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Transit Ridership Soars—for Now

Plummeting gas prices haven't driven us back to cars ... but now fewer have jobs to commute to

(Newser) - Dramatic increases in public transportation ridership have outlived sky-high gas prices, but the souring economy could reverse the trend, USA Today reports. Nationwide, third-quarter ridership was up 7% compared to last year, spurred by $4-a-gallon gas in July. Some municipalities saw almost 20% more commuters on their trains and buses....

A Smarty Pants Has Better Sperm: Study

(Newser) - Men of higher intelligence are likely to produce better sperm, and not because they make smarter lifestyle choices, a new study says. British researchers have found a link between the sperm quality and intelligence of 425 ex-US soldiers, regardless of their age and lifestyle. "This does not mean that...

Unhappiest Watch Boob Tube the Most

Happy people socialize, pray, in free time: study

(Newser) - Unhappy Americans watch more TV, or TV-watching makes Americans unhappier—a new study isn't sure which. But the survey of nearly 40,000 people shows that those who watch 30% more television are less happy than those who pass their time in other ways. Sex, sports, and playing or reading...

Forward-Facing Strollers Have Backward Effect

Heart rates, stress levels rise in infants who can't see parents

(Newser) - Parents who place babies in forward-facing strollers could be harming their child’s development, a study suggests. Infants in carriages who were not turned toward their caregivers were less likely to sleep, laugh, or interact with them, the Telegraph reports. The study also found that babies in away-facing carriages have...

Big Brother Is ... Stealing Your Fertility

Having an older bro reduces your odds of having kids, study finds

(Newser) - If you have an older brother, odds are slightly greater you won’t be having kids, especially if you live in pre-industrial Finland. According to a new study, which examined the birth, marriage, and death records of three generations of pre-industrial Finlanders, found that those with older brothers were 5%...

You Heard? Headphones, Pacemakers Don't Jibe

Headsets may interfere with heart devices

(Newser) - Headphones used with digital music players may interfere with pacemakers and internal defibrillators, scientists discovered in research contradicting reports from the US government. “Exposure of a defibrillator to the headphones can temporarily deactivate the defibrillator,” the lead researcher said. Draping the headphones over the chest caused hindrance in...

Teen Pregnancy Tied to Steamy TV

Kids who watched most sex content twice as likely to face issue

(Newser) - Teenagers who watch more sexual content on TV are far more likely to face pregnancy, a new study suggests. Of 700 teens interviewed over 3 years, those who watched the most sexual material—on shows such as Friends and Sex and the City—were about twice as likely to get...

You Can't Afford to Read the Fine Print

Actually reading online privacy policies would cost $365B per year

(Newser) - No one bothers to read websites' online privacy policies. But if Americans did—just once a year for each site they visit—it would take 200 hours per person, amounting to $365 billion worth of lost time, Ars Technica reports. That may all be theoretical, but the researchers behind the...

Lack of Control Breeds Superstition

(Newser) - Superstitions and conspiracy theories all boil down to control issues, a new study says. When subjects in a University of Texas test were made to feel out of control, they saw more patterns that did not exist—whether images in a fuzzy picture or links between unconnected actions. Which is...

Honeybees Do Puzzling 'Wave' to Scare Enemies

(Newser) - Honeybees flip over en masse and reflect light with their bellies for a reason, scientists have found: It's to scare off enemies. Bee experts knew that giant honeybees in Southeast Asia flipped over by the hundreds or even thousands but only recently discovered they were warding off predatory wasps. What...

To Find Love, Show Some: Study

Social cues, flirting can cause feelings to bloom

(Newser) - Unrequited romantics can stop blaming facial symmetry and voice pitch for their woes: A new study suggests finding love might be as simple as declaring it, the Independent reports. Social cues such as eye contact, smiling, and verbal come-ons play an important role in beckoning Cupid, researchers concluded after showing...

Study Links Child Abuse, Asthma
Study Links Child Abuse, Asthma

Study Links Child Abuse, Asthma

Stress seen as possible cause of respiratory condition

(Newser) - Abused children are twice as likely to develop asthma as kids who are not abused, a new study says. Although the research doesn't conclusively establish a cause-and-effect link, it does suggest doctors should consider looking for evidence of physical and sexual abuse in young patients with hard-to-treat asthma, the Boston ...

Crows Recognize Human Faces: Study

Birds distinguished friendly and unfriendly masks, squawked at perceived foe

(Newser) - If you ever offend a crow, don’t expect it to forgive and forget. University of Washington researchers found that the birds recognize human faces long after an encounter, the New York Times reports. Participants wore specific masks when they captured campus crows; after their release, the birds angrily scolded...

Relax, Girls&mdash;Men Are Shopaholics, Too
 Relax, Girls—Men
 Are Shopaholics, Too
glossies

Relax, Girls—Men Are Shopaholics, Too

Fellas reward a hard day's work with new gear

(Newser) - Men are giving women a run for their credit cards when it comes to shopping addiction, Details reports. One study found that men in their 20s and 30s "shop more like women" by visiting a variety of stores, and anecdotal evidence portrays today's male as increasingly prone to the...

Are We Happier Without Kids?
 Are We Happier Without Kids? 
glossies

Are We Happier Without Kids?

Childless Americans enjoy life more, studies say

(Newser) - Little bundles of joy may not be delivering as much pleasure to their moms and dads as they're reputed to, Newsweek reports. Parents are about 7% less happy than the childless, one study says, while another concludes that "no group of parents reported significantly greater emotional well-being than people...

Can a Broken Heart Heal? Sure, Give It 10 Weeks

We get over break-ups faster than we think, researchers say

(Newser) - Break-ups don’t break us up as much as we expect, a study finds. Researchers at Northwestern University followed 70 romantically-entwined freshmen over 9 months, regularly asking them to update a survey analyzing their current feelings and how they imagined a break-up would feel. The pain of eventual splits was...

New Worry: Global Soil Change
New Worry: Global Soil Change

New Worry: Global Soil Change

Scientists propose calling current geological era 'Anthropocene'—human-made

(Newser) - Earth's changing soils appear less able to support farming and plant and animal diversity because of human activity, a study shows. "Global soil change," which is occurring most severely in Africa and Asia, has a heavier hand in climate change than previously thought, National Geographic reports. Degraded soils...

Religious Belief Linked to Loneliness

Study also associates love for pets, computers with social isolation

(Newser) - Most people can't stomach loneliness, and they're more prone to believing in the supernatural or creating strong bonds with pets and household objects to compensate, a new study finds. It's a throwback to our ancestors, who relied on group living to survive, LiveScience reports. "Being socially isolated is just...

Women Don't 'Outgrow' Bisexuality
Women Don't 'Outgrow' Bisexuality

Women Don't 'Outgrow' Bisexuality

Study finds females are 'more fluid with their sexuality'

(Newser) - A new study rejects the idea that women can be "bisexual until graduation," ABC News reports. Utah professor Lisa Diamond followed 79 women between 18 and 25 who identified as "lesbian, bisexual, or 'unlabeled'" for a decade. Throughout, she found that few changed their self-categorization. Diamond argues...

Naps Boost Long-term Memory
Naps Boost Long-term Memory

Naps Boost Long-term Memory

90-minute snooze helps brain lock in events, skills

(Newser) - A daily siesta can boost long-term recall and help people learn instruments and remember decisive events, a new study says. A University of Haifa researcher taught people tapping: He showed participants a tricky rhythm, then let half sleep for an hour. Those who stayed up failed to tap better, while...

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