The more money you earn, the more time you're likely to spend working, commuting and doing other compulsory activities that bring little pleasure, says U-M researcher Norbert Schwarz and his colleagues. As a result, income has only a "weak" effect on overall happiness.

As the 2006 election season heats up, it can seem that the nation is more polarized than ever. But despite serious and legitimate disagreements on issues, the US may not be so divided after all. U-M physicist Mark Newman creates cartograms—dynamic maps that tell fascinating stories about America and the world.

Proteins that regulate sleep and biological timing in the body work much differently than previously thought, says U-M's Daniel Forger. The surprise finding is an about-face from previous research, and may up-end the treatment of sleep disorders and depression.

In summer, the U-M campus is quiet but hardly empty. Thousands of young people come for sports camps, filling the fields, gyms, dorms and cafeterias of the university. All day long they're coached by greats. In the evenings, they need to be fed. And boy, can they eat.

Tumor growth is driven by stem cells, raising the possibility that scientists can attack cancer at its roots. Follow this link to hear U-M associate professor and researcher Sean Morrison, MD, talk about the promise of this new work.

How do scientists know what the temperature of the earth was 500 years ago? One method is to take the temperature of rocks deep underground. The rocks hold the "memory" of heat, just as a saucepan remains hot after the stove's turned off. And the message is that the earth really is heating up.

Former U-M professor Donald Hall has been named Poet Laureate of the United States. Hall taught at the university from 1957 to 1975. He's been noted in recent years for his poetry about the illness and death of his wife, poet Jane Kenyon. Listen to him reading here.

Singer-songwriter Kristy Hanson (BMA, 2004) calls her music "chick folk rock at its finest." You can hear a sample of her smart lyrics and silky voice on the song "I Think".

Doug Strong has been named director and chief executive officer of the U-M Hospitals and Health Centers (UMHHC) after serving in the post on an interim basis since October 2005.

Kathleen Potempa is the new dean for the School of Nursing. Potempa, who will assume her duties Oct. 1, currently serves as vice president and dean of the School of Nursing at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland.