wug7a “Driving While Black” is a folksy term for racial profiling. But in many parts of the country it’s been replaced with “Driving While Hispanic.” The odds a Hispanic adult believes the use of racial profiling by traffic patrol is widespread are 1 in 1.59 (63%), very close to the odds a black adult shares that belief—1 in … Read more
As high school students hunt for ways to distinguish themselves for colleges, the number taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes—the rigorous courses that can earn students college credit—has spiraled upward. But more AP test-takers has meant a higher failure rate, sparking a debate over whether students benefit when exposed to challenging material—or are being set up … Read more
These teenagers, they think they’re invincible. Youth is wasted on the young. These adages are ubiquitous in both national forums and family dinner conversations, but the truth about teens and risk may lie somewhere outside of proverbs. There is certainly an amount of recklessness that comes with the onslaught of hormones and independence otherwise known as … Read more
Gambling, conventions, glamorous concerts, and extravagant stage shows draw visitors to Sin City from all over the world, but in Las Vegas weddings are big business too. From average couples standing before a sober Justice of the Peace ( Elvis-attired or not) to the glitzy celebrity nuptials of Pamela Anderson, Noel Gallagher, Michael Jordan, Nicky Hilton, and so … Read more
Heidi Klum and Seal, Robert DeNiro and Grace Hightower, Robin Thicke and Paula Patton—just a few of the high-profile couples who have brought interracial relationships into the public eye. Forty-three years ago, these marriages would have been illegal in many US states. But in 1967, the Supreme Court overturned those bans, and by 2007, 77% … Read more
1. My partner and I don’t sleep in the same room. Are we weird? You’re not unusual. The odds a married or cohabiting adult sleeps alone to ensure both partners get a good night’s sleep are 1 in 4.35. 2. Do more men sleep in their underwear, or in the nude? Neither. The odds a man sleeps nude … Read more
As the cells of the human body endure the daily assault of sunlight, smoke, and chemicals, damage occurs along the length of chromosomes, or genes. A mutation may occur. And if that genetic mistake alters a gene influencing cell growth, it could direct the cell to replicate unhindered. Over 2,500 years ago, Hippocrates termed the … Read more
Death may free you from the burden of life’s many decisions—as Sophocles put it, “For the dead, there are no more toils,” but shedding your mortal coil involves a host of pre-mortem considerations such as what do with that coil once you have shed it. Fortunately, there are a number of options for corporeal management. While most … Read more
The odds a person will die from an accident in a year (1 in 2,462) are roughly the same odds a female younger than 50 will be diagnosed with breast cancer in a year (1 in 2,337). It’s inevitable to ask, what are the odds that may happen to me? In what follows, Book of Odds … Read more
On June 19th, 2008, 49-year-old Esmin Elizabeth Green collapsed onto the floor of the psychiatric emergency room of Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn. She had been waiting for more than 24 hours for an inpatient bed. For 20 minutes she writhed on the linoleum floor, and then stopped moving. Forty minutes later, a nurse nudged … Read more