Despite Frustrations, Americans Are Pretty Darned Happy

We're number 16 ... in world happiness. Feel the joy.The United States ranks ahead of more than 80 countries, but below 15 others in happiness levels, according to new World Values Survey data released in the July issue of the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.The World Values Survey (WVS) is the work of a global network of social scientists who perform periodic surveys addressing a number of issues. The latest surveys, taken in the United States and in ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111725&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.

Lasers, Software and the Devil's Slide

Running for more than 1,000 kilometers along picturesque coastline, California's Highway 1 is easy prey for many of the natural hazards plaguing the region, including landslides.The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is currently building a kilometer-long tunnel to bypass one of the most landslide-prone stretches of the highway, the Devil's Slide, to help ensure drivers' safe passage.Using a new software package developed by researchers at Virginia Tech in ... More at http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111776&govDel=USNSF_51 This is an NSF News item.