Science Issues

Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.

Spot the opportunity: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. Nearly half of American adults use online social network sites. Networks magnify whatever they are seeded with, for good or for ill.

Susannah Fox will guide a discussion of a combination of tools, content, and community changes that factor into health improvement. But what actually drives behavior change? And are we even asking the right questions?

Social networking may represent an effective way for surgeons to better serve, i.e., to communicate, to educate, to care, for their patients, the public, medical students, residents and the general public.

People living with chronic disease are among the least likely to have internet access, yet once online they often dive deeply into gathering, sharing, and creating health information.

Brazilians are relatively upbeat about the state of their country, although they still see serious challenges, including illegal drugs, crime and political corruption. And Brazilians are confident about their country’s place in the world: most say Brazil already is or will eventually be one of the world’s leading powers.

Overview Many Americans continue to say their religious beliefs have been highly influential in shaping their views about social issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage. But far fewer cite religion as a top influence on their opinions about several other social and political issues, including how the government should deal with immigration, the environment and […]

Susannah Fox will discuss the social life of health information and its potential for transforming health care.

The phenomenon of using the internet to gather and share health information is now mainstream. It's time to change how we talk about it, revising and maybe even retiring certain terms.