Culture

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Nichole Bauer, University of Alabama. Edited for Journalist’s Resource.

Not so long ago the idea of robots patrolling neighborhoods or caring for children was the domain of science fiction. While robots have yet to replace police and daycare workers, technology has become so advanced that automated systems are taking on greater roles in society and the workplace.

Happiness is universally acknowledged to be a good thing, but how individuals and societies attain it is subject to no small number of variables. In particular, assessments by sociologists and psychologists show little correlation between self-reported levels of happiness and income.

The mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., again raises questions about the frequency and extent of hate crimes in America.

For millions of Americans, issues of racial and ethnic identification are frequently complicated, a legacy of the country’s endless waves of immigration as well as its long history of slavery and expansion into Native American lands across the continent.

Two professional soccer players run side by side, fighting for control of the ball. One kicks and the other falls to the ground, face contorted in pain. Is the seeming injury real or feigned? According to a study by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, one way to get an idea is to look at the gender of the players.