together they form complex ecosystems that undergird the stability of the natural world, and ultimately help to sustain human life. The study of ecosystem functioning is crucial to understanding how continuing loss of biodiversity could affect humanity’s future.
With the coverage of cellular networks expanding rapidly across the developing world, researchers are investigating how the access to information that mobile phones make possible can be leveraged to help alleviate poverty.
Though migration from Mexico to the United States has slowed considerably in recent years, one persistent point of controversy embedded in the immigration reform debate relates to the use of Spanish in communities across America — and some new arrivals’ alleged unwillingness to learn and use English.
The ongoing financial crisis brought to the forefront gaps in clear, objective assessments of systemic risk relating to the U.S. banking sector. Many observers believe that there are unresolved questions in this area, and that the so-called “too big to fail” problem for large banks persists. But how to measure fragility and risk accurately remains an open question.
American public opinion is decidedly mixed regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to substantially uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in June 2012. While supporters of the ACA hope it will reduce health care costs and provide affordable options for the uninsured, it will not be until 2014 that much of the ACA goes into effect. Survey data strongly suggest that health care coverage and costs remain areas of deep worry across the population.
