Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
'Nym wars, part 6/6 [comic] | @GrrlScientist cc @pyrrho12
The last of six parts in the comic series, 'Nym Wars, a commentary on the G+ pseudonym fiascoIn this, the concluding installment of the 'Nym Wars, we see the N+ club really...
Gamers' brains may reward them more
Teenagers who spend a lot of time on video-games have different structures and activity levels in areas of the brain that are linked to reward.
Study: Children Experience Differing Changes One Year After a Sibling's Death from Cancer
The majority of children experience personal changes and changes in relationships one year after their sibling has died from cancer; however, positive and negative changes are not universal. These are...
Empathizing with an angry face staves off bad feelings
If you tell yourself that someone who’s being mean is just having a bad day—it’s not about you—you may actually be able to stave off bad feelings, according to a...
Facebook porn spam attack halted
A recent wave of spam flooding Facebook users' pages with graphic pictures depicting sex and violence has mostly been stopped, but the social networking site said Wednesday that people need...
Should we prepare for the end? New report calls for decriminalization of assisted dying in Canada
A report commissioned by the Royal Society of Canada claims that assisted suicide should be legally permitted for competent individuals who make a free and informed decision, while on both...
Teaching skills key to selection of a successful model farmer
A model farmer does not effectively train other farmers on new innovative farming methods if they do not possess appropriate dissemination skills, a recent study has found.
Is a stranger trustworthy? You'll know in 20 seconds
There's definitely something to be said for first impressions. New research suggests it can take just 20 seconds to detect whether a stranger is genetically inclined to being trustworthy, kind...
Mimicking the brain, in silicon
For decades, scientists have dreamed of building computer systems that could replicate the human brain’s talent for learning new tasks. MIT researchers have now taken a major step toward that...
Put yourself in someone else's shoes: What type of perspective makes consumers self-conscious?
Certain emotions are heightened when we view ourselves from a first-person perspective, while others amplify when we observe ourselves from the outside, according to a new study in the Journal...
For Women, Sex May Be Improved by 'Mindfulness Meditation'
Women who took a meditation course became significantly faster at registering their body's responses to sexual stimuli.
Student making a global difference
In September, the Forward — a weekly publication widely regarded as the essential, independent source of news, arts, and opinion for American Jews — asked readers to nominate Jews, age 21 and...
Phillips Brooks House launches gift drive
On Dec. 1, Phillips Brooks House will launch Harvard’s annual holiday gift drive — an effort to collect more than 1,500 gifts for children in Boston and Cambridge. This drive, which will...
Brain science and the law: should we understand more and condemn less?
Matthew Taylor, who presents a new series about neuroscience on Radio 4, argues we should favour treatment over punishmentPart one of Brain Culture is at 4pm on TuesdayAccording to a UK Cabinet Office...
Scans reveal how the brain's GPS helps us navigate from A to B
Researchers pinpointed the navigation systems by scanning volunteers' brains as they watched video shot on London streetsBrain scans have revealed the workings of the brain's GPS that underpin our decisions as we navigate...
The New Old Age Blog: Ask the Elder Law Attorney: Family Loans
What happens when a deceased parent's estate holds loans made to adult children?
High childhood IQ linked to subsequent illicit drug use
A high childhood IQ may be linked to subsequent illegal drug use, particularly among women, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Enactive Interface Perception And Affordances
There are two freaky theories of perception which are very interesting to me not just for artificial intelligence, but also from a point of view of interfaces, interactions, and affordances....
OPINION: Monday’s medical myth: we only use 10% of our brain
Humans use far more than 10 per cent of their brains, even when resting, Kate Hoy argues.
Crusader's Arabic Inscription No Longer Lost in Translation
The engraving refers to a Holy Roman emperor.
Cyberwar Most Likely to Take Place Among Smaller Powers, Experts Say
Most Americans who worry about cyberwarfare are concerned that it will be directed against the United States. But the truth is that cyber conflict is far more likely to involve...
Brain's Visual 'Dictionary' Allows Speedy Reading
Visual word recognition prevents the laborious process of sounding out every word we read.
Study: Humans became social in daylight
OXFORD, England, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Humans became social rather that solitary creatures when they stopped being nocturnal and became active during the day, British researchers say.
Female orgasm captured in series of brain scans
The animation will help scientists to understand how the female brain conducts the symphony of activity that leads to an orgasmScientists have used brain scan images to create the world's first movie of...
Magic trick reveals unconscious knowledge
People 'know' what they don't believe they've seen, study shows
Observatory: A Busy Love Life, Built With a Mother’s Help
A male muriqui monkey enjoys greater reproductive success if he shares an unusual physical closeness with his mother or if he lives with a sister.
Study finds social networks promote cooperation, discourage selfishness
It turns out nice guys can finish first, and David Rand has the evidence to prove it.
Check your intuitions
Four tests by Daniel Kahneman to assess your predictable irrationality1 Interestingly, it's a fact that highly intelligent women tend to marry men less intelligent than they are. Why do you think this might...