Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Healthy Diets Shown to Have Benefit Despite Modest Weight Losses
The results of a tightly controlled dieting experiment highlight the difficulty of weight loss and that most diets just don’t work very well.
New Model Explains Why We Overestimate Our Future Choices
When people make choices for future consumption, they select a wider variety than when they plan to immediately consume the products. A new study examines the reasons behind this diversification...
U.S. soldier remains from 1846 found in Mexico
Mexican archaeologists have found the remains of what appear to be four U.S. soldiers who died in 1846 during the Mexican-American war, the government announced on Thursday.
Tobacco Industry Manipulated Cigarette Menthol Content To Recruit New Smokers Among Young People, Research Shows
Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health explored tobacco industry manipulation of menthol levels in specific brands and found a deliberate strategy to recruit and addict young smokers by adjusting...
People Predict Budgets Better On Annual Basis
People who made annual budgets were more accurate than those who made monthly ones. They also found that peoples' perception of their budget-making abilities affected the accuracy of the budgets.
Addicted to Grief? [News]
Editor's Note: This story will be published in the October/November issue of Scientific American Mind.Losing a loved one is always painful, but for most people time eventually heals the wounds....
Talk to the Newsroom: Dennis Overbye, Science Reporter
Dennis Overbye, who covers what he likes to call “cosmic affairs,” answered readers’ questions.
'Star Wars' video game bridges gap between films
(AP) -- Consider it "Star Wars III and a Half" - complete with a pivotal plot twist.
Decisions Shut Door on Bush Clean-Air Steps
A court ruling and an E.P.A. decision deferred to the next president any significant new effort to fight air pollution.
Tongue Orchids’ Sexual Guile: Utterly Convincing
Many orchids have evolved elaborate ruses to lure pollinators, but one species takes the deception to shameless heights.
Men And Women May Need Different Diets
Diet can strongly influence how long you live and your reproductive success, but now scientists have discovered that what works for males can be very different for females. In the...
Home violence hinders education
Children who have been exposed to violence in their homes tend to have difficulties at school or don't enjoy it, according to a literature review.
Undersea Intelligence
All Together Now: AquaJellies are an experiment to create autonomous robots that can work alone or cooperatively. Photo by AP Photo; Kai-Uwe KnothSwimming around in their tank, these autonomous robotic...
Empathy Is 'Hard-Wired' in Children's Brains
Scans show young naturally prone to relate to pain in others, study says
Nursing homes: What to look for in a long-term care facility
More than 150,000 Canadian seniors were living in residential care facilities in 2004/2005, according to figures from Statistics Canada. That's about three per cent of the country's population over the...
VIDEO: "Annoying" Bird Mimics Sirens
Having mastered some of the world's most grating sounds—sirens, cell phone ringtones—a blackbird is irritating Britons with its powers of mimicry.
Psychological and social issues associated with tooth loss
Are feelings of depression overwhelming you? Is your self-esteem an issue? Having problems advancing in life or your career? Maybe you feel nervous or self conscious in social settings? Do...
New approach sheds light on ways Circadian disruption affects human health
Growing evidence indicates that exposure to irregular patterns of light and darkness can cause the human circadian system to fall out of synchrony with the 24-hour solar day, negatively affecting...
Psychiatric Forensic Patients With Tattoos More Likely To Have Antisocial Personality Disorder
The presence of tattoos on forensic psychiatric inpatients should alert clinicians to a possible diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder, and also about the potential for histories of suicide attempt, substance...
Feature: Reading between the lines
Research has shown that children’s reading improves when teachers focus on when children are ready to learn rather than finding out what they cannot do, writes Genevieve Costigan.
Cancer tissue sample problems remain, inquiry told
Newfoundland and Labrador's largest pathology laboratory had problems with its breast cancer testing program as recently as this spring, an inquiry has been told.
Sony adds online movies to PlayStation 3 consoles
Sony on Tuesday added online movie sales and rentals to the repertoire of PlayStation 3 videogame console features.
Female monkeys more dominant in groups with relatively more males
Female monkeys are more dominant when they live in groups with a higher percentage of males. This is caused by self-organisation. This surprising discovery was made by researchers at the...
Researcher Finds Teaching Moments in Hypocrisy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Jeff Stone, who has studied the issue of hypocrisy, says that people may feel compelled to change their behaviors when they realize that they became active advocates in...
Portion control key to keeping holiday weight gain at bay
(PhysOrg.com) -- Interested in keeping the pounds off this holiday season? A nutrition expert at Washington University in St. Louis has some very simple tips for remembering accurate portion sizes,...
Conservatives blasted for 'grandstanding' on text message fees
The Liberals are blasting the government for "grandstanding" on the new incoming text messaging charges proposed by Bell and Telus.
Probing Question: How old is political satire?
During the 2004 election season, an animated streaming video featuring Senator John Kerry and President George Bush trading insults to the tune of This Land Is Your Land was seen...
Study: Americans Expect Business Leaders to Be White
(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite decades of progress for minorities in corporate settings, Americans still expect business leaders to be white, and they judge white leaders as more effective than their...