Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Climate Talks Stall Briefly as Poorer Nations Walk Out
Negotiations were halted for several hours on Monday when dozens of developing countries, including China and India, upended talks.
More 20 mph zones in London would prevent 100 killed or seriously injured casualties each year
Traffic speed zones with a limit of 20 miles per hour reduce casualties by 41.9 percent with the greatest reduction in child casualties, according to new British research.
Flies offered unlimited alcohol behave a lot like human alcoholics
When given the chance to consume alcohol at will, fruit flies behave in ways that look an awful lot like human alcoholism. A new study considers alcohol self-administration in insects.
Physician advice a key motivator in baby's sleep position
The advice of a paediatrician to place infants on their backs to sleep appears to be the single most important motivator in getting parents to follow these recommendations and a...
Texting, tweeting ought to be viewed as GR8 teaching tools, scholar says
The impact of text messaging on the decline of formal writing among teens has been debated in pedagogical circles ever since cell-phone ownership became an adolescent rite of passage in...
In Defense of Monogamy, or What to do about Our Polyamorous Genes
So many have weighed in on the Tiger Woods peccadilloes, why shouldn’t we weigh in from a genetics perspective. Whether golf’s great Tiger Woods’ dalliance with multiple women -- some in the...
New study grapples with health effects of low-intensity warfare
For nearly two decades, Ivy Pike, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, has been studying ethnic groups in rural northern Kenya to understand how violence shapes...
Old math reveals new thinking in children's cognitive development
Five-year-olds can reason about the world from multiple perspectives simultaneously, according to a new theory by researchers in Japan and Australia. Using an established branch of mathematics called Category Theory,...
Autism In Computer Science
Discussion of the rise in diagnosed autism is a controversial topic, and I applaud one company that is sidestepping the entire 'why' and 'who is at fault' issue and tackling...
Why England's soccer team keeps losing on penalty shots
A new study may explain why the England soccer team keeps losing in penalty shootouts -- and could help the team address the problem in time for the World Cup...
How to Set Achievable Wellness Goals
(PhysOrg.com) -- Small decisions, made throughout the day, are reflected in overall health and wellness. These decisions help achieve countless goals every day. Wellness goals can be as small as...
Easily led 'ash-tray': Adolescent smokers prone to drug abuse
It is common knowledge that smoking is a health risk but why do teens become addicted to smoking more easily than adults? In an evaluation for Faculty of 1000 Biology,...
Mozart may speed up preemies' weight gain: study
A group of Israeli doctors have plunged into this long-running debate with a small study that found the soothing sounds of the 18th century composer may help premature babies grow...
Troops Strike Up a Tune to Repair the Damage of Brain Injuries
The opening riff of “Takin’ Care of Business” thumps rhythmically from an iPod as a room full of middle-aged military veterans tap in time on drums. This is the sound of brain...
Science forgotten in climate change fuss | Myles Allen
No one points to any scientific problems with Phil Jones's data, yet the 'fallen idol' narrative is too alluring for the media to resistIt is odd that we still don't take climate...
'Boom, krak-oo, hok' - scientists translate monkey talk
Campbell's monkeys may help shed light on the origins of human language, scientists report.
Nine gaming predictions for 2010
The end of the year offers a chance to look back on all that's come and gone in the past 12 months. It also offers a chance to use that...
Personalities accurately judged by physical appearance alone
Observers were able to accurately judge some aspects of a stranger's personality from looking at photographs, according to a new study. Self-esteem, ratings of extroversion and religiosity were correctly judged...
Hourly employees happier than salaried
People paid by the hour exhibit a stronger relationship between income and happiness, according to a new study.
Response: Despite the doubts, we shouldn't dismiss the Rom Houben coma case
I too used to be sceptical about facilitated communication. But my own research has convinced me of its meritsBen Goldacre discusses the case of Rom Houben, the Belgian who was diagnosed as being in...
Ask Carole, our Evolutionary Agony Aunt: Keeping a mate
The Guardian's Evolutionary Agony Aunt Carole Jahme shines the cold light of evolutionary psychology on readers' problemsI'm trapped by moralityFrom Michael, 40s, by emailI am a successful businessman in my early 40s. I...
'One keypad per child' lets schoolchildren share screen to learn math (w/ Video)
The slogan is "one laptop per child." But it will be a long time before that is true everywhere in the world. Meanwhile, a new device aims to make a...
Expel chocolate milk from school lunches: activist
Chocolate milk is "soda in drag" and should be booted out of US school cafeterias, a former celebrity chef turned school lunch lady has said.
Cosmic Origin of Dust and Humanity
It is very natural that young people have infinite curiosity and experience the temptation of mysterious feelings. This kind of curiosity is in fact beneficial. It is the curiosity that...
Prepping For Finals? Don't Pore Over Your Notes, Test Yourself
With the fall semester coming to a close, a Purdue University psychologist has some advice for all those college students who are poring over their notes in preparation for finals....
Hourly employees happier than salaried
People paid by the hour exhibit a stronger relationship between income and happiness, according to a study published in the current issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), the...
What's so funny about global warming?
Ian Leung has wanted to do something about global warming for almost two decades. Ever since he switched careers in 1991 from science advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Environment...
Americans Believe in God, Astrology and Ghosts
Poll finds many individuals believe in many things that arguably conflict.