Friday Wrap-Up

It's Friday, time to wrap-up some knowledge-based stories and studies that caught my eye but I haven't the time or inclination to expand on because either they're not worth it or I'm too lazy (bet on the latter).  I open with three traditional news stories, finish with three pieces of traditional research.

• Less than half of Americans correctly recognize blood cancers are among the three leading causes of death from cancer, according to a survey. Lemme be honest, I would have gotten this one wrong too. I'd have guessed specific ones like breast, lung, and of course the ever-popular (for me) thyroid.

• No surprise. A survey suggests lots of Americans lack knowledge about Obamacare. Face it, the guys and gals who voted for the thing didn't fully understand it, so how should us mere mortals know any better?

• We all love small businesses, but this story suggests most people who run them lack basic financial knowledge. Warning, need a subscription to go any further.

• What the hell is a lacuna? Had to look it up. It's a gap, an unfilled space, and it's both our word for the day and is used in this abstract on research about what voters know about that most esoteric of political issues -- ballot initiatives.

• In the "these kids today" category I provide you with research from Serbia. No surprise, knowledge among kids is low but on the good side it is positively associated with tolerance, activism, and system support.

• Let's keep with the international theme, this time a study out of Nigeria finds that use of TV, radio, and the Internet are better predictors of political knowledge than consumption of newspapers and print media. Why? These media lower the costs (i.e., ability to read) in getting information.

And that's my wrap-up. Enjoy your weekend.