(There is no link to this report.)

Why is play so important for children? Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, professor of psychology and director of the infant language laboratory at Temple, explained that it is a very rich way to enhance an entire childhood: "If you just look beneath the surface of play, for instance, when a child is trying to pile blocks high, he or she is learning about physics, motivation, color, balance. So many things are going on when you play."

Temple’s new TV station, TUTV, officially launched today Thursday. TUTV broadcasts on cable and soon online from the Kal and Lucille Rudman Media Production Center in Annenberg Hall. Earlier this year, the Rudmans committed $1.2 million to fund the production center.

The Philadelphia Independence are preparing for their second season in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league amid questions about the long-term viability of some WPS teams. "Across the board, professional sports leagues are seeing decreased demand for their product," said Emily Sparvero, assistant professor of sports management at Temple's Sport Industry Research Center. "Here, with women's soccer, you have a sport that has had a hard time attracting sponsors and viewers."

Pharmaceutical companies once relied on their own research-and-development divisions to identify and deliver blockbuster medications. In recent years, that path has been unproductive. Albert Wertheimer of the School of Pharmacy said the industry now believes that R&D alone isn't the answer. "The takeaway message is you are better off buying the products from smaller companies or foreign companies that don't have marketing arms in the U.S.," he said.