Mass. voters to decide US Senate primary winners

BOSTON (AP) ? Massachusetts voters will decide Tuesday which Republican and Democratic candidates will win their party primaries and head to the state's second special U.S. Senate election in four years.

The race to fill Secretary of State John Kerry's former Senate seat has been overshadowed by the Boston Marathon bombings. A light turnout is expected.

Two Democrats, both members of the state's congressional delegation, and three Republicans are vying for their parties' nominations.

Even before the bombings, the campaign had failed to capture the attention of voters compared with the 2010 special election following the death of longtime Sen. Edward Kennedy. Former Republican Sen. Scott Brown won the seat but was ousted last year in another high-profile race by Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren.

A win would help Senate Democrats maintain a caucus edge of 55-45 as they press forward on major issues like immigration and gun control.

The Marathon bombs disrupted the political race, forcing the candidates to temporarily suspend their campaigns. The bombings also brought national security and terrorism issues to the fore in a race that was expected to turn on questions of the economy, gun control, taxes, immigration and abortion.

The Democratic primary pits U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, who has staked out more liberal positions, against fellow Rep. Stephen Lynch, a former ironworker who has tried to appeal to the party's working- and middle-class base.

Lynch, 58, has had to explain why he was the only member of the state's House delegation to vote against President Barack Obama's 2010 health care law, while Markey, who won his first elected office while in law school, has fended off efforts to portray him as a Washington insider.

Markey, 66, is better-funded, having raised $4.8 million through the end of the last reporting period, compared with $1.5 million for Lynch. He's also benefited from outside spending. Of the more than $2.2 million spent by outside groups, nearly 84 percent went to Markey, an Associated Press review of Federal Election Commission reports found.

The GOP primary race is pitting three candidates: former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Michael Sullivan, businessman Gabriel Gomez and state Rep. Daniel Winslow, former legal counsel for ex-governor and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Gomez, 47, has tried to portray himself as the new face of the Republican Party. The son of Colombian immigrants, Gomez learned English in kindergarten, then went on to become a Navy pilot and SEAL, earn an MBA at Harvard and launch a private equity career.

Sullivan, 58, has pointed to his national security resume, which includes helping investigate the Sept. 11 attacks and the failed attempt to blow up an airliner using shoe bombs.

The 54-year-old Winslow said he's the only candidate with experience in all three branches of the government.

After 12 years as a private attorney, Winslow was appointed to a judgeship on the state's district court in 1995. He served eight years and left to join Romney's administration as chief legal counsel.

The state's top elections official, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin, has said fewer than one in five registered voters could end up casting ballots.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The special Senate election is June 25.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-voters-decide-us-senate-primary-winners-122653457.html

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Marissa Mayer Explains Yahoo's New Approach To Advertising ...

Owen Thomas, Business Insider

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer at the 2013 Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference

?

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has a new plan for generating more ad revenue.

Today she announced two new types of ads: Yahoo! Stream Ads and a new interactive Billboard ad.

This is all part of the big redesign that Yahoo launched in February, Mayer says. That's when Yahoo changed its front page into a streaming headline format, eliminating several ad units and letting people customize the page in new ways.

Today she's added some ad units back to the page. As its name implies the Stream ad will be embedded into the news stream of a user's home page. It will show up across devices like desktops/laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

It looks like this:

Yahoo

Yahoo Stream ad is the text in the yellow box

The Billboard unit will look like a fairly traditional banner ad that sits on top of the Yahoo page. Mayer says that it is different because it will ink to content that's more "fun and engaging" for Yahoo visitors.

The first Stream ads could start showing up as soon as this week.

Here's her full blog post:

As we continue to build products and features that inspire and entertain our users, we're committed to delivering engaging and effective advertising opportunities. Over the past few months, we?ve begun to evolve the Yahoo! experience to be more personal, intuitive, and immersive -- incorporating more modern paradigms like our news stream. Today, we?re matching that engaging stream experience with a new advertising format -- Yahoo! Stream Ads.

Since we launched our Yahoo! news stream in February, our users have responded by visiting more, staying longer, and increasing their engagement with our content. Like with web search, users appreciate complementary, unobtrusive advertising, and we?re committed to delivering just that. Advertising can, and should, enhance content discovery in a seamless and effective manner. The more our users spend time with Yahoo!, the more relevant and personalized the content and advertising becomes. Stream Ads are the sponsored twin to our newsfeed articles and are every bit as personalized and engaging.

Today, we?re also announcing a new Yahoo.com Billboard designed to deliver richer content interactions to Yahoo! users. For example, a movie trailer that runs on the Billboard could link to more information about the film and cast, and let you buy tickets directly from the ad. We believe that advertising like this can be fun and engaging for users, while also effective for advertisers.

Going forward, we?re committed to advertising formats that complement our products and content, and enhance the user experience. Stay tuned for more in the coming months!

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/marissa-mayer-explains-yahoos-new-approach-to-advertising-2013-4

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Oil falls below $93 after US growth falls short

BANGKOK (AP) ? The price of oil extended losses Monday, falling below $93 a barrel after U.S. economic growth fell short of expectations.

Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 31 cents to $92.69 a barrel at midafternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 64 cents to close at $93 in New York on Friday.

U.S. economic growth accelerated to an annual rate of 2.5 percent from January through March from an anemic pace in the previous quarter. But the markets were expecting growth of 3 percent or better.

The U.S. figure followed a slowdown in China's economic growth in the first quarter, raising questions about demand in the world's biggest oil-consuming countries. Manufacturing growth in China is also slowing.

At the same time, oil supplies and production are ample, adding to pressure for the oil price to fall.

In other energy futures trading on Nymex:

? Wholesale gasoline was down 0.8 cent at $2.819 a gallon.

? Heating oil fell 0.3 cents to $2.863 a gallon.

? Natural gas added 3.9 cents to $4.262.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-falls-below-93-us-growth-falls-short-073341205.html

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Never Stop Learning About Yourself: Quality Advice For Self ...

Sunday, April 28th, 2013 at 7:22 pm ?

TIP! Avoiding decisions means missing opportunities in the arena of personal development. You should not fear making decisions even if you do not feel as sure about it as you would like to be.

Working on you and your personality is an important thing to do. Self improvement consists of improving your life, whether it?s a healthier financial life or a healthier physical life. You should always be working on yourself. Personal development is a process that never ends, since you always have areas in which you could be better. You can lead a healthy and happy life by establishing and continuing good spending habits.

TIP! Your core principles are important, and your actions should reflect them. All people have beliefs that tell what they are about.

Always be ready to capture your good ideas when they occur, wherever you may be. Take notebook or journal with you, or even make notes on your cellular phone pad. Scribble detailed notes when something comes to you, and then carry them out whenever your creativity is piqued.

TIP! Building a better you starts with building leadership tendencies. When thinking about leadership, think about it in terms of your level of influence on the world around you.

If you take proper care of your physical needs, you will get the maximum benefit from your self improvement approach. A good diet, a lot of sleep and activity will give you more energy and help you get a healthier and better-looking body. Even though it sounds simple enough to do, it could also be one of the toughest things to get into.

Exercising is not only a way to lose weight. There are many physiological benefits associate with exercise. For instance, regular exercise is a great way to boost your mood.

Give others compliments. Instead, show kindness and compassion for others and you will see how much better you will feel about yourself.

TIP! You have to care for yourself before you can start taking care of others. No matter how much progress you have made in your personal development, always make resting and restoring yourself a top priority.

Begin a fund for emergency purposes. Many people handle every unexpected expense with a credit card, building up debt. If you take a few dollars and put them into an emergency fund every week, you will build a nice amount of money to use whenever something unexpected arises. This ?rainy day fund? gives the security of knowing we can manage our expenses and pay off our debts.

TIP! Therapy is a great way for anyone who wishes to work on personal development to explore their own personal demons. Although many can be helped by self help books, often a personal touch or human interaction can be more effective.

Ask other people about their accomplishments instead of bragging about your own. People will appreciate your company more, and you will find new common points of interests between you and your friends.

TIP! Seeing a counselor or therapist can be beneficial. They are trained to help you with issues, and also are experienced.

Be respectful no matter how much, or how little, power the people you talk to wield over you. Treating people badly as a matter of principle reflects a bad personality on your part rather than theirs.

TIP! No matter what another person?s position in life may be, remember to always treat them with respect. Your treatment of others is a direct reflection of you character.

One part of depression you may not thought of to look at is your diet and increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates that you consume. If you are not getting enough complex carbs, you serotonin levels will be low. You can accomplish this by increasing the amounts of raw vegetables and fresh fruits as well as nuts, whole grains, brown rice and assorted beans.

TIP! Perhaps you have set high goals for yourself and keep failing to attain them. If this is the case, it is a good idea to stop and think why.

You only need to remember one key to live and lead a successful life. No matter what other steps you take, the one critical decision you must make is to be active in your life, not a bystander. Watching life go by, without participating, cuts you off from the world, and humans were meant to get out there and live life.

TIP! Becoming healthier will help immensely during personal development. Feeling good is closely associated to good health.

If you?re not living up to the goals that you set for yourself, take a good hard look at what may be wrong. Check online and find others whom share similar goals with you and find out what they are doing compared to what you?re doing. The issues holding you back might include not making enough of an effort, employing a flawed method, or aiming for goals that are too ambitious.

TIP! Figure out what you want your life to be and do what it takes to accomplish it. You won?t get anywhere if you only think about what you want to do.

It may become discouraging to begin developing better personal habits and lifestyles, but once you start noticing your life developing towards a better future, you will never want to stop. You can always develop better ways to do things and it?s important to always try hard towards any personal development goals you have.

p.s. Make sure to share and comment if you found this article useful. Thank you!

p.s.s. Listen to our tracks here.

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Source: http://floatnabove.com/never-stop-learning-about-yourself-quality-advice-for-self-improvement

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Jackson's life recounted in opening of civil trial

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Michael Jackson's struggle against drug addiction was on display Monday during opening statements in his mother's wrongful death case against concert promoter AEG Live.

Competing portraits of Jackson emerged during the first hours of the trial, with Katherine Jackson's attorney acknowledging the pop star's drug problems while also trying to show he was a caring son and father.

"His stirring voice, his musical genius, his creativity and his generosity and his huge heart was extinguished forever," her lawyer, Brian Panish, said in his opening remarks.

AEG's attorney, Marvin S. Putnam, said that while Jackson's death was tragic, his guarded private life meant the company was unaware that he was using the powerful anesthetic propofol.

"The truth is, Michael Jackson fooled everyone," Putnam said. "He made sure that no one ? nobody ? knew his deepest, darkest secrets."

A jury of six men and six women will determine whether AEG should pay Jackson's mother and three children for their losses after his 2009 death from an overdose of propofol. Millions and possibly billions of dollars in damages are at stake in the case that opened with private photos of the singer with his children and video clips of Jackson dancing.

"This case is about personal choices," Putnam said about Jackson's decision to be treated by physician Conrad Murray. "Also, it was about his personal responsibility. There's no question that Michael Jackson's death was a terrible tragedy.

"I believe the evidence will show it was not a tragedy of AEG Live's making," Putnam said as he ended his opening statement. Testimony will begin Tuesday.

Panish said AEG created a conflict of interest for Murray and forced him to choose between a large payday and Jackson's care. He told the jury AEG was feeling competitive pressures and wanted the Jackson tour to work at all costs.

"They didn't care who got lost in the wash," Panish told the jury.

Panish played a song that Jackson wrote for his three children, "You Are My Life," and displayed a note the singer had written for his mother that brought tears to her eyes as she sat in court.

Katherine Jackson sued AEG Live in September 2010, claiming it failed to properly investigate Murray before allowing him to serve as Jackson's doctor as he prepared for his "This Is It" shows. She is also suing on behalf of her son's three children ? Prince, Paris and Blanket.

AEG denies it hired Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. AEG's attorneys have said the company could not have foreseen the circumstances that led to the singer's death at age 50.

Panish told jurors that AEG executives ignored warning signs about Jackson's health and were motivated to push the singer and his doctor to improve their own financial fortunes.

"We're not looking for any sympathy," Panish said. "We're looking for truth and justice."

With Jackson's mother, brother Randy and sister Rebbie seated in the front row of the courtroom, jurors were shown numerous slides and several scribbled notes.

A couple of jurors nodded when the lawyer referenced Jackson's achievements, including successful concert tours and a Super Bowl performance.

Katherine Jackson dabbed her eyes after Panish read a note that her son wrote to her, detailing his feelings about her.

"All my success has been based on the fact that I wanted to make my mother proud," the singer's note said, "to win her smile of approval."

The personal touches came after Panish spent the first half of his presentation detailing Jackson's struggles with prescription drug abuse throughout the last half of his life.

He also showed jurors numerous emails sent between AEG executives concerning Jackson's health and their concerns that he wouldn't be able to perform 50 planned concerts in London.

Putnam recounted the chaotic days following Jackson's death as investigators and the public tried to figure out how the singer died unexpectedly. He urged jurors to remember that propofol killed Jackson.

"One thing became very, very clear," Putnam said. "While the world may not have heard of propofol, Mr. Jackson certainly had. The evidence is going to show you that he had been using that drug for years and years."

He said jurors will hear from Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, who would tell them that Jackson used the anesthetic in the 1990s.

"Mr. Jackson got very, very, good at hiding his addiction," Putnam said. "He didn't let anyone see it. Not his staff, not his children. This was the private Michael Jackson."

He said physician-patient confidentiality kept Jackson's reliance on propofol from becoming publicly known.

That extended to Murray as well. "He couldn't tell anyone about the propofol use," Putnam said of the former cardiologist.

Panish, however, said AEG saw the Jackson shows as a way to make a lot of money and better compete with Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

He displayed a March 2009 email sent before a news conference featuring Jackson, in which AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips wrote to Tim Leiweke, the former CEO of AEG'S parent company, that Jackson was drunk and refusing to address fans.

"This is the scariest thing I have ever seen," Phillips wrote Leiweke. "He is an emotionally paralyzed mess riddled with self-loathing and doubt now that it's show time. He's scared to death."

Panish said Jackson's behavior was just one of several warning signs the company ignored before the death.

He told the panel that they would be the ones to assign liability for Jackson's death, but they should look at AEG's actions and not focus on Jackson's issues.

"Michael paid the ultimate price. He died," Panish said. "Michael has taken responsibility."

___

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report. Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jacksons-life-recounted-opening-civil-trial-015542776.html

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How Android and iOS ruined this fake wedding, according to Windows Phone

We can all stipulate that holding up your phone at a wedding like that is kind of a douche move, right? Could be worse, though -- they could all be carrying annoying safety day-glo nuclear green phones or something.

And you gotta love the "Do not attempt" fine print.

Meanwhile, Android activated another thousand devices in the time it took you to watch that commercial. 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/5nNt09EiHJQ/story01.htm

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Pathological gambling caused by excessive optimism

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Compulsive gamblers suffer from an optimism bias that modifies their subjective representation of probability and affects their decisions in situations involving high-risk monetary wagers. This is the conclusion drawn by Jean-Claude Dreher's research team at the CNC (Centre de Neurosciences Cognitives, CNRS / Universit? Claude Bernard Lyon 1). These findings, published in the May print edition of Psychological Medicine, could help explain and anticipate certain individuals' vulnerability to gambling, and could lead to new therapeutic approaches.

A growing number of gamblers suffer from pathological gambling, a disease that is usually characterized as either a loss of impulse control or a behavioral addiction. It results in an inability to limit the frequency of gambling and the amount of money wagered. This increasingly common psychiatric disorder creates financial, professional and personal hardships that can have severe consequences for the patients and the people around them. The mechanisms responsible for its emergence and development remain largely unknown, which limits the clinician's ability to proceed with a diagnosis, prognosis or effective treatment for this condition.

In this study, the researchers set out to test and verify the hypothesis that links pathological gambling to an alteration of probabilistic reasoning. The capacity to reason in probabilistic terms appears only at an advanced stage of human intellectual development (in fact, the basic concept of probability is not fully understood until the age of 11 or 12). Pioneering research in the late 1970s had already shed light on the difficulties that people experience in situations involving risk or uncertainty. These difficulties are reflected in the development and perpetuation in adults of cognitive biases1 specific to probabilistic decision-making, one of the most common being probability distortion (2).

The researchers conducted an experiment on compulsive gambling patients using a standard experimental economics task and a mathematical model for measuring both probability distortion and a more general optimism bias in relation to high-risk bets. The primary result obtained confirms the general hypothesis of a distortion, associated with pathological gambling, in the subjective representation of probabilities. The results also show that the compulsion to gamble is not explained by an exaggerated distortion of probability, but rather by an increased optimism bias. In other words, regardless of the objective probability of winning a high-risk bet, gamblers tend to act as though this probability were greater than it actually is. The researchers also observed that in the patient population under study, the intensity of this bias was significantly correlated to the severity of the symptoms.

For clinical psychiatrists, the simplicity of the procedure used to reach this conclusion could offer a rapid and reliable way of measuring the representation of probability, thus allowing them to refine both their diagnoses and therapeutic decisions. This study raises many new questions for researchers in the cognitive neurosciences: how does the brain represent the probability of winning? How do the cerebral structures responsible for this representation interact with the structures involved in the development and perpetuation of an addiction? Is a pathological gambler's particular relationship to probability accompanied by an increased sensitivity to reward and/or insensitivity to monetary loss? These important questions are now being investigated at the CNC.

(1) Internal or external influence causing an alteration of human judgment or perception.

(2) Identified by the Nobel laureates Kahneman and Tversky in 1979, probability distortion is characterized by the overestimation of low probabilities and underestimation of high probabilities.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by CNRS (D?l?gation Paris Michel-Ange).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. R. Ligneul, G. Sescousse, G. Barbalat, P. Domenech, J.-C. Dreher. Shifted risk preferences in pathological gambling. Psychological Medicine, 2012; 43 (05): 1059 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291712001900

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/consumer_behavior/~3/6ThD_ZBimlQ/130429102400.htm

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Virgin Galactic's commercial space plane makes first successful test flight

Attention, amateur space cadets! If you've ever wanted to swing on a star or see one up close, consider this proof positive Virgin Galactic's that much closer to making your dreams come true. SpaceShipTwo, its inventively named commercial vehicle designed to take well-moneyed civilians into outerspace, has just completed its first rocket-powered test flight. The craft, partially owned by Virgin group overlord Sir Richard Branson and the Abu Dhabi-based investment group PJC, took off earlier today from its berth at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where carrier-craft WhiteKnightTwo ferried it to a 47,000 ft altitude after which its own rockets kicked in for a supersonic flight. In all, the solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2 notched an altitude of 55,000 feet before returning safely back to its desert port.

For its first outing, the SS2 scored high marks by Virgin Galactic chief George Whitesides' estimation, performing just as expected with "expected burn duration, good engine performance and solid... handling qualities throughout." It's encouraging news for the nascent commercial space industry, although it's worth noting this flight carried reduced risk considering it was bound to our own atmosphere. The team anticipates that "full space flight" testing will begin sometime before year's end. As for when you'll be able to actually book a real deal luxury space flight? Virgin Galactic's set a tentative 2015 date for that, giving you, the every(wo)man, plenty of time to save up or mortgage your life for the opportunity to tour the cosmos.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/29/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-commercial-space-plane-first-test-flight/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Educational rights for women remain motionless in Turkey | The ...

ISTANBUL ? Despite major education initiatives and social reformations since the time of Ataturk, many girls in Turkey still do not receive an education.

Mustafa Kemal, now better known as Ataturk, or ?Father of Turks,? is credited with founding the modern Republic of Turkey and was the first president of Turkey. Ataturk?s many social, political and economic reforms were embedded in the six fundamental principles of what is now known as ?Kemalism.?

These six principles include Republicanism, Nationalism, Populism, Statism, Secularism and Revolution. The latter two were vital in the emerging role education has played in Turkey throughout the past decades.

?Kemalism was one of the main reasons that education and literacy increased and spread around girls and boys ?equally? after the establishment of the Republic,? said Nesrin Ersoy McMeekin, an instructor at Koc University, a private university in Istanbul.

A leisurely park in Istanbul overlooks the Blue Mosque, a historic site where Turkish sultans once lived. Photo submitted by Kate Riley.

?Still, it was and is a slow process, but since man and woman are considered equal by law, it became the government?s duty to provide equal education for both sexes,? McMeekin said.

?Principles of Kemalism were very strongly ? and unfortunately sometimes wrongly ? used in education in different periods of the Republican era. Right now there is a big battle of keeping some of them and/or destroying them.?

As a professor of higher education, as well as someone who grew up in the Turkish education system, McMeekin has experienced challenges due to lack of funding for public education in Turkey, much like the monetary problems faced in the United States. She also sees how familial relations play a major role in the education of both young girls and boys, whether positively or negatively.

Although primary school is mandatory just as it is in the United States, many children, particularly girls, are not enrolled due to ?traditional values? sought by parents, according to the United Nations Girls? Education Initiative (UNGEI). This problem occurs primarily in the eastern parts of the country, which are considerably more rural and conservative.

Tolga Tan is a second-year Koc student who grew up in Kadikoy, Istanbul and is passionate about his own education. Tan has seen the impact families seem to have in various parts of the country.

?In rural areas, getting some sort of education has traditionally been a challenge,? Tan said. ?Most people in the eastern part of Turkey usually complete only primary education. The gender role in rural parts is more pronounced than it is in urban parts. Many girls don?t receive any education although it is unconstitutional, and this is mainly due to the parents and what they call ?traditional.??

According to the UNGEI and the United States Embassy in Turkey, the main obstacles to school attendance for girls in Turkey include a lack of school facilities, gender discrimination, low expectations from education, low quality of education and the cost associated with families sending their children to school.

Many children, particularly girls, are not enrolled due to ?traditional values??

UNGEI exemplifies the problem by outlining Van, a small town in eastern Turkey that demonstrates how poverty and cultural traditions have historically kept girls at home. Many families are worried an education could ?spoil their daughters for marriage,? according to the report. But through the efforts of the UNGEI, more and more of these families have altered their opinions in order to change their family?s educational legacy.

?It is true that if the parents have higher education it is more likely that their kids will have one as well,? McMeekin said. ?But there is also a significant number of parents who would do everything to have their kids go to university just because they themselves didn?t have the chance.?

Both Tan and McMeekin believe the amount of money pumped into education from the government could be increased, which might financially encourage families to make more of an effort in regards to their children?s education.

According to the United States Embassy in Turkey and the UNGEI, part of the problem lies in the cost of transporting a child to school and buying supplies. This could be solved with the creation of scholarships to improve attendance rates in public primary, secondary and higher education in the eastern parts of Turkey.

Public universities in Turkey generally cost about 400 Turkish Lira per semester, which is equal to about $222.60 in the United States, or they are free of charge. But students must go to primary school and follow the system in order to eventually take the university entrance exam during their final year of high school. At this point, there are a number of scholarships given if needed, McMeekin said.

But the campaign ?Hey Girls, Let?s Go to School? has seen challenges that inhibit some children from eventually reaching these upper levels of education. Although the UNGEI has seen persistent poverty and a lack of resources in rural Turkish areas that continue to harm the potential of the nation?s education system, it has also seen increased media visibility and support from prominent politicians including the Prime Minister and the first lady of Turkey since its 2003 inception.

Additionally, the number of female children not enrolled in primary school has decreased significantly since 2003, according to World Bank analyses. In 2003, the number of girls not in primary school in Turkey was about 253,000, while that number shrank to about 53,000 in 2010.

?In the last 15 to 20 years, emphasis on education and campaigns to support girls and kids from rural areas in getting education have increased significantly,? McMeekin said. ?But is it enough? Not yet. There is still a huge prejudice against girls? education in Turkey, especially in eastern Turkey.?

Education, international, Istanbul, study abroad, Turkey, UNGEI, Women's Rights

About Kate Riley

Kate is a junior Journalism major with minors in Psychology and International Studies, with a concentration in the Middle East. She is also a former Special Projects Editor, Copy Editor and Copy Intern with The Pendulum and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Edge. View all posts by Kate Riley ?

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Source: http://www.elonpendulum.com/2013/04/educational-rights-for-women-remain-motionless-in-turkey/

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Court may limit use of race in college admission decisions

By Joan Biskupic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court set the terms for boosting college admissions of African Americans and other minorities, the court may be about to issue a ruling that could restrict universities' use of race in deciding who is awarded places.

The case before the justices was brought by Abigail Fisher, a white suburban Houston student who asserted she was wrongly rejected by the University of Texas at Austin while minority students with similar grades and test scores were admitted.

The ruling is the only one the court has yet to issue following oral arguments in cases heard in October and November, the opening months of the court's annual term which lasts until the early summer. A decision might come as early as Monday, before the start of a two-week recess.

As hard as it is to predict when a ruling will be announced, it is more difficult to say how it might change the law. Still, even a small move in the Texas case could mark the beginning of a new chapter limiting college administrators' discretion in using race in deciding on admissions.

For decades, dating back at least to the John F. Kennedy administration of the 1960s, U.S. leaders have struggled with what "affirmative action" should be taken to help blacks and other minorities. In the early years, it was seen as a way to remedy racial prejudice and discrimination; in the more modern era, as a way to bring diversity to campuses and workplaces.

Since 1978, the Supreme Court has been at the center of disputes over when universities may consider applicants' race. In that year's groundbreaking Bakke decision from a University of California medical school, the justices forbade quotas but said schools could weigh race with other factors.

In another seminal university case, the court in 2003 reaffirmed the use of race in admissions to create diversity in colleges. But with the current bench more conservative than the one in 2003, there is a strong chance a majority of the justices will undercut that decade-old ruling on a University of Michigan case.

Writing for the majority in that case, Grutter v. Bollinger, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor declared that "the path to leadership" should be "visibly open to talented and qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity." That meant public universities must be able to take special steps to enroll minorities, O'Connor wrote.

O'Connor retired in January 2006 and her successor as the regular swing vote on racial dilemmas has been Justice Anthony Kennedy, who dissented in the 2003 case and may well author the ruling to come in the latest case. The student in the case, Abigail Fisher, graduated from Louisiana State University last year.

"HURT," "INJURY"

Notably, during oral argument in the University of Texas case on October 10, Kennedy referred to the "hurt" and "injury" caused by screening applicants by race. However, Kennedy's comments during arguments suggested that he was not ready to vote to forbid all racial criteria in admissions.

In his dissenting opinion in the 2003 Michigan case, he wrote that the court has long accepted universities' stance that racial diversity enhances the educational experience for all students, while insisting such policies be narrowly drawn.

Kennedy's view of when exactly race can be considered and of the discretion of college administrators in the matter are likely to be crucial.

Marvin Krislov, now president of Oberlin College in Ohio and a past vice-president and general counsel of the University of Michigan, said on Friday that university administrators were concerned about how broadly it might sweep and whether it will ultimately reduce the number of minority students on campus.

"Colleges and universities care deeply about student body diversity," he said, adding of his colleagues in higher education: "We're all watching and waiting."

Once oral arguments are held, the court's deliberations on a case are shrouded in secrecy. The timing of a particular decision is not known in advance. And racial dilemmas have never been easy for the court, a point underscored by the current delay.

When the justices ruled in the 1978 case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, they issued six separate opinions. None drew a majority. Four justices would have upheld a program that set aside a certain number of slots for minority applicants; four justices would have struck it down. Justice Lewis Powell provided the essential fifth vote, allowing universities to consider race and ethnic origin but forbidding quotas or a reserved number of places. Powell planted the seed of the diversity justification that blossomed in O'Connor's opinion in 2003.

The Michigan case divided the bench 5-4, with O'Connor joining with the more liberal members of the bench to allow race as a consideration in admissions. In a 2007 dispute testing the use of race in student placements to ensure diversity in school districts, the court tipped the opposite way. Conservatives, including O'Connor's successor Samuel Alito, curtailed such public school integration plans.

Only eight of the nine justices will be deciding the Texas case. Justice Elena Kagan, a former U.S. solicitor general, has taken herself out of the dispute because of her prior involvement in the case. The government is siding with the University of Texas.

The challenged program supplements a Texas state policy guaranteeing admission to the university for high school graduates scoring in the top 10 percent at their individual schools. University of Texas administrators argue that the "Top 10" program does not make the university sufficiently diverse.

The Texas approach, with the dual programs, is distinct. The larger issue is how a decision would affect other universities.

"The court seems to have been leaning away from allowing affirmative action for some time," said University of Virginia law professor John Jeffries, a former law clerk and biographer of Justice Lewis Powell. "If they close the door that, potentially, is a very big deal."

(Editing by Howard Goller, Martin Howell; desking by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/court-may-limit-race-college-admission-decisions-133238785.html

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One Third (?!) of PA High School Science Teachers Believe in Creationism - And Some Teach It (Little green footballs)

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Obama chides lawmakers over flight delay fix, budget conflict

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama chided Republicans on Saturday for approving a plan to ease air-traffic delays caused by federal spending cuts while leaving budget cuts that affect children and the elderly untouched.

The Senate and the House of Representatives backed a plan this week to give the Department of Transportation flexibility to cover immediate salaries of air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration who had been furloughed as part of budget cuts known as the "sequester.

The furloughs, which started Sunday, led to take-off and landing delays at airports nationwide.

"This week, the sequester hurt travelers, who were stuck for hours in airports and on planes, and rightly frustrated by it. And, maybe because they fly home each weekend, the members of Congress who insisted these cuts take hold finally realized that they actually apply to them too," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

"So Congress passed a temporary fix. A Band-Aid. But these cuts are scheduled to keep falling across other parts of the government that provide vital services for the American people," he said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney, however, said on Friday that Obama would sign the bill.

Republicans painted the bill as a response to poor governing on Obama's part.

"This week, many Americans had their flights delayed or canceled because of the way in which the Obama administration chose to implement the president's automatic sequestration cuts. Travelers were fed up, and rightly so," said Representative Bill Shuster in the weekly Republican address.

Shuster, the chairman of the transportation and infrastructure committee in the House of Representatives, blamed the delays on shoddy implementation of the budget cuts that became effective early last month.

"There are some in the Obama administration who thought inflicting pain on the public would give the president more leverage to avoid making necessary spending cuts, and to impose more tax hikes on the American people," he said.

"So rather than fix the problem immediately, the Obama administration spent days claiming its hands were tied, when just the opposite was true."

Though they disagree on the specifics, both Shuster and Obama said the sequester should be replaced with less arbitrary spending reductions.

In his address, broadcast on Saturday morning, Obama noted that the cuts were affecting social programs.

"There is only one way to truly fix the sequester: by replacing it before it causes further damage," Obama said, adding he hoped that members of Congress would feel the same sense of urgency they felt with the FAA cuts on other programs.

"They may not feel the pain felt by kids kicked off Head Start, or the 750,000 Americans projected to lose their jobs because of these cuts, or the long-term unemployed who will be further hurt by them. But that pain is real," he said.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-chides-lawmakers-over-flight-delay-fix-budget-100301455.html

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Thunder Edge Rockets 104-101 In Game 3: Kevin Durant, OKC Take 3-0 Series Lead (VIDEO)

HOUSTON ? Kevin Durant was in uncharted territory on Saturday night, playing in his first game without friend and teammate Russell Westbrook.

Durant knew it would be different, but vowed to do whatever he could to carry his team through this difficult period.

He delivered on that promise by scoring 41 points and helping Oklahoma City fight off Houston's late rally to beat the Rockets 104-101 for a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.

"I didn't feel the same," Durant said. "And I knew I just had to give my all from here on out ... every game is for him."

Durant checked his phone moments after leaving the court and smiled recalling the text messages he received from Westbrook.

"He texted me at halftime and right after the game," Durant said. "Just said congrats and that he loved me."

Durant scored 27 points in the first half, and the Thunder led by 26 points before a big third-quarter rally by the Rockets put them within striking distance.

Houston regained the lead with about 4 minutes left, and was up with less than a minute remaining. But Durant hit a 3-pointer, which bounced off the rim before falling in, to put Oklahoma City on top 100-99.

"We didn't want to give up any 3s," Houston's James Harden said. "He just made a lucky shot. It was good defense. It just went in and took some of the energy out of us."

A turnover by Harden gave the Thunder the ball back and Derek Fisher made two free throws to push the lead to three. Harden made a layup, but Reggie Jackson hit two more free throws after that.

Houston had a last chance, but Carlos Delfino's 3-pointer fell short.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks was impressed that his team was able to win despite losing its All-Star point guard.

"It's been an emotional time the last 48 hours," Brooks said. "We all love what Russell (Westbrook) is about. He's got probably the biggest heart I've ever been around."

Fisher said it was difficult getting through these last couple of days, but the 16-year veteran said he was there to help the younger guys deal with the loss of Westbrook.

"We're still grieving, so to speak, as a team," Fisher said. "But that's why I'm here, and that's why this is a team. Injuries and bad things happen in sports, but we still have to figure out a way to get things done."

Harden scored 30 points for the Rockets in the first playoff game in Houston since 2009. The Rockets will be at home again for Game 4 on Monday night.

Westbrook was injured in Game 2 and had season-ending right knee surgery Saturday. It was the first time Durant had played a pro game without Westbrook, who hadn't missed a game in his career before Saturday.

Durant's 41 points equaled a playoff career high, and he also had 14 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. He sat down for just 44 seconds on Saturday.

"Kevin has done a great job of being a playmaker all season long," Brooks said. "He's an amazing scorer, and he sets up a lot of guys to get easy buckets."

Jackson made his first career start in place of Westbrook and had 14 points, and Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Chandler Parsons had a tying 3-pointer for Houston with 5:46 left, and Delfino put the Rockets in front for the first time since early in the first quarter when he connected from long range to make it 94-93 about 2 minutes later.

Ibaka made four straight points after that, ending with a reverse layup, to make it 97-94 with about a minute and a half left.

Harden hit a pair of free throws. Then Francisco Garcia's 3-pointer put them up 99-97 with 45 seconds left, before the clutch shot by Durant.

The Rockets rallied from a 15-point deficit to take a lead in the fourth quarter in Game 2. But they weren't able to hold on and Oklahoma City got the 105-102 win.

It was much the same this time, as Houston went up late only to fall again.

"We've got to find a way to win those games," Houston coach Kevin McHale said.

Harden complained that he and his teammates were sluggish and lacked energy early. He knows that won't cut it if they expect to win on Monday.

"We have to have that energy from the beginning of the game to the end of the game," he said. "We can't have droughts. You have to play a solid game for 48 minutes."

Westbrook's absence didn't seem to bother Oklahoma City early, as Durant had the big first half and the Thunder looked to be in complete control.

Things changed in the third quarter when Durant was limited offensively and Houston outscored the Thunder 27-14 in the period.

Houston point guard Jeremy Lin, who bruised a chest muscle in Game 2, started but scored only two points in about 18 minutes.

Parsons scored 21 points, and Garcia had 18.

After a big run got Houston within eight in the third quarter, Garcia and Harden made 3-pointers around a dunk by Durant to whittle the lead to 80-76 entering the last quarter.

Durant was scoreless in the third until his dunk with 27 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The Thunder led by 19 points when the Rockets used a 16-5 surge to get to 78-70 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third. The Rockets harassed Oklahoma City into three turnovers in that stretch, and Durant went cold as he missed four shots.

NOTES: Garcia and McHale received technical fouls in the first quarter. ... Pitching great Roger Clemens and Houston Texans star receiver Andre Johnson attended the game.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/28/thunder-rockets-game-3-playoffs_n_3172264.html

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Conrad Murray: ?An injustice has occurred?

>> conrad murray who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of michael jackson speaks out live from his los angeles jail cell , but first nbc's take taibbi has new details on dr. murray 's attempt to have his conviction overturned. mike, good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, savannah. at this point dr. murray 's appeal isn't intended to shorten his prison sentence . he's due to be releelsreleased soon. probably by the fall. it's to that he did nothing wrong. before he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to the max, four years, he told savannah that michael jackson 's death had nothing to do with the care he provided.

>> do you feel guilty that he died?

>> i don't feel guilty because i did not do anything wrong.

>> reporter: in his appeal, murray says his trial was fundamentally unfair, the trial judge was biased and the jury should have been sequestered because of the media frenzy around the case. his goal not to get out of jail early but to get his life back, says attorney valerie walsh.

>> he wouldn't be a convicted felon for one thing. he wouldn't lose the rights as a felon, it may lose his ability to practice medicine in the future.

>> reporter: murray could be a turning point witness in the jackson family 's mega millions suit against the promoters of the king of pop 's doomed final concert tour . if the doctor's negligence led to the final fatal dose of propofol who was the role of aig live who murray believed would be paying his monthly $150,000 fee? law professor lori levinson.

>> the jackson family will argue aig is responsible for everything conrad murray did. they reminded him they're in charge.

>> reporter: murray has not been subpoenaed to testify in the suit against aig though he's on the witness list for both sides. aeg says the company didn't hire murray and had nothing to do with jackson's medical care . murray says he'll likely take the fifth if he's called to testify.

>> mike taibbi thank you so much. dr. conrad murray is with us exclusively on the phone from the men's central jail in los angeles . his attorney valerie wasser is here, handling his appeal.

>> good morning, savannah.

>> dr. murray , this is not about shortening your sentence. you're expected to be out in a few months. as i understand it, this appeal is for you, a chance to clear your name. do you think it will be sufficient to do that and do you expect you should be able to practice medicine again?

>> well, i hope that i think my attorney has done an excellent job in her brief and i hope that the court would see that an injustice has occurred at this occasion and if that be the case, i will have my license back and i'll be able to continue practicing medicine to give services to all those who seek it and especially to the underserved.

>> in your appeal which i have seen, you blame michael jackson . you blame the jury. you blame the judge, and you blame your lawyers and i wonder if, having reflected on these facts now, you take any personal responsibility for what happened to michael jackson .

>> not any responsibility as it relates to his death. i am sorry that i have lost michael as a friend and as a patient. being a doctor almost, such a huge impact on our lives, to have to tell a family member someone has passed away , you could not save them. it's a tremendous loss, so much pain and i have lost a very dear friend and a dear person to me, and it's going to remain with me for the rest of my life but i'm not going to accept responsibility for anything i did not do.

>> but doctor, let me push back on that just a little bit. he died from this powerful anesthetic called propofol as you well know. you prescribed it and you administered it. i know your theory is he injected it, however, are you not responsible for bringing the drug into the room and leaving him unattended?

>> that, i am not. i met michael jackson with his own stash of medication. i tried to get rid of the propofol from michael jackson . you may not have liked the approach i took but nonetheless, the circumstances were to actually get him away from that agent.

>> speaking of the night he died, doctor, in just those actions, you left the room, you left him unattended, and pro to follow on the package labeling says it requires constant monitoring.

>> i left the room but i left no propofol in his way he should have used, i did not leave it to michael to have taken his own action and cause his own demise. i did not do that.

>> let me let valerie on this.

>> jackson was not on a pro to follow drip. he was on a saline drip. he's given him 25 milligrams of propofol .

>> that's doctor murray 's contenti contention. there was a larger amount of propofol found in his autopsy.

>> correct.

>> you don't dispute the fact that propofol was prescribed and michael jackson gained access to it when dr. murray left the room.

>> gained access whether it came from dr. murray or his own source has not been established.

>> dr. murray , let me ask you what life in jail has been like for you?

>> it has been one of my most horrendous experience. i have only survived because of the loving hope and the support that i get from various individuals and especially would like to say my girlfriend, any koes nicole alvarez, never missed a visitation and never not called me on a daily basis and my children and just a bunch of other people who have written to me from all over the world who encourage me.

>> do you regret not taking the stand in your own defense?

>> i don't know. i do not think that the prosecution had solved or they had proved their case, and i did not see if i took the stand if i would have added anything more. i believe the problem is my attorneys. i believe there was a lot of ineffectiveness. actually there was an obstruction of justice when the prosecutor himself destroyed the evidence in the open courtroom. that was obstruction of justice, and that was unbelievable. that is almost i think impossible to live with.

>> dr. conrad murray , we appreciate you getting up early, calling us from your jail cell . we appreciate it, and valerie wass, thank you to you.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b346e1c/l/0Lvideo0Btoday0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C51673562/story01.htm

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Gunmen kill 13 in Philippine political violence

MANILA, Philippines (AP) ? Gunmen attacked a truck carrying a southern Philippine mayor and his supporters and killed 13 people including his daughter, police said Friday. The mayor and nine others were wounded in the country's worst violence in campaigning for May elections.

Nunungan Mayor Abdul Manamparan and his political supporters were riding back from a campaign rally when they were ambushed late Thursday on a remote mountain road, Lanao del Norte provincial police chief Gerardo Rosales said.

About 15 unidentified gunmen carried out the attack, Rosales said. Police investigators suspect that they belong to a rival clan.

Manamparan, whose term as mayor ends this year, is running for vice mayor in next month's elections.

Rosales said Manamparan's daughter, Adnanie, and at least two other relatives were among those killed. Two other relatives, including a 15-year-old girl, were among the wounded.

"Our latest count is 13 dead and 10 wounded," Rosales said.

A police report said an officer serving as the mayor's bodyguard was also wounded as he fought off the attackers with an M16 rifle before soldiers and policemen arrived.

Election campaign violence is common in the Philippines. In 2009, 58 people, including 32 journalists, were massacred by alleged followers of a powerful southern provincial clan in the country's worst political violence.

Last week, communist rebels ambushed the convoy of southern Gingoog City Mayor Ruth Guingona, wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, killing two of her aides and wounding her and a police escort.

The New People's Army apologized for harming the mayor and her party but said her bodyguards fired at a rebel checkpoint, prompting them to return fire.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-13-philippine-political-violence-111533215.html

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Lawmakers question U.S. government failure to protect Iranian dissidents in Iraq, continued funding for Iraq government, says Iranian American Community of Northern California

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a briefing on Capitol Hill, senior House Foreign Affairs, Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees members voiced dismay over what they described was the State Department's failure to secure the safety and protection of thousands of Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty Iraq and questioned U.S. government's continued funding of Iraq in view of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's refusal to treat the 3,100 residents at Liberty humanely.?

"We should make sure that we as a nation secure the liberty of Camp Liberty. One thing we can do is... to put them back into Camp Ashraf, which is at least a decent place for them... Unfortunately, Camp Liberty was not a place of safety for those folks in Camp Ashraf. So we need to allow them to return to Camp Ashraf," emphasized Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade Subcommittee Chair Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX).

Pointing to the Iraqi government's refusal to heed the call for the safety and security of Camp Liberty residents, the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees member, the Texas Democrat, Sheila Jackson Lee said, "Why do we keep funding Iraq when they can't deal with the human rights of the people in Camp Liberty? ... If they will not listen, then we have to make sure that they listen... Why we are continuing to give comfort to Iraq that continues to participate in the events that result in this devastation and loss of life??... I'd vote for any amendment that would question, diminish, and cut Iraq's funding?... "

Referring to the February 9^th rocket attack that left eight Liberty residents dead and dozens wounded, Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) added, "[Due to] the Iranian government's efforts to tear down your people, they've moved them from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty, which is not as protected, as fortified; people are losing their lives, we need to send a strong message, my hope is that Congress will send a strong message that these people need a fortified place to live... We will continue to push the State Department and this administration to not let you down... We need to send the Iranian government a strong signal that this will not be tolerated anymore."

House Judiciary Committee Member, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) added, "The folks at Camp Liberty are commendable, [They are] fighting for liberty and in Iran... [They] need to be protected from attacks such as those that occurred in February."

SOURCE Iranian-American Community of Northern California

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-u-government-failure-protect-iranian-dissidents-iraq-225900898.html

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Nokia to unveil next-generation Lumia phone on May 14th

MADRID, April 25 (Reuters) - Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina said the 10-match ban given to his team mate Luis Suarez for biting an opponent was 'absurd' and 'excessive'. Uruguay international Suarez was punished on Wednesday by the English Football Association (FA) after he bit the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic at the weekend. "He knows he is in the wrong, and that it was a mistake, but the 10-game punishment seems absurd to me, excessive and unfair," Spanish international Reina was quoted as telling radio station Cadena Cope by sports daily AS on Thursday. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nokia-unveil-next-generation-lumia-phone-may-14th-152034003.html

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Culture vultures: 'When in Rome' applies to monkey's too

Apr. 25, 2013 ? The human tendency to adopt the behaviour of others when on their home territory has been found in non-human primates.

Researchers at the University of St Andrews observed 'striking' fickleness in male monkeys, when it comes to copying the behaviour of others in new groups. The findings could help explain the evolution of our human desire to seek out 'local knowledge' when visiting a new place or culture.

The new discovery was made by Dr Erica van de Waal and Professor Andrew Whiten of the University of St Andrews, along with Christ?le Borgeaud of the University of Neuch?tel.

Professor Whiten commented, "As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'. Our findings suggest that a willingness to conform to what all those around you are doing when you visit a different culture is a disposition shared with other primates."

The research was carried out by observing wild vervet monkeys in South Africa. The researchers originally set out to test how strongly wild vervet monkey infants are influenced by their mothers' habits.

But more interestingly, they found that adult males migrating to new groups conformed quickly to the social norms of their new neighbours, whether it made sense to them or not.

Professor Whiten commented, "The males' fickleness is certainly a striking discovery. At first sight their willingness to conform to local norms may seem a rather mindless response -- but after all, it's how we humans often behave when we visit different cultures.

"It may make sense in nature, where the knowledge of the locals is often the best guide to what are the optimal behaviours in their environment, so copying them may actually make a lot of sense."

In the initial study, the researchers provided each of two groups of wild monkeys with a box of maize corn dyed pink and another dyed blue. The blue corn was made to taste repulsive and the monkeys soon learned to eat only pink corn. Two other groups were trained in this way to eat only blue corn.

A new generation of infants were later offered both colours of food -- neither tasting badly -- and the adult monkeys present appeared to remember which colour they had previously preferred.

Almost every infant copied the rest of the group, eating only the one preferred colour of corn.

The crucial discovery came when males began to migrate between groups during the mating season.

The researchers found that of the ten males who moved to groups eating a different coloured corn to the one they were used to, all but one switched to the new local norm immediately.

The one monkey who did not switch, was the top ranking in his new group who appeared unconcerned about adopting local behavior.

Dr van de Waal conducted the field experiments at the Inkawu Vervet Project in the Mawana private game reserve in South Africa. She became familiar with all 109 monkeys, making it possible for her to document the behaviour of the males who migrated to new groups.

She said, "The willingness of the immigrant males to adopt the local preference of their new groups surprised us all. The copying behaviour of both the new, na?ve infants and the migrating males reveals the potency and importance of social learning in these wild primates, extending even to the conformity we know so well in humans."

Commenting on the research, leading primatologist Professor Frans de Waal, of the Yerkes Primate Center of Emory University, said that the study "is one of the few successful field experiments on cultural transmission to date, and a remarkably elegant one at that."

The study has been hailed by leading primate experts as rare experimental proof of 'cultural transmission' in wild primates to date. The research is published April 25 by the journal Science.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of St. Andrews, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. E. van de Waal, C. Borgeaud, A. Whiten. Potent Social Learning and Conformity Shape a Wild Primate's Foraging Decisions. Science, 2013; 340 (6131): 483 DOI: 10.1126/science.1232769

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/3VvzwGJAXCM/130425142351.htm

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