Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Fact Sheets: Public Views About Science


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    A Tough Economy and a Plugged Leak Top the News

    Two familiar stories—an economy slow to recover and an oil leak slow to be stopped—generated the most press attention last week. But there was plenty of politics as well including two hot button issues—same-sex marriage and illegal immigration—and the mid-term elections. And after one week of big headlines, Afghanistan coverage plunged.

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    Facebook Privacy and iPhone “Jailbreaking” Engage Social Media Users

    The publication of information gleaned from Facebook profiles of millions of users was the top subject on Twitter last week. And a ruling that it’s okay to hack into the iPhone for new applications gained attention on both blogs and Twitter. On YouTube, slang-speaking teens have provoked millions of clicks for two weeks running.

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    Federal Court Strikes Down Calif. Same-Sex Marriage Ban

    A federal district court judge today struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution. The decision, which is expected to be appealed, represents the first time a federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry. In his ruling, District Court […]