East Lansing, MI, USA. People tend to pick their spouse based on shared personality traits, which upends the popular belief that married couples do not become more similar over time. A team led by researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) report their findings in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

“Existing research shows that spouses are more similar than random people,” said Mikhila Humbad, lead investigator. She said “This could reflect spouses’ influen

Atlanta, GA, USA. A study by sociologists from Indiana University found that manipulating terminology and efforts to frame an issue toward a specific outcome — often effective in influencing public opinion — have no effect on public opinion concerning the ongoing debate in the United States over legalizing same-sex marriage.

Using an experimental approach involving a nationally representative sample, the researchers found that beliefs and values held sway, not rhetoric, such as the u

Washington, DC, USA. It sounded at first like the best of news for South Carolina.

The $26 billion jobs bill passed by Congress earlier this month would send $143.7 million to the state, which has lost between 2,800 and 3,900 teaching jobs over the past two years. Instead, after taking a look at the bill’s fine print, state education officials found a flaw that could deprive them of that money.

A set of provisions in the bill requires states to have kept up their level of higher educa

Washington, DC, USA. Standardized tests, the focus of many teachers' complaints, are getting a makeover.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Thursday that two groups of states had been awarded $330 million to work with experts to come up with better ways of assessing students' proficiency on the common math and English standards that about 40 states have already adopted.

The goal, Duncan said, is to have new tests ready for states to adopt by the 2014-2015 school year, accord

Boston, MA, USA. Health conscious consumers who hesitate at the price of fresh blueberries and blackberries, fruits renowned for high levels of healthful antioxidants, now have an economical alternative.

Black rice is the heritage variety of a grain that feeds one-third of the Earth's population. One variety of black rice became known as Forbidden Rice in ancient China because the nobles commandeered every grain for themselves and forbade common people from eating it. Scientists reportin