Short Reads

There is a 67 percentage point divide between Israelis, who have a favorable view of the U.S., and Palestinians who have a positive view.

Last week, Sesame Street added a new character -- Alex, a child whose father is in prison. The new feature was meant to deal with the reality of a sharp increase in the number of incarcerated adults in the U.S.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule imminently on two laws seeking to block same-sex marriage -- the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8. Here's a summary of major findings related to the issue.

One of the phrases coined during the debate over President Obama’s health care overhaul was the “young invincibles,” referring to the large share of young adults who did not have health insurance  because they thought their age made it less likely they would get sick, or just were not in a position to afford coverage.  […]

Research with minors presents some unique challenges, ranging from getting the necessary legal permissions to reaching interviewees at a time that use of mobile phones is growing.

The recent protests in Brazil reflect dissatisfaction that is, at least in part, the result of a large gap between what the public considers top priorities for the country and perceptions of how well these priorities are met.

A majority of Americans believe astronauts will probably or definitely land on Mars before 2050.

http://vimeo.com/68765934 Today, Facebook announced it will let users take and share short videos by way of Instagram, its photo-sharing app. This feature will likely compete with Twitter’s popular new short video application, Vine. Social networking has grown faster and changed more than any other internet activity during the lifespan of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & […]

Despite their “share everything” image, privacy still matters for young American adults. But they distinguish between information they voluntarily share on social-networking sites and systematic monitoring by government agencies of telephone and internet traffic. In response to revelations last week that the NSA is conducting such surveillance of Americans, government officials told Congress this week that […]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults are generally less religious than U.S. society as a whole, a recent Pew Research Center survey found. About half (51%) declare any religious affiliation at all, versus close to eight-in-ten U.S. adults; about a fifth (17%) are both religiously affiliated and say religion is very important in their lives, […]