Pew Report: College Plagiarism Has Increased

"The Pew Research Center, in conjunction with the Chronicle of Higher Education, recently surveyed 1,055 college presidents from two- to four-year schools, private and public. More than half of those top officials said they've seen an increase in plagiarism in the past 10 years."

Half of Americans Drink Sugary Drinks Daily

"About half of Americans drink a sugar-sweetened beverage on any given day, with teenagers and young men consuming way more than recommended limits for staying healthy."

Number of "Majority Minority" U.S. Cities Grows: Brookings

"The ethnic map of U.S. cities has drastically changed in the last decade, which could affect how major metropolitan areas provide social, educational and health services, according to a study released by the Brookings Institution."

Some CEO Pay More Than Firms' Taxes

"Twenty-five of the 100 highest paid U.S. CEOs earned more last year than their companies paid in federal income tax, a study by a Washington think tank said."

Sugary Drinks Add 300 Calories a Day to Youths' Diets

"Teens who drink soda, energy drinks and other sugary beverages are guzzling about 327 calories a day from them, which is equal to about 2½ cans of cola, new government data shows."

College Presidents Are Bullish on Online Education but Face Skeptical Public

"Delivering courses in cyberclassrooms has gained broad acceptance among top college leaders, but the general public is far less convinced of online education's quality, according to new survey data released this week by the Pew Research Center, in association with The Chronicle."

Survey: Most Muslim Americans Have Moderate Views

"Almost half the nation's estimated 2.8 million Muslims fault their leaders for not speaking out against Islamic extremists but a vast majority are far more satisfied with the way things are going in the USA than the overall population, according to the first comprehensive survey of U.S. Muslims in four years."

Study: Jogging Beats Weight Lifting for Losing Belly Fat

"Aerobic exercise is better than resistance training if you want to lose the belly fat that poses a serious threat to your health, researchers say."

Consumer Confidence Plunges to Lowest Level Since Great Recession

"A key reading on consumer confidence plunged in August, to its lowest level since April 2009. The Conference Board, a New York-based business research group, said its Consumer Confidence Index for August fell to 44.5, down from 59.2 in July."

Report: Young Women are 'Power Users' of Social Media Sites

"People keep on flocking to sites like Facebook and Twitter, and young women are leading the way. The percentage of Internet users who are on social-networking sites continues to climb, according to a survey released Friday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project."

Study: Young Hispanics Surpass Blacks in College Enrollment

"Analyzing U.S. Census Bureau data, the researchers found that in 2010 Hispanic enrollment surged by 24% over the previous year. For that same time period, college enrollment for blacks and Asians also increased, but not as dramatically as that of Hispanics."

Culture Drives Gender Gap in Spatial Abilities, Study Finds

"According to the research, women in cultures where men are in charge score lower than their male counterparts on a test that measures the ability to rotate objects in the mind's eye. But in communities where women are at the forefront, the gender gap disappears."

Study: Medieval Plague May Be Extinct

"The version of plague that caused the Black Death in 14th century Europe may now be extinct, researchers report, but other deadly forms remain in circulation today. The plague that ravaged Europe wiped out nearly a third to two-thirds of the population according to various estimates. Its cause was eventually identified as the bacteria Yersinia pestis."

Earth Bulging Around Center

"A new analysis of satellite data shows that melting glaciers are contributing to a planet that is bulging around the center."

Worrying Can Impact Interpersonal Relationships

"A new research study, led by a Case Western Reserve University faculty member in psychology, also shows that worrying can be so intrusive and obsessive that it interferes in the person’s life and endangers the health of social relationships."

Social Contacts Help Men, Not Women, in Job Market

"The study finds that work experience doesn’t improve women’s chances of finding a job through social contacts."

Pew: Half of U.S. Adults Now Use Social Networks

"A new study says half of all American adults are now on social networks, and use among Baby Boomers is growing."

Culture of Some Colleges May Foster Gender Segregation by Major, Study Finds

"Certain colleges may have cultures that nudge female students into stereotypically female fields and men into stereotypically male ones, suggests a study whose findings are slated to be presented here on Tuesday at the annual conference of the American Sociological Association."

Men Often Fall for Miss Right After a Single Date

"A study found most men reckon they know whether or not it's 'the real thing' after just one date. By contrast, women are more indecisive on the issue, waiting until at least the sixth date before making their mind up. Staggeringly, nearly one in four men said they believed in 'love at first sight' and knew whether a girl was 'the one' within seconds."

18 States Have Changed Their Teacher Tenure Laws This Year

"Lawmakers in 18 states have passed bills changing the tenure laws for teachers in public schools this year, according to a new report from the Education Commission of the States."

Hispanic Enrollment Jumps 24%, Making Those Students the Largest Campus Minority

"A 24-percent spike in Hispanic college enrollment has brought the number of Hispanic young people attending college to an all-time high and made them the largest minority group of 18- to 24-year-olds on campuses in the country, according to a report released on Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center."

'Baby Fever' is Real — and Not Just in Women, Study Claims

"A new study in the psychological journal Emotion claims that "baby fever" — that sudden, visceral, and almost irresistible urge to have a baby — not only exists, it can be found in both men and women."

Workplace Drama Can Damage Your Home Life

"When our colleagues don’t invite us to lunch, gossip about us, are condescending or otherwise rude to us at work, the impact can be so intense that we take our problems home, affecting our families and partners who in turn may also take the stress to their workplaces, a new Baylor University study reports."

Poll Finds Disapproval of Congress at All-Time High

"Americans are plenty angry at Congress in the aftermath of the debt crisis and Republicans could pay the greatest price, a new Associated Press-GfK poll suggests."

Half of U.S. Adults Will Be Obese by 2030, Study Says

"If the U.S. government doesn’t make a change in the food environment, then half of all American adults will be obese by 2030, The Washington Post reported."

Facebook Has Officially Hit 1 Trillion Page Views

"Facebook has officially hit 1 trillion page views, according to figures released for web traffic in June, Time magazine’s TechLand column reports."

Early Risers and Professional Success

"As part of research published last year by Harvard Business Review, biologist Christoph Randler found that people who were most energetic in the mornings were more likely to identify long-range goals for themselves and feel in charge of making things happen."

Study: World is Getting Fatter, Needs to Stop

"The problem of obesity is spreading around the world and poses serious health threats. The finding is part of a new special report on obesity, and how to combat it in the medical journal the Lancet."

Report Shows Increased Need for Academic Libraries

"The need for libraries on college and university campuses has increased, according to a new study released by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research and Statistics."

Astronomers Report Seeing Supermassive Black Hole Swallowing Star

"The unprecedented sight was revealed in bursts of radiation from a constellation 4.5 billion light-years away, scientists say in the journal Nature."

Report: Majority of Congress With No Education in Business

"Almost 80 percent of lawmakers have no academic background in business or economics, even as Congress grapples with deficits, unemployment and other economic issues of tremendous complexity, according to an independent analysis released Tuesday."

An Insurance Maze for U.S. Doctors

"American doctors spent more than $80,000 per year per physician dealing with insurance and payment issues, or roughly four times as much as their counterparts in Canada, according to a recent report."

Geologists Sharply Cut Estimate of Shale Gas

"A shale formation has about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas, according to the report from the United States Geological Survey."

Trying To Unravel The Mysteries Of Arctic Warming

"The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the Earth, and sea ice is rapidly disappearing during the summer months. Some studies now suggest the Arctic Ocean could be free of ice in the summertime by the year 2030, with major repercussions in the region and beyond."

Future Heart Health 'Shaped By Diet'

"Growing up starved of calories may give you a higher risk of heart disease 50 years on, research suggests."

About 77 Million Children and Teens in School or College

"About 77 million U.S. children and teens, or 27 percent of population, were enrolled in school -- nursery school to college -- in 2009, the Census Bureau says."

Psychology of Making Near-Future Predictions

"With one of the first studies of its kind, researchers at Washington University say they are unlocking the process our brain uses to make these everyday near-future predictions."

Math Anxiety? Study Examines Nerves By the Numbers

"The new report, published in the journal Emotion, looked at the reasons why some students succeed on a math test while others flounder. Scientists measured working memory capacity, a mental scratch pad that temporarily stores and processes information, in 73 college students with low and high levels of math anxiety."

What's Fueling Bible Belt Divorces?

"Southern men and women had higher rates of divorce in 2009 than their counterparts in other parts of the country: 10.2 per 1,000 for men and 11.1 per 1,000 for women, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday."

Social Workers Can Get Secondary Trauma

"Hearing repeated stories of suffering from trauma victims causes serious psychological stress in clinical social workers, U.S. researchers found."

NASA Telescope Discovers Coldest Stars

"NASA scientists say they've discovered the coldest class of star-like bodies, with temperatures as cool as that of the human body."

Less Educated, Less Attending Services

"Less-educated white Americans are dropping out of the religious sector, similarly to the way they left the labor market, a U.S. researcher says a study shows."

CBO: Growth Will Be Stunted for Years

"The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday U.S. economic growth will stay 'well below' its potential for several years."

Study: Social Sites Raise Risky Behavior

"U.S. teenagers who spend time on Internet social networking sites are at an increased risk of smoking, drinking and drug use, a Columbia University study says."

Obesity Costs Some States $15 Billion Per Year

"Obesity costs some states as much as $15 billion a year, a new study says."

El Nino Doubles Risk of Civil Wars: Study

"The El Nino climate cycle, which spreads warm, dry air around the globe every four years or so, doubles the risk of civil wars in 90 tropical countries, researchers reported Wednesday."

German Chancellor Merkel Tops Powerful Women List

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped the Forbes list of the world's most powerful women, which is dominated by politicians, businesswomen and leaders in media and entertainment." Full list is here

Women Who Sit All Day Put Themselves at Great Risk, Study Shows

"Research released last fall found that women who sat for more than six hours a day had a 37% increased risk of premature death, compared to 18% for men."

Android: Most Attacked Mobile Operating System

"U.S. computer security software maker McAfee said the number of malware targeted at Android devices jumped 76 percent since last quarter, making Android the most attacked mobile operating system."

Wild World: Millions of Unseen Species Fill Earth

"A new study estimates that Earth has almost 8.8 million species, but we've only discovered about a quarter of them."

Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?

Decision fatigue "is the newest discovery involving a phenomenon called ego depletion. . ."

Crime, Drugs Less Likely With Happy Teens

"Happier adolescents are less likely to be involved in crime or drug use, U.S. researchers say."

Drug Helps Obese Mice Live Longer

"U.S. researchers say a drug has been found to extend the average life span of obese mice by protecting them from the usual diseases associated with obesity."

Europeans Fall in Love More Quickly Than Americans, Study Finds

"Americans take longer to fall in love than their Eastern European counterparts, according to a new study."

Women Gain Weight After Wedding, Men After Divorce, Study Says

"According to scientists at Ohio State University (OSU), women are more likely to gain weight after their wedding day, while men pile on the pounds after divorce, with both marital transitions acting as 'weight shocks.'"

Study: Only 1 in 5 Medical Malpractice Cases Pay

"Only 1 in 5 malpractice claims against doctors leads to a settlement or other payout, according to the most comprehensive study of these claims in two decades."

Princeton Review Ranks Most and Least Religious Schools

"Bennington College students recently learned that their Vermont school had received an honor that some might consider dubious: They attend the least religious college in America, according to an annual educational survey."

Not Your Imagination: Kids Today Really are Less Creative, Study Says

"In a 2010 study of about 300,000 creativity tests going back to the 1970s, Kyung Hee Kim, a creativity researcher at the College of William and Mary, found creativity has decreased among American children in recent years."

Critters Moving Away From Global Warming Faster

"Animals across the world are fleeing global warming by heading north much faster than they were less than a decade ago, a new study says."

Study Shows Why Domestic Violence Victims Drop Charges

"Emotional appeals from their abusers who minimize their own wrongdoing, rather than threats, often lead victims of domestic violence to drop charges, a study found."

Study: Are Women Choosing Romance Over Math and Science?

"Women are notoriously underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM, for short). Now a new study suggests it's because women's interest in romance may be getting in the way."

After Violence, Women's Mental Health Suffers

"Women who have been sexually assaulted, abused by a partner or stalked may face high lifetime risks of depression and other mental health conditions, a new study suggests."

Your Own Brain Thwarts Diet With 'Feed Me' Signals

"When dieters starve themselves of calories, they starve their brain cells as well. New research finds that these hungry brain cells then release 'feed me' signals, which drive hunger, slow metabolism and may cause diets to fail."

Research on Antisocial People

"Anti-social people -- those who are especially insecure or anxious, or those who tend to avoid relationships -- were faster at detecting and responding to a potentially dangerous situation, according to the research, which was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science."

Single People May Die Younger, New Study Finds

"The researchers found the risk of death was 32 percent higher across a lifetime for single men compared to married men. Single women face a 23 percent higher mortality risk, compared to married women."

Most Doctors Will Face Malpractice Suit During Careers, Study Finds

"Most doctors will face a malpractice lawsuit at some point in their careers, a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found."

Americans View College Degree as Key to Good Job and Prosperity

"Americans overwhelmingly view a college degree as essential to getting a good job and achieving financial security, according to the results of a Gallup survey released today by the Lumina Foundation for Education."

Report: Admissions Offers to Foreign Students at U.S. Graduate Schools

"Offers of admission to international students by American graduate schools grew this year at the fastest clip in five years, climbing 11 percent over last year, according to a report released today by the Council of Graduate Schools."

Women Value Higher Education More Highly Than Men Do, Survey Finds

"At a time when women are consistently outperforming men in college enrollment and completion, women tend to value higher education more highly than men do and believe it has had a more positive impact on their lives, according to the results of a survey that was released on Wednesday."

Cartoon Characters Prod Kids to Nag for Unhealthy Foods

". . .you may have wondered, what makes even preschoolers yearn so desperately for the character-shaped marshmallow cereal? Or the prepackaged frozen meal in the brightly colored box? New research suggests one culprit: those cutesy cartoon characters used to sell foods in TV ads."

U.S. 'Dangerously Close' to Recession - Morgan Stanley Report

"A pessimistic report on the global economy from Morgan Stanley -- particularly about the United States and Europe -- sent the world's stock markets tumbling Thursday."

Experts Redesign Common Microbe to Fight Drug-Resistant Bacteria

"Researchers in Singapore have re-engineered a harmless strain of bacteria to fight another common, drug-resistant microbe that spreads in hospitals and is deadly to patients with weak immune systems."

Economists' Outlook Darkens: See 30% Chance of Recession

"The chances of the economy slipping into another recession have risen significantly, and forecasts for economic growth and job gains over the next year have been substantially downsized, according to USA TODAY's quarterly survey of top economists."

Nice Guys Earn Less, Study Finds

"There are upsides to being nice in the office, such as being better liked by co-workers, the authors say, pointing to a raft of earlier studies. But the bottom line, according to four studies they conducted, is that 'agreeableness is negatively related to income and earnings.""

How Americans Really Use Cell Phones

"In its report, the Pew Internet and American Life Project also explores the pros and cons of having a cell phone. Cell phones are great for quick information retrieval, Pew found. But not having fast mobile access to info can cause problems."

Economists' Outlook Darkens: See 30% Chance of Recession

"The chances of the economy slipping into another recession have risen significantly, and forecasts for economic growth and job gains over the next year have been substantially downsized, according to USA TODAY's quarterly survey of top economists."

Study Links Persistent Depression to Childhood Abuse

"Doctors treating people for depression should delve into the childhoods of their patients before prescribing, because a history of mistreatment has a significant impact on their illness and ability to recover, scientists said Monday."

Study: Genetic Link to Intelligence

"A study offers the first direct biological evidence that genes and inheritance have a big role in intelligence, a Scottish researcher says."

Playing Hard-to-Get May Be Effective

"Things that are hard to get, dates or products stuck at the back of the shelf, are more attractive than what is more easily attainable, U.S. researchers say."

More U.S. Kids in Hospital for Mental Illness

"American kids are increasingly likely to be admitted to the hospital for mental problems, although rates of non-psychiatric hospitalizations have remained flat, a new study shows."

E-Book Sales Rise More than 1,000% Since 2008

"According to a new survey of sales revenue provided by more than 2,000 publishers in the U.S., book sales are rising, with e-book revenue growing a surprising 1,274% between 2008 and 2010."

Study: Your Hostile Workplace May Be Killing You

"The 20-year study, by researchers at Tel Aviv University, sought to examine the relationship between the workplace and a person's risk of death . . . People who reported having little or no social support from their co-workers were 2.4 times more likely to die during the course of the study than those who said they had close, supportive bonds with their workmates."

Forbes List of Best Colleges 2011

Forbes List of Best Colleges 2011

Bullying May Result in Lower Test Scores

"Prevalence of bullying on campus may hurt high-school student test performance, U.S. researchers suggest."

Study: Graphic Warnings to Reduce Smoking

"A U.S. study suggests the new health warnings with graphic pictures on cigarette packages will reduce demand for cigarettes, researchers say."

Study: Graphic Warnings to Reduce Smoking

"A U.S. study suggests the new health warnings with graphic pictures on cigarette packages will reduce demand for cigarettes, researchers say."

Religious Happier During Bad Times

"Religious are happier and outnumber the non-religious in societies under stress but their numerical edge diminishes during peace, U.S. researchers say."

Study: Narcissists Don't Make Good Leaders

"Narcissists rise to the top because people think their confidence, dominance and self-esteem make them good leaders -- but they're not, Dutch researchers say."

Texas Once Linked to Antarctica, Researchers Say

"Texas may be suffering through a 100-plus degree heat wave, but long ago, the weather must have been surprisingly different. In fact, Texas and sub-zero Antarctica were linked 1.1 billion years ago, long before the supercontinent Pangaea formed, scientists said Monday."

Study: Chimpanzees are Naturally Generous

"U.S. researchers say chimpanzees have shown a significant bias toward prosocial, or altruistic, behavior among themselves, contradicting some earlier studies."

Religious Harassment on Rise Throughout the World, Report Finds

"Worshippers are under attack in more countries as governments crack down on religion, and social hostilities grow, according to a new report."

Junk Food Still Stars in TV Ads Seen By Kids

"Children are seeing fewer sugary, fatty foods advertised on TV, but unhealthy fare still makes up the bulk of food commercials they see, a new study suggests."

Report: 40 States Passed Immigration Legislation in 2011

"Nearly 250 new immigration laws and resolutions were enacted in 40 states during the first half of 2011 indicating a growing frustration with the federal government's handling of the issue, according to a new report."

Women Take Different Risks Than Men

"Conventional wisdom holds that women take fewer risks than men but U.S. researchers say women take different kinds of risks than men, such as social risks."

Healing Abilities of Dolphins Studied

"Dolphins have a remarkable ability to survive a shark attack that would kill a human within hours from bleeding or a subsequent infection, a researcher says."

Astronomers Study 'Soccer Ball' Nebula

"A distant nebula dubbed the 'Soccer Ball' may help astronomers understand such phenomena, created by the death throes of stars, U.S. researchers say."

Social Skills Linked to Ability to Empathize

"People who are socially skilled are more proficient when it comes to being empathetic, or putting themselves in someone else's shoes, U.S. researchers suggest."

Search Engines Outrank Porn for Malware

A recent report found: "Almost 40 percent of malware hijackings start at search engines, especially within image results strewn with malware mines, what Blue Coat calls 'Search Engine Poisoning.'"

Humans Crowded Out Neanderthals, Study Says

"In the report, in Friday's edition of the journal Science, Paul Mellars and Jennifer C. French of England's Cambridge University contend that 'numerical supremacy alone may have been a critical factor' in human dominance."

Study: Worrying Can Harm Relationships

"Worrying can be so intrusive and preoccupying that it interferes in one's quality of life and endangers social relationships, U.S. researchers found."

Study: Mexico Homicides Rose 23 Percent in 2010

"The number of homicides in Mexico rose by nearly a quarter in 2010 compared to the year before as the drug war intensified across the country, Mexican statisticians said Thursday."

One-Third of World Has Hepatitis: WHO Report

"More than two billion people - roughly one-third of the entire world population - is infected with one of the viruses that causes the potentially deadly liver disease, according to a new estimate from the World Health Organization."

What Makes You Happy? It May Depend on Your Age

"People's happiness levels change with age, an idea reflected in personal experiences and public opinion polls, but a new study shows that much of that change may boil down to how people define happiness itself."

The High Cost of Healthy Eating Out of Reach for Many

"A healthy diet is expensive and could make it difficult for Americans to meet new U.S. nutritional guidelines, according to a study published Thursday that says the government should do more to help consumers eat healthier."

Report Shows Rise in World Restrictions on Religion

"The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life said government restrictions and public hostility involving religion grew in some of the most populous countries from mid-2006 to mid-2009."

Economist Survey: Chance of U.S. Recession Rises to 1-in-4

"Just two weeks ago, economists saw the chances of another recession at one-in-five. Now they see it at one-in-four."

IRS: 1,470 Millionaires Paid No Income Tax in '09

"Not the best day to report this, but the IRS says 1,470 millionaires paid no federal income taxes in 2009."

The Education/Religion Connection

"For years, a commonly held belief has been that more educated Americans are less likely to embrace religion. But an article forthcoming in The Review of Religious Research suggests that the relationship between education and faith is more nuanced, and that more education has a negative impact only on certain religious questions, not on all of them."

Incivility a Growing Problem at Work, Psychologists Say

"'Workplace incivility' is on the rise, researchers said Sunday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting."

Fear Index Soars to 52-Week High

"The CBOE Volatility index (VIX), or the VIX, jumped 37.4% to 43.98 in afternoon trade Monday as all three major U.S. stock indexes plummeted."