Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Publications

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    What Brain Science Tells Us About Religious Belief

    Recent advances in neuroscience are offering researchers a look into the physiology of religious belief. In a transcript from a Pew Forum event, University of Pennsylvania radiologist, Dr. Andrew Newberg, discusses how measurable brain activity matches up with the religious experiences described by worshippers.

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    Obama’s Image Slips, His Lead Over Clinton Disappears

    Summary of Findings Democratic voters are not as positive about Barack Obama as they were a month ago. Somewhat smaller percentages of Democrats describe Obama in favorable terms, and he has lost his lead over Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination. Nationally, Democratic voters are about evenly divided between Obama and Clinton; […]

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    Democratic Campaign Taking a Toll on Both Obama and Clinton

    Summary of Findings Over the past six weeks the intense, and often negative, contest between Obama and Clinton has dominated media coverage of the campaign as well as public attention. And over this period, more Americans have consistently said their views of Obama and Clinton have become less favorable, rather than more favorable, in recent […]

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    Religion and Progressive Politics in 2008

    Washington, D.C. A variety of religious voices have been prominent in the 2008 presidential campaign to date, and to the surprise of many observers, these voices include religious activists with liberal and progressive perspectives. They describe a growing movement focused on justice and the common good. Where did this movement come from, and how might […]

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    Religion in China on the Eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics

    May 2, 2008 On Aug. 8, 2008 – the eighth day of the eighth month of the year ’08 – at exactly 08:08:08 p.m., the Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin in Beijing. The day and hour for the start of the opening ceremony of the Olympics was chosen for its good fortune – a […]

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    Who Wants To Be Rich?

    Only 13% of adults say it’s “very important” for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind six others measured in a new survey .

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    Post-Pennsylvania Spin Drowns Out McCain

    Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton generated a huge portion of the headlines last week as Pennsylvanians finally went to the polls. The issue of race re-emerged to play a substantial role in the media’s Democratic campaign narrative. And Republican John McCain struggled to be heard through the din.