Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Scotland rebuffs Megrahi probe
EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 30 (UPI) -- There is no possibility for U.S. lawmakers to grill Scottish or British officials on the Lockerbie bomber case overseas, a Scottish official said. ...
Daydream Distractions Depend on How Far Mind Wanders
Daydreams affect your memory. The farther away your mind wanders, in time and space, the harder it is to remember what you just did.
Few people are doing it, so why should I? Motivating men to seek cancer screening
In Germany, several national health campaigns promote cancer screening by announcing that only one in five German men gets screened. This is supposed to motivate men to have an examination....
Even in good communities, roaming teens a recipe for violence
Even in better neighborhoods, parents should be wary about letting teens gather with nothing to do and with no adult supervision, a new study suggests. In a long-term study of...
Not as Web savvy as you think
Google it. That's what many college students do when asked to read an excerpt of a play for class, write a resume or find the e-mail address of a politician...
Children with brain injuries have problems with story-telling
Children with brain injuries have difficulty developing story-telling skills even though other language abilities, such as vocabulary, tend to catch up with other children as they mature, research at the...
Scientists explain the neurological process for the recognition of letters and numbers
'We analysed the influence of the context given by a word when linking the physical traits of its components to the abstract representations of letters,' explains to SINC Nicola Molinaro,...
Negative stereotypes shown to affect learning, not just performance
Negative stereotypes not only jeopardise how members of stigmatised groups might perform on tests and in other skill-based acts, such as driving and golf putting, but they also can inhibit...
Elder care puts strain on adult parent-child relationship
Relationships between elder and younger members of a family can be strained and positive and negative in nature, even when affection is shared. A new study from the Journal of...
Exposure to early evening sunlight in spring creates teenage night owls
In the spring, later sunset and extended daylight exposure delay bedtimes in teenagers, according to researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Centre (LRC)...
'Professor Risk' versus the psychic octopus
(PhysOrg.com) -- Having devoted his career to using statistical analysis to make accurate predictions, Professor David Spiegelhalter will this week attempt to explain how Paul the 'psychic' octopus appears to...
New Book Offers Cutting-Edge Perspective on Causes of Schizophrenia; Related Disorders
About 1 in 10 people have the potential to develop schizophrenia, but only 1 in 100 actually end up with this devastating illness. The challenge is in knowing why some...
One-size-fits-all approach to child custody can endanger moms and kids
Child custody evaluators' beliefs generally fall into two categories, and one group is far more likely to prioritize safety for women and children when making custody decisions. Researchers would like...
Hyman Frankel obituary
Hyman Frankel, my friend and comrade for 40 years, who has died aged 91, will probably be best remembered for Out of This World: An Examination of Modern Physics and Cosmology, published...
Making End-of-Life Decisions for Pets
The cat had lived a roaming and independent life. Now his owner wondered if the animal shouldn't be allowed to experience a similar ending.
Japanese women extend life expectancy to new high
By MARI YAMAGUCHI 2010-07-26T17:22:45Z TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese women are expected to live almost 86 1/2 years, topping the...
Why does theatre plus science equal poor plays?
As science advances, let's hope the drama it inspires improves as wellTitle of experiment: Examination of Plays about Science.Purpose: To determine why so few good plays about maths and science are written, when...
Emotional Effects of Bullying Written in Genes
Study results could lead to better interventions to reduce bullying.
I-dosing hits mind, not body: researchers
Scientists say the notion of kids getting high by listening to MP3 files on their computers is more virtual than real.
Small investment could save 11 million African lives
In the next five years, 11 million African women and children could be saved by creating near-universal availability of key life-saving interventions, according to The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn &...
Animal Warfare: Could the Taliban Train Monkeys to Shoot?
A report of Taliban insurgents training monkeys and baboons to fire guns at U.S. and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan seems unrealistic, an expert says.
Ask Carole: My boyfriend thinks I talk too much
Carole Jahme shines the cold light of evolutionary psychology on readers' problems. This week: Incessant chatterFrom Sarah, by emailDear Carole, Please can you help me with an embarrassing problem which I can't seem...
Educated people cope better with dementia
LONDON (Reuters) - Educated people are better able to cope with the physical effects of dementia, and even one extra year of education can significantly cut the risk of developing...
Is monogamy the root of all equality? | Andrew Brown
An examination of the effects of polygamous marriage suggests its bad for everyone in society, not just womenDoes polygamy between consenting adults harm anyone else? The question has been raised in Canada, where...
New epigenetic player implicated in mental retardation and facial birth defects
A subtle mutation affecting the epigenome --- a set of dynamic factors that influence gene activity -- may lead to an inherited form of mental retardation that affects boys, researchers...
Science Weekly podcast: Why you should distrust your senses; restored moon landing footage; plus comics and medicine
Before listening to this podcast, for best results we recommend you watch this short YouTube video. Daniel Simons joins us from a studio in Illinois to discuss his new book The Invisible...
Afghanistan war logs: Shattering the illusion of a bloodless victory
Real picture of a conflict longer than Vietnam, or either world war, refutes the idea of a 'revolution in military affairs'More than a decade ago, when the cold war was well and...
Convicted Killer Takes His Case to YouTube
Okla. Man On Death Row Claims Innocence; Former Deputy Supports Him, Too