http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/popular_culture/ A scientific view of popular culture. Read about the role of popular culture, mass media and public opinion on society. en-us Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:05:01 EST Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/popular_culture/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090105175317.htm Fifty-four percent of adolescents frequently discuss high-risk activities including sexual behavior, substance abuse or violence using MySpace, the popular social networking Web site. Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090105175317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081228191026.htm As the party season approaches, a timely reminder of the issues surrounding the binge drinking culture are again highlighted by research into "young people and alcohol" a team lead by Professor Christine Griffin, at the University of Bath. The research suggests several considerations for future policy. Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081228191026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217123825.htm A new study reveals that women prefer mates who are recognized by their peers for their skills, abilities, and achievements, while not preferring men who use coercive tactics to subordinate their rivals. Indeed, women found dominance strategies of the latter type to be attractive primarily when men used them in the context of male-male athletic competitions. Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217123825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209100832.htm Scientists at Toshiba's Corporate Research and Development Center in Japan have developed a system that offers shoppers advice on what to buy based on the product barcode and the current weblog buzz around the gadget. The team describes the system WOM Scouter this month in the International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies. Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081209100832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208123259.htm For every rock star who hits it big, there are thousands of artists who never make it out of their own back yards. Before Madonna was “Madonna,” she was a local success in New York clubs. Until Britney Spears became a global pop superstar, she performed in dance revues in her native Louisiana. But how can you tell who will make it onto the Billboard charts and who will never get beyond the local bar circuit? Researchers have developed software that can accurately predict the next big music phenomenon. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208123259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208180429.htm Violent behavioral problems that persist in early childhood are good indicators of school drop-outs and future delinquency. Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208180429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081202181715.htm The statistics for sexual assault are unsettling; the Department of Justice reports that one in five college women will be the victim of attempted or actual sexual assault during their college years. In a new study, researchers from two universities, including the University of Missouri, have found that college women often are unaware of drug-facilitated sexual assault and fail to recognize the risk of certain behaviors, including leaving drinks unattended. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081202181715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124130956.htm No matter what you see in the movies, archaeology isn't really about finding ancient temples or golden idols. It's about the day-to-day "stuff" -- the material culture—of people's lives. It doesn't even have to be ancient, as a study of homeless peoples' stuff in Indianapolis is showing. Instead of being an exotic field, archaeology may even help the homeless to live better lives. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081124130956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126075613.htm Media coverage of clinical trials does not contain the elements readers require to make informed decisions. A comparison of the coverage received by pharmaceutical and herbal remedy trials, reported in the journal BMC Medicine, has revealed that it is rarely possible for the lay public to assess the credibility of the described research. Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126075613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm You are what you watch, when it comes to violence in the media and its influence on violent behavior in young people, and an article provides new evidence that violent media does indeed impact adolescent behavior. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122632.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122626.htm Researchers call for greater scrutiny of the relationship between medical journalists and the health care industries they cover. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119122626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118122057.htm Corporate culture is, above all, the most important factor in driving innovation. Firm level factors are more important than anything else -- even location -- in predicting radical innovation. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081118122057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081114080928.htm Adverse experiences early in life can lead to minor childhood behavior problems, which can grow into serious acts of teen violence, according to new research. Children who had social and academic problems in elementary school often had parents who withdrew from supervision and monitoring during middle school. Children then made friends with deviant peers, and ultimately were more likely to engage violent acts. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081114080928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117082233.htm A new approach to preventing digital piracy of music and video content that sidesteps the need for the privacy compromise associated with DRM (digital rights management) is reported in the International Journal of Intellectual Property Management. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081117082233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105083547.htm Research by the University of Warwick shows how death gave birth to the modern cult of celebrity as the sudden rise in the popularity of obituaries of unusual people in the 1700s provided people with the 18th Century equivalent of a celebrity magazine. Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105083547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071816.htm Unusually aggressive youth may actually enjoy inflicting pain on others, research using brain scans shows. Scans of the aggressive youth's brains showed that an area that is associated with rewards was highlighted when the youth watched a video clip of someone inflicting pain on another person. Youth without the unusually aggressive behavior did not have that response, the study showed. Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081107071816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103180252.htm It's not just American kids who become more aggressive by playing violent video games. A new study showed effects of violent video games on aggression over a 3-6 month period in children from Japan as well as the United States. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103180252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103170418.htm Alcohol-outlet density is associated with a number of adverse health and social consequences. New research examines the relationship between AOD and intimate partner violence. Findings show that an increase of 10 alcohol outlets per 10,000 persons was associated with a 34 percent increased risk of male-to-female partner violence. Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103170418.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081029121818.htm Popular media coverage of infectious diseases greatly influences how people perceive those diseases, making them seem more dangerous, according to a new study. Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081029121818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031122502.htm What is the impact of media on the political landscape in the US? Researchers are investigating the impact of hugely popular social media's impact on the upcoming presidential contest. Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031122502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030075649.htm Researchers say that the once improbable seeming villains in the Bond movies have become close to the real threats face faced by modern security services. One researcher said, "Remarkably, the Bond villains - including Dr No, Goldfinger and Blofeld - have always been post-Cold War figures. Bond's enemies are in fact very close the real enemies of the last two decades - part master criminal - part arms smuggler - part terrorist - part warlord." Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030075649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027174646.htm What stands a better chance of surviving 50 years from now, a framed photograph or a 10-megabyte digital photo file on your computer's hard drive? The framed photograph will inevitably fade and yellow over time, but the digital photo file may be unreadable to future computers -- an unintended consequence of our rapidly digitizing world that may ultimately lead to a "digital dark age." Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081027174646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016084057.htm Researchers in the UK have found that a digital divide still exists and that more silver surfers (over 50s) need to obtain and use the Internet in their daily lives. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081016084057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111307.htm Celebrities do have the ability to focus awareness on charitable and political causes, but their power to move the news machine to shape policy agendas has been oversold, according to recent research published by SAGE in the October issue of the International Journal of Press/Politics. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111204.htm Clubbers -- people who dance the night away in dance clubs -- are seeking communal, ecstatic experiences. And, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, modern clubbers get a more controlled, legalized version of the raves of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924153505.htm Researchers have long known that children who grow up in an aggressive or violent household are more likely to become violent or aggressive in future relationships but the developmental link has been unclear. Researchers now say children who grow up in aggressive households may learn to process social information differently than their peers. "Children with high-conflict parents are more likely to think that aggressive responses would be good ways to handle social conflicts." Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924153505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145030.htm Psychologists investigated the effect that exposure to violent TV programs has on negative behavior in children from different ethnic backgrounds. The results showed a positive relationship between the amount of violent TV watched and negative personality attributes among white males and females and African-American females. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001145030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929123951.htm Asian vegetables, a diverse group of specialty vegetables grown and consumed throughout Asia, are becoming an integral part of the American diet. To gauge their familiarity with a range of Asian vegetables, consumers were asked to complete a written survey as they entered two fruit and vegetable markets in Belleville, Ill., on busy Saturday mornings. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080929123951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093802.htm Countries with strict social rules and behavioral etiquette such as the United Kingdom may foster drinking cultures characterized by unruly or bad behavior, according to a new report on alcohol and violence. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001093802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924192435.htm Today's movie industry still draws on those images to justify smoking in movies -- even as public health experts call for smoking to be eliminated from youth-rated films. Last month the National Cancer Institute concluded that on-screen smoking causes youth to start smoking. Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924192435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094711.htm Ethnic violence rarer in countries where free market dominates than in those where state plays greater economic role. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085158.htm A new psychological study aims to investigate how accurate people’s perceptions about forensic science are, where these beliefs come from, and how this forensic awareness may impact on jury decision making. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924085158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916100930.htm Researchers conducted a study with a racially diverse sample of 2,925 children ages 5 to 16 years that found that the types of violence that abused children were later re-exposed to lead to specific types of psychological problems. Previously abused children who witnessed family violence, such as partner-on-partner abuse or adult-on-child abuse, had more symptoms of depression and anxiety, while those subjected to harsh physical discipline were more aggressive and more frequently broke rules. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916100930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916100934.htm A new analysis contradicts the notion that "social" aggression, such as spreading rumors, is a female and not male form of aggression. The researchers analyzed 148 studies of social and physical aggression, encompassing 74,000 children and adolescents. Children who carry out one form of aggression (social or physical) were inclined to carry out the other form. Social aggression is related to delinquency and ADHD-type symptoms, while physical aggression is related to depression and low self-esteem. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916100934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915143330.htm Banishing tempting goodies may not be the best way to keep from eating them. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower, according to new research. Although it seems counterintuitive, consumers show more self-control after they've spent some time in the presence of a treat. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915143330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080911103916.htm Violence against women in a family also has serious consequences for the children's growth, health, and survival. Researchers have studied women and their children in Bangladesh and Nicaragua and have shown, among other things, that children whose mothers are exposed to violence grow less and are sick more often than other children. Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080911103916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185123.htm A first-ever, national study conducted in South Africa found that 27.5 percent of men who have ever been married or lived with a partner report perpetrating physical violence against their current or most recent female partner. Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185123.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185328.htm A new study suggests that entertainment news shows such as the Daily Show or the Colbert Report may not be as influential in teaching voters about political issues and candidates as was previously thought. But researchers have found reasons to discount how effective these shows are in informing the general public.  Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185328.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908073843.htm The Magical Memory Tour, the largest ever international online survey which asked people to blog their memories of the Beatles to create the biggest database of autobiographical memories ever attempted, has just been completed. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908073843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185230.htm Single fathers should never be prevented from seeing their children. Even in the toughest family conflicts, interaction should always continue between father and child, according to one researcher. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908185230.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902122854.htm A summit of more than 60 high-level policymakers, leaders and health experts have adopted a global plan aimed at tackling the growing cancer crisis in developing countries. The plan, contained in the World Cancer Declaration, recommends a set of 11 cancer-busting targets for 2020 and outlines priority steps that need to be taken in order to meet them. It was presented Sunday at the close of the World Cancer Congress in Geneva. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080902122854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134209.htm One of the few studies to look at the effects of religious participation on the mental health of minorities suggests that for some of them, religion may actually be contributing to adolescent depression. Previous research has shown that teens who are active in religious services are depressed less often because it provides these adolescents with social support and a sense of belonging. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080903134209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145213.htm A new study in Latin American Politics and Society highlights the multifaceted nature of the Colombian conflict, identifying the factors that are driving conflict and illustrating how disregard for the range of these factors lends support to policies that do not enhance prospects for peace. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829135352.htm While more Americans believe that mental illness has genetic causes, the nation is no more tolerant of the mentally ill than it was 10 years ago. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080829135352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164302.htm The National Cancer Institute has released a report that reaches the government's strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking in movies promote youth smoking. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821164302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717134527.htm Watching the news should make you more informed, but it also may be making you more likely to stereotype, says a researcher studying the issue. He found that the more people watched either local or network news, the more likely they were to draw on negative stereotypes about blacks. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080717134527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710070800.htm However much the likes of Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay might want to shake up our diets, culinary evolution dictates that our cultural cuisines remain little changed as generations move on. Three national cuisines - British, French and Brazilian -- are affected by the founder effect which keeps idiosyncratic and nutritionally ambivalent, expensive and sometimes hard to transport ingredients in our diets. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080710070800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080625140638.htm The media slant political news to the left or right to increase ratings and profits, spinning up an information vacuum that can lead to mistakes at the ballot box, a new study by three University of Illinois economists says. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080625140638.htm