Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Getting married for health insurance
Seven percent of Americans say they or someone in their household decided to tie the knot in the last year so they could receive healthcare benefits, a poll finds. ...
Federal Money in Health Care Plan From McCain
The senator called for the federal government to give money to states to help cover people who have been denied health insurance.
A workout for pooches and pals
Trainer Bruce Gilbert leads an hour fitness session every Sunday in Runyon Canyon. ...
Salvia divinorum, an old psychedelic drug with new appeal
Anyone can buy hallucinogenic salvia online or at a local head shop. The DEA and others want to limit its use, but scientists say making it a controlled substance would...
Decoding the dictionary: Study suggests lexicon evolved to fit in the brain
The latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary boasts 22,000 pages of definitions. While that may seem far from succinct, new research suggests the reference manual is meticulously organized to...
Most Of Us Can Lose Weight Initially -- Keeping It Off Is Another Matter
The inability to manage weight gain and weight regain throughout life is helping to fuel the obesity epidemic in adults and children throughout Europe. However, the successful participation of more...
Down's Syndrome Children May Only Need BiFocals For Two Years, Study Suggests
Nearly one third of Down's syndrome children who wear bifocal lenses to help them focus accurately may only need to wear them for two years, according to new research.
Why People Engage In Risky Behavior While Intoxicated: Imaging Study Provides Glimpse Of Alcohol's Effect On Brain
New brain imaging research published this week shows that, after consuming alcohol, social drinkers had decreased sensitivity in brain regions involved in detecting threats, and increased activity in brain regions...
'Emotional Inflation' Leads To Stock Market Meltdown
Investors get carried away with excitement and wishful 'fantasies' as the stock market soars, suppressing negative emotions warning them of high risks, according to a new study led by UCL....
Moral Philosopher Questions Memory Manipulation
Is medicated memory manipulation ethically sound? And perhaps more importantly, who should be charged with the decision to deliver such a treatment: patient or physician? A philosophy professor, is seeking...
Real-Life Iron Man: A Robotic Suit That Magnifies Human Strength [News]
The prospect of slipping into a robotic exoskeleton that could enhance strength, keep the body active while recovering from an injury or even serve as a prosthetic limb has great...
Don't Stress About De-Stressing
Many people experience the feeling of being overwhelmed. Common sources of stress include losing a set of keys, being late to important meetings, and tackling stacks of paperwork. Many people...
2 Faculty Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Two Arizona State University professors - Edward Prescott, Regents' Professor and Nobel Laureate, and Luc Anselin, founding director of the School of Geographical Sciences - have been elected to the...
Suicide rates higher among vets
Australian veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates of all professions and may need support for depression and stress, according to a new study.
IT students' gender imbalance explained
Few girls study secondary IT because many find it uninteresting and irrelevant, while many students consider females unsuited to high level IT work, according to research.
Asian vultures declining faster than the dodo
Livestock drug blamed for rapid decline in species, with dire impact on the environment
Families of contaminated heparin victims tell stories of deaths
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The widow of a man who died after receiving contaminated heparin told a congressional subcommittee Tuesday "we have a false sense of security" in a land where...
Warming 'affecting poor children'
Climate change is already affecting the prospects for children in the world's poorer nations, says the UN children's agency.
Mental workout 'boosts the brain'
Even the slower-witted among us can improve our mental agility with a few daily brain teasers, a study suggests.
Successful qualification firing test for Zefiro 23
On 27 March 2008, the second stage motor for Vega - Europe's new small launcher - successfully completed a static firing test at the Salto Di Quirra Inter-force Test Range...
Real Trekkie Tricorder Invented
New handheld medical scanners are coupled with regular cell phones.
Ecuador postpones science plan to 2010
Following conflicts on managing funds for science, the Ecuadorian government has postponed plans for the sector to 2010.
Q&A: Closing the gender gap
Prudence Mutowo, winner of a 2006 L'Oreal UNESCO fellowship, speaks to SciDev.Net about her experiences as a woman in science.
Hair of the dog keeps children's allergies at bay
LONDON (Reuters) - Having a dog in the house reduces the risk that young children will develop allergies, German researchers said on Tuesday.
Want to Know More? A Reading List
“THE STUFF OF THOUGHT: Language as a Window into Human Nature,” by Steven Pinker, Viking. The author uses language to examine how the mind works, in perception and thought.
Q & A: To Gyre and Gimbal
Is it true that a gyroscope weighs more when it is spinning than when it is not spinning?
A Conversation With Daniel Gilbert: The Smiling Professor
At Harvard, the social psychologist Daniel Gilbert is known as Professor Happiness.
Animated Bambi Debate Arouses Pastoral Passions
A new book argues that Disney movies like “Bambi” inspired generations of environmentalists, while others criticize the films’ distorted views of nature and animals.