Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Brevibacterium linens

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Lactobacillus

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Pseudomonas syringae

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Vibrio

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Bdellovibrio

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Pseudomonas putida

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Cyanobacteria

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Deinococcus radiodurans

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: E. coli

Bacteria Working in the Shadows: Streptococcus mutans.

How textbook changes and talk of secession affect the citizen embarrassment level in Texas.

How battling Obamacare and being highlighted for corruption affect the citizen embarrassment level in Tennessee.

How former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and state corruption in general affect the citizen embarrassment level in Illinois.

How gun laws, Confederate History Month and a statue of Stalin contribute to the citizen embarrassment level in Virginia.

How rampant corruption, a governor’s affair with a prostitute and the fall of “America’s Cop” affect the citizen embarrassment level in New York.

How immigration laws, a state boycott and a “worst sheriff” honor affect the citizen embarrassment level in Arizona.

How a budget deficit, credit crisis and the Governator affect the citizen embarrassment level in California.

An overturned fishing boat symbolizes the plight of the world’s fisheries.

Two new studies — one sociological, another using brain scans — document and help explain our lack of empathy for perceived outsiders.

Will it give European intelligence agencies access to U.S. banking records?

The emergence of a video showing pedestrians mowed down in Baghdad by U.S. gunships illustrates how traditional media’s watchdog role is being usurped.

While being involved in your children’s lives and studies is intuitively (and statistically) smart, some techniques are better than others.

The Yankees look to be the dominant team in baseball for 2010, according to a New Jersey Institute of Technology mathematician (and Mets fan).

Wood, as fuel and building material, is the unsung hero of the technological developments that brought humanity from a bone-and-stone culture to the Industrial Revolution.

As medical malpractice sticks in the craw of the American health reform debate, draining some of the denial out of the process picks up steam.

Innovation, and not just drilling the same well deeper, could make energy in America as common, as, well, salt.

This just in: Drinkers more likely to pair potato chips than apple slices with beer.

Bipartisan effort promotes manufacturer ‘take-backs’ of discarded goods

The 1 in 20 truly wretched schools in America need interventions, but the ‘turnaround’ effort has yet to prove itself the answer.

Judy Hoy’s lonely crusade to determine if farm chemicals are deforming deer boosted by falling populations

New research suggests sexual objectification hinders some women’s cognitive ability.

While Arunava Majumdar says America urgently needs to come up with clean-energy “game changers,” until now there hasn’t been a systematic approach to develop them.

The proper, and the pragmatic, place for trying suspected terrorists is in a traditional Article III courtroom and not a military tribunal, says noted law of war professor David Glazier.

A mixed picture emerges as science organizations examine the U.S. lead in innovation and where that lead is headed.

The mass of Americans still accept reality of climate change, but a glut of complex polls manages to make that difficult to discern.

Wines made from organic grapes are often high-quality, but a new study suggests the eco-friendly label is a turn-off.

A movement aimed at tackling the energy crisis with aplomb has been stepping on the gas since its formation.

Even if you do have a mostly private Facebook profile, others can glean vital information about you — just by looking at your friend list.

Economic models can illuminate the monetary value of beaches and mangroves, but if local people aren’t engaged in conservation, market forces — and coastal ecosystems — may be dead in the water.

Don’t laugh: New research on baseball players suggests that the wider your smile, the longer you may live.

Nudge-meister Cass Sunstein sings the praises of open government and transparency.

Europe’s newly empowered Parliament’s first muscle flex involves privacy and tracking terrorist finances.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox may be a conservative, but certainly not one recognizable in El Norte.

Newly published research describes two innovative methods to inspire creativity: Compare and contrast different cultures, or think of yourself as a 7-year-old.

Letters to the Editor: The keyboard may be quicker, but the supporters of cursive aren’t about to give up the fight.

New research supports the notion that we fixate on enemies, and inflate their power, as a defense mechanism against generalized anxiety.

With 90 percent of its water diverted for agricultural and urban use, scientists and managers have to get creative about how they go about habitat restoration on the Colorado River.

A new study reveals that U.S. companies are less likely to accept financial risks when they are based in communities where religion is important.

A documentary examining the life of Veit Harlan, a film director responsible for films favored by Nazis, provides back story for a new and controversial feature film.

Globally, moviegoers’ tastes are becoming increasingly homogeneous, which is a very good sign for Hollywood.

Graph shows that the U.S. government’s effort to shift car buyers to higher-efficiency vehicles was anything but a “Buy American” campaign.

Research indicates that even underused carpool lanes have a smoothing effect on freeway traffic.

GLOBE at Night invites the world to measure light pollution.

Sen. Tom Coburn says it is. Even if that’s not absolutely true, the U.S. government can do a much better job of encouraging better meals on its dime.

Maybe not, but they should offend most passengers.

Researchers from Oregon State argue that when it comes to carbon emissions, not all forest fires are created equal.

An analysis of titles of Harlequin romance novels provides evidence that evolutionary impulses help explain our choice of mate.

An American academic finds people can somewhat accurately predict your political affiliation by your looks alone.

Two organizations release state-by-state report cards in order to clarify what has become the Wild West of grassroots politics: citizen-led ballot initiatives.

New research suggests news of impending large-scale unemployment results in fewer males being born.

Research shows that in Canada, health determines who sees a specialist, but in the U.S., income does.

Never has the world historical and cultural record been more accessible — or more fragile.

Climategate and some other high-profile, if ultimately rare, scientific embarrassments lead academics to study transparency.

… And how not to. The rules are changing, just as the human memory of Nazism fades.

A psychologist argues the enormous creativity of guitarist Jimi Hendrix can be traced to the high level of integration between his brain’s two hemispheres.

Scholars assess whether the widely accepted notion that the current political polarization in the U.S. is due in part to ‘safe’ political districts is accurate.

A slew of good ideas, from high-tech UAVs to just leaving a hose out for firefighters, may help in battling tomorrow’s brush fires.

Tarred by misperceptions, with no wallet and ambiguous successes at best, the federal faith-based initiative still treads uphill.

Researchers find that poor smokers’ children are the victims of the habit: Their nutrition takes a hit when their parents divert precious resources to pay for tobacco.

Mudslinging may get results for campaigns, but new research suggests that these negatively tailored messages should not be delivered in person.

New research suggests creativity in the workplace is enhanced by concern for others’ needs, and a willingness to walk in their shoes.

While the Pentagon gathers new information to support repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, academics say there’s plenty out there already.

The politics of remembering Allied bombing raids in Dresden pokes at the sensitive spots in Germany’s democracy.

Surprising new research suggests non-experts’ receptiveness to modern artworks may be lessened when contextual information is presented.

Despite the weight of scientific evidence, many TV meteorologists are global warming skeptics, survey shows

What do gombo, hidden cameras and advertorials have in common? Hint: Each is a part of mainstream journalism somewhere in the world.

In this ‘Wonks Gone Wild,’ researchers say the hierarchical role-playing in Mardi Gras parades gave way to a free marketplace for beads, which included ‘negotiated transactions.’

In this edition of ‘Wonks Gone Wild,’ researchers find that men overrated, and women underrated, the likelihood that they would participate in sexual activities with a new partner at Mardi Gras.

Explanations for honeybee colony collapse range from artificial sweeteners to loss of cropland, but solutions may be on offer.

In this edition of ‘Wonks Gone Wild,’ a researcher spends 500 hours at Mardi Gras celebrations to learn what makes revelers participate in deviant behavior.

The administration’s latest dot-gov wants American drivers to focus on the road. But how will the populace react to chiding while driving?

A collection of academic musings on Valentine’s Day traditions to keep you warm in bed at night (in the event that you don’t find a date).

Depression-era health solution may find new favor in the modern American struggle for health care change.

Nobel laureate Walter Kohn is bullish on renewable energy but sees the answer to global energy woes as population stabilization through the education of women.

To engineers, every problem is just a solution that hasn’t occurred yet, our Michael Haederle learns at the El Paso innovation conference.

In El Paso, our Michael Haederle reviews innovative ideas suggested for arresting the wear and tear on roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Freakish snowstorms warm the hearts of both believers and skeptics of global warm … err … climate change.

Nazi revisionism in America revolves around the idea that anyone you don’t like gets to be a fascist.

Reporting from the El Paso innovation conference, our Michael Haederle explains how a toy frog may have hopped over some biomedical manufacturing obstacles.

Our Michael Haederle reports live from El Paso, where academics gathered at a conference looking for practical innovations to address the big problems.

New research finds subsidizing healthy food is no answer to the obesity epidemic.

An inexpensive part of the federal effort to dig America out of the subprime crisis appears to have promise.

The first comprehensive analysis of its type finds food and beverage products appear in more than two-thirds of popular movies.

Overweight is the new normal in America. So why do we still share an immediate, negative reaction toward the obese?

A cross-national comparison of alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents indicates that stricter laws may prevent high school kids from drinking, but not from smoking pot.

A different kind of health care reform is needed in America — how men treat themselves.

Highly math-anxious female teachers may lead girls to conform to the stereotype that, when it comes to math, they just can’t compete with the boys.

National security blueprint finds climate change “inextricably” linked to energy and economic concerns.

Working magicians conjure up rationales — both beneficial and baneful — for why so few women perform magic.

New research finds upward physical movements inspire positive memories.

Obama administration gains another first — most divided debut year since polling began.

A new book on the discount chain’s down-home early days doesn’t tell us much about its status as the world’s largest — and most controversial — retailer.

Only 40 mpg by 2035? Current policy ensures long-term oil imports.

East and West remember World War II in different ways.

New research finds a sense of purpose developed during college years sticks with you and helps shape adult behavior.

Research shows that nutritional information about fast food inspires parents to make healthier choices for their kids.

Having learned that corporations are people, too, one company takes the logic to the next step and runs for Congress.

Understanding bears’ success at dozing through foodless winters may help human medical care or even impact interstellar flight.

Legislation named for a missing 31-year-old man would tie together the various data threads on the nation’s missing persons.

The real meaning of the fair trade label on your gourmet coffee.

If you can’t get a chuckle across the aisle, how could you have gotten health care reform across?

Rebates for energy-efficient appliances don’t stand up to the economic analysis that, until now, no one bothered to do.

A new meta-analysis finds gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors are smaller than you may think.

The European Union wrestles with ways to foster minority viewpoints without subsidizing tomorrow’s Hitlers.

Charging a nickel for every bag at the grocery store has created ‘a behavioral economist’s dream.’

In states where ballot initiatives are common, recent studies suggest they foster a low opinion of government leadership.

Research suggests a possible specific target for drugs fighting the most common type of breast cancer.

Researchers at Seton Hall and New America Foundation track the Pentagon’s claims that released Guantanamo detainees ‘returned to battle.’

Why do bloggers blog? It sounds like a trick question, but a study of top political bloggers finds their motivations evolve over time.

The case of an avant-garde architect, who defied then assisted the Nazi machine, makes hard and fast judgments difficult.

The study of decaying presidential popularity finds Barack Obama’s large point decline in his first year fits into the pattern of all recent chief executives.

Challenging tests and falling short may be hard on the ego, but they can do more than mere studying for eventually getting it right.

This legal device shows that profit and protection of natural resources can go hand in hand.

Exceptionally cold temperatures and a vicious bacterium are giving the Sunshine State’s citrus trees a battle, but science in on the oranges’ side.

From forest trails to NASA missions, researchers are trying to get a handle on what ‘old growth’ means and how it can be saved.

A national gathering of transportation wonks try to square the circle, fitting private cars into a low-carbon economy.

Despite the good intentions of the U.S. Forest Service setting aside “protected areas” isn’t enough- housing growth in an near these areas can effectively diminish these forests and severely hamper the natural ecosystems.

New research on hamsters suggests steroid use produces greater long-term behavioral problems in males when the drugs are administered during adolescence.

Privacy and security expert Fred H. Cate believes we can make it safer to fly without a new airport security system — but we do need to improve the one we have.

As time erodes the ephemera of genocide, the purpose behind preserving every physical bit of atrocity becomes a question for archivists and ethicists.

Cristi Hegranes, a Miller-McCune Wonking Class Hero, expands the Global Press Institute to Kenya, where women will become the eyes and ears of the developing nation.

How do you best measure a decade, and what do you measure if you do?

As the legion of home-schoolers rapidly grows, sensible government oversight seems to be a reasonable option — or it’ll invite a firestorm of opposition.

Stem cells might be able to prevent blindness caused by macular degeneration.

A patient’s attitudes and beliefs don’t appear on any medical chart, but new research finds they influence the course of recovery.

Beyond the humanity, there’s a business case for tackling the persistent gap in health for most U.S. minorities.

Social psychology finds a thread linking opposition to health care reform and climate change — and a possible way around the problem.

Researchers studying insurgent warfare across the planet think they’ve found some universal traits that may help future intervention.

Just how toxic is the term “tax?” A newly published study suggests its use decreases support for climate change initiatives.

As green roofs proliferate to cool and cheer cityscapes, might they also suck up and store some of the carbon urban life pumps out?

Climate legislation says we can stop global warming, improve our soils and help our farmers all at once. Not so fast.

Hammered by budget shortfalls and seeing declines in crime rates, 20 states have reduced inmate counts.

As the need to measure carbon absorption takes on global political and environmental import, researchers are rushing to resurrect a project that literally crashed and sank.

How can the American electorate be post-racial when even the shading of skin affects decision-making?

Not surprisingly, bankruptcy filings are on the rise and likely to increase. Is the 2005 bankruptcy reform act helping, hindering or neutral in this instance?

We practice preventive maintenance on our cars and our health. Why not apply it to our natural resources?

Antique apple orchards harbor untold heirloom varieties, but they’re dying out.

The miracle berry’s astounding ability to turn the sour sweet makes it a party favorite, but its properties may help dieters and cancer patients, too.

Forget black and white — the new police car in development by Carbon Motors Corporation has green written all over it.