Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
The Many Forms of Melanoma
Dr. David E. Fisher of Harvard Medical School responds to reader questions about the different forms of melanoma.
Research shows child rearing practices of distant ancestors foster morality, compassion in kids
Ever meet a kindergartener who seemed naturally compassionate and cared about others' feelings? Who was cooperative and didn't demand his own way? Chances are, his parents held, carried and cuddled...
Too much TV, video and computer can make teens fatter
Too much television, video games and Internet can increase body fat in teens. A five-year study has found teenagers have four different patterns of screen use: increasers, decreasers, consistently high...
Lightweight true random number generators a step closer
The widespread use of true random number generators has taken a step closer following the creation of the most lightweight designs to date.
US teen hearing loss is much lower than has been widely reported, study shows
New research from hearing scientists shows that fewer than 20 percent of teenagers in the United States have a hearing loss as a result of exposure to loud sounds, thus...
Can Caffeine Really Cause Insanity?
A Kentucky man is citing "temporarily insanity" brought on by "caffeine intoxication" as his legal strategy to claim that he is not responsible for allegedly murdering his wife.
Money, drugs and chicken feet? What consumers will do for social acceptance
People who feel excluded will go to any length to try to become part of a group, even if it involves spending large sums of cash, eating something dicey, or...
For neurons to work as a team, it helps to have a beat
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to conducting complex tasks, it turns out that the brain needs rhythm, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
Personal Best: Just Me and My Pessimism in the ‘Race of Truth’
A time trial bike race illustrated the power of one mental strategy in racing and exemplified what motivates some people to stay with a sport.
The Essential Psychopathology Of Creativity
If we could identify a gene for creativity, let's call it the "creativity gene", you would be hard pressed to find very many people who would consider it a negative...
Sizing Up Consciousness by Its Bits
Researchers want to build a “consciousness meter” that doctors can use to measure consciousness as easily as they measure body temperature.
Learning to Speak with the (Brain) Dead
A new device that measures electrical activity in the brain could allow brain-dead patients to answer yes/no questions.
Numberplay: Answers Hang in the Balance
A set of puzzles where you have to identify a heavier or lighter item from a group using a balance scale.
Proximity likely cause of gambling problems
New research from Swinburne University has found that living or working near gambling venues could have a direct effect on problem gambling.
Why do we give to charity? | Tessera, The Lay Scientist
Do we relate more easily to individual people in need than to groups? (Guest post by Tessera)Jonah Lehrer suggests that we find it much easier to relate to individuals in need than...
Simon Swordy obituary
Our friend Simon Swordy, who has died from lymphoma aged 56, was a world-renowned astrophysicist and a brilliant wit, inventor, artist, enthusiast and semi-professional flamenco guitarist. From childhood, Simon – known as "Stig"...
Psychological pain of Holocaust still haunts survivors
WASHINGTON -- Holocaust survivors show remarkable resilience in their day-to-day lives, but they still manifest the pain of their traumatic past in the form of various psychiatric symptoms,...
The science behind deception
Think you can tell when people are lying? After decades of accepted methods for detecting lies, communications PhD student Edward Reynolds may have a case for challenging those tactics.
Returning troops face both physical and mental challenges
Is the US health system comprehensively meeting the needs of returning veterans? With the recent attention to mental illness in returning soldiers, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in...
Fidgety children are on the rise
Hyperkinetic disorders among children and adolescents are becoming increasingly common. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Ingrid Schubert of the PMV Research Group at the...
Study: Privacy key obstacle to adopting electronic health records
The United States could achieve significant health care savings if it achieved widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), but insufficient privacy protections are hindering public...
Steve Jobs was a bit mean to you? Tough! | Martin Robbins
Trainee journalists should learn that getting information out of people is not easyAs a freelance journalist, much of your spare time is spent trying to get information from people who at best couldn't...
Vocabulary on decline due to fewer books
Young people are reading less and failing to build vocabulary amid a sea of text messaging and cyber chat, says literacy and child development specialist Professor Tom Nicholson.
Pakistan faces huge hunger crisis
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Pakistan faces a huge hunger crisis, Save the Children warns, as the United Nations launches a $2 billion appeal for international aid. ...
When business and pleasure mix
According to Qiong Wang, assistant professor of marketing at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, firms have cultures and personalities that mimic human beings. Firms, like people, have history...
Australian study says people marrying less
Researchers from UQ's Institute for Social Science Research have found that marriage no longer enjoys the privileged status it once did.
Don't text 911: B.C. Mounties
RCMP in British Columbia are warning people not to text message 911 in emergencies.
Richard Dawkins' unedited speech at 'Protest the Pope' march in London | GrrlScientist
Richard Dawkins takes the piss out of Pope Ratzinger in London on SaturdayIf you, like I, could not attend the "Protest the Pope" rally in London this past weekend, you'll...