The world of dating is fraught with perils—from ill-conceived blind dates to the risk of rejection. But it’s not only egos that can get bruised. As if the psychological stress of dating weren’t enough, real violence happens all too often, and problems can start early. The odds a female high school student will be a … Read more
It’s a long-perpetuated stereotype: women are bad drivers. In popular culture they are seen as erratic, nervous, and distracted, and they just plain can’t handle a large piece of machinery like a car. But statistics show otherwise. According to a large 2007 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, women are actually much safer drivers … Read more
How exasperating sleep can be. Home in your comfortable bed, you may toss and turn, unable to find slumber. But on the road driving, when you need to be alert to survive, staying awake can be a brutal struggle. It’s depressingly common for drowsy drivers to lose this battle: According to the National Sleep Foundation’s … Read more
“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