Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Chinese cheered by eclipse a week before Olympics
(AP) -- Finally, China had an act of nature it could celebrate. After an Olympic year of freakish natural disasters, crowds of Chinese watched a total solar eclipse along...
Who's More Likely To Do Sports? White, Middle Class, And Middle-aged
The comfortably off, white, and middle-aged are the most likely to participate in sporting activities, reveals a 10 year study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Economists' new research shows positive effects of minimum-wage increases
(PhysOrg.com) -- As various states consider minimum wage increases, and with Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama proposing that the minimum wage be increased and indexed to adjust for cost-of-living increases,...
Diversity In Primary Schools Promotes Harmony
For the first time, children as young as 5 have been shown to understand issues regarding integration and separation. The research confirms that the ethnic composition of primary schools has...
F1 chief wins 'Nazi' orgy lawsuit
Motor racing boss Max Mosley won a landmark privacy-invasion lawsuit Thursday against a tabloid newspaper's claims he took part in a "Nazi" orgy.
Are a Popular Doping Drug s Effects All in the Mind? [News]
Editors’ note: This story will appear in the October/November 2008 issue of Scientific American Mind.Many athletes credit drugs with improving their performance, but some of them may want to thank...
Afghan surge faces rough road
As violence in Afghanistan escalates, the U.S. is responding by scrambling to get in more troops. But it's far from clear how the strategy will work in the vast, rugged...
DNA ID's stolen Guatemalan baby
Adoption officials said Wednesday that DNA tests indicate a Guatemalan baby reported stolen from her mother was being adopted by a U.S. couple.
Autism's Social Struggles Due To Disrupted Communication Networks In Brain
Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction....
Soy may water down little swimmers: sperm research
Men who consume soy daily and want to start a family may want to reconsider their dietary choices in light of new research.
Why is it So Hard to Wake Up in the Morning?
It’s not necessarily laziness that makes people hit the “snooze” button in the morning. Most likely, your body clock is mismatched with the demands of your life. Your clock is controlled...
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman (and Cricket)
Finally, the scientific finding every man has been waiting to hear: carbo-loading on doughnuts optimizes your lifespan and makes you sexually potent. Too bad the research only applies to crickets...
China: The great contender
China's performance has been remarkable in any number of fields. Declan Butler charts the country's scientific and economic growth.
ADHD increasingly common in older kids, CDC says
(AP) -- More older children are being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder while the rate is holding steady for children under 12, according to a government report released...
Grown-up P.E. class has adults reliving childhood
(AP) -- When "spastic ball" starts, it's better to duck first and ask questions later. This is Old School P.E., a two-hour exercise program strictly for adults, built around...
Islamist takes over Somali opposition
A fundamentalist Muslim suspected by the U.S. of collaborating with al-Qaida has taken over as head of Somalia's exiled opposition movement.
Some sheep are fussy
Some sheep are consistently more fussy about what they eat than others, and the trait runs in families, according to research from New Zealand.
Where have all the flowers gone?
At least 117 boys were being born for every 100 girls at the beginning of this century in China. Philip Ball asks whether Chinese birth rates can be controlled without...
Quebec woman wins $280,000 over misdiagnosis
A woman has been awarded $280,000 by the Quebec Superior Court after doctors misdiagnosed her with a fatal form of cancer.
Tune in to the joy of TV's guilty pleasures
Msnbc.com staffers share their guilt over shows we're somewhat ashamed to watch -- or ashamed to love so much. Pro bowling, "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and "Ace of Cakes" are all...
The dreaded question: Did he smoke?
Losing my father to cancer is hard enough without having everyone ask, "Did he smoke?"
Wife of fake-death canoeist found guilty
The wife of a British canoeist who faked his own death to claim $500,000 in life insurance money was found guilty of fraud and money-laundering charges on Wednesday.
Woman charged in tots' hammer deaths
A woman has been charged with murder and attempted murder in a hammer attack in Sweden that left two toddlers dead and their mother seriously injured.
On Mustang Range, a Battle on Thinning the Herd
An emotional debate is raging in the West over whether to thin a captive herd of wild horses that numbers 30,000.
Basics: Mirrors Don’t Lie. Mislead? Oh, Yes.
The mirror, an object of ancient fascination, has become a powerful tool for scientists to explore how the brain interprets (and misinterprets) information.
World Bank Criticized on Environmental Efforts
The World Bank and its partners need to do a far better job of considering the environmental effects of projects they finance in poor countries, its internal review group said.
A wake-up call from Afghanistan
Growing number of casualties and the resurgence of the Taliban and its anti-American allies has prompted vows by President Bush and his aspiring successors to send more U.S. troops to...
Cancer in Africa needs a local approach
Cancer care in Africa faces the same challenges as general healthcare, but also needs local data and targeted solutions, says Twalib Ngoma.