Erin Murphy, professor of English and creative writing at Penn State Altoona, believes that despite the minuscule national marketplace for poetry books, the American public still longs for the kinds of insights that only poetry can deliver, and poetry still has an important place in our schools.

Scientists had high hopes that heroin would be a safer and less addictive alternative to morphine, which had left tens of thousands of soldiers dependent on it after the Civil War. At the dawn of the 20th century, philanthropic societies even dispensed free samples of heroin to morphine addicts. Unfortunately, the wonder drug, when injected, turned out to be two to four times more potent than morphine and highly addictive.

Comic book geeks, unite! The era of modern crime-fighting superheroes that began in 1938 with Action Comics #1 and the first appearance of Superman has made the leap into the 21st century and onto the big screen like no other art form. Evolving from ten cents a copy to billion-dollar box-office brands, comic book superheroes -- and their legions of fans and superfans -- have earned their spot at the top of American pop culture.

Does women's literature refer to any book written by a woman or for a female audience? Or is it a distinctly academic genre that examines how women authors have explored the female experience through the socio-political context of their eras?

Americans are eating more cheese than ever before, says Kerry Kaylegian, Penn State dairy foods research & extension associate, but in recent years Americans have developed a taste for artisanal cheeses that offer more distinctive and nuanced flavors than the standard varieties of a decade or two ago.

"The basis of all frozen desserts is sugar syrup containing various characterizing ingredients and flavors," said Bob Roberts, head of Penn State's Food Science department. "When only a flavor -- and no dairy -- is added to the sugar syrup, the product is commonly referred to as a water ice, also known as Italian ice or sorbet." Adding a bit of milk makes the product a sherbet. "Further fortifying the product with some cream and condensed or powdered milk to deliver at least 10 percent fat results in the product we know and love as ice cream."

The term umami was coined in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who identified the chemical basis for the flavor. The taste itself "is the meaty, brothy, savory sensation we perceive from certain amino acids." Food scientist John Hayes, director of Penn State's Sensory Evaluation Center, offers additional insight.

China is sometimes called "The Red Dragon," but another, less common nickname for the world's third largest country is "The Kingdom of Bicycles." For some economists, the bicycle -- a vehicle that must keep moving to remain stable and maintain forward momentum -- is an apt metaphor for China's economy. For over three decades, China has had the world's fastest growing major economy. But some believe that the speed and size of its recent expansion mean the country is steering headlong into a crisis.

The Jan. 7 massacre of 12 journalists in Paris has renewed debate about freedom of expression. What do the U.S. Constitution and courts say about the publication of inflammatory and offensive material?

It has been exactly one hundred years since Sigmund Freud penned his pivotal essay "On Narcissism." It's easy to wonder how the father of psychoanalysis might react to society today, especially the millennials who came of age around the year 2000 and have been dubbed the "Me Me Me Generation." The social media-focused culture of selfies, Twitter, and Facebook is often criticized for making Americans, younger ones in particular, more self-absorbed and entitled.