Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Location determines social network influence, study finds; Number of connections less important than proximity to core
A team of researchers has shed new light on the way that information and infectious diseases proliferate across complex networks. They report that, contrary to conventional wisdom, persons with the...
Payday proximity changes consumer motives and behavior
As any nine-to-fiver will testify, a new paycheck brings with it a familiar sense of freedom, albeit one that dwindles in lockstep with the balance in one's checking account. But...
Over 50? You probably prefer negative stories about young people
When given a choice, older people prefer to read negative news, rather than positive news, about young adults, a new study suggests. In fact, older readers who chose to read...
Study contradicts reports of problems with blood-thinner
New findings contradict earlier reports that people with a certain genetic make-up don't benefit from the blood-thinner clopidogrel, also known as Plavix.
Study finds asking about pregnancy coercion and intimate-partner violence can reduce their incidence
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Specifically asking young women during visits to family planning clinics whether their partners had attempted to force them to become pregnant -- a...
Concussions in young athletes 'disturbing': doc
Emergency department visits for school-age athletes in the U.S. with concussions have skyrocketed in recent years, suggesting greater intensity of kids' sports and awareness.
Belief in Witchcraft Widespread in Africa
While personal beliefs in witchcraft are benign, the actions some take based on these beliefs can be horrific.
Ont. MPP denies advising jail for autistic teen
A co-founder of the Ontario Autism Coalition has accused a Liberal provincial politician of suggesting she should have her autistic son jailed to get better treatment for him, but Greg...
Circadian rhythms: Their role and dysfunction in affective disorder
All humans are synchronised to the rhythmic light-dark changes that occur on a daily basis. Rhythms in physiological and biochemical processes and behavioural patterns persist in the absence of all...
Assailants Attack China's Science Watchdog
China's self-appointed science fraud buster was assaulted yesterday afternoon in Beijing. Fang Shimin, better...
Smoking marijuana relieves some pain: study
Smoking marijuana does help relieve a certain amount of pain, a small but well-designed Canadian study has found.
Japan resort draws men with virtual girlfriends
Long a favourite of lovers and honeymooners, a Japanese beach town with fading sparkle has found a new tourism niche in the wired age by drawing young men and their...
Questions loom over drug given to sleepless vets
(AP) -- Andrew White returned from a nine-month tour in Iraq beset with signs of post-traumatic stress disorder: insomnia, nightmares, constant restlessness. Doctors tried to ease his symptoms using...
Teaching Communication and Information Literacy Skills
Horticulture, Library and English Departments team up to engage students
A Dream Deferred, Almost Too Long
Gigi Fernandez always seemed perfectly positioned on the court, reaching No. 1 before retiring in 1997 at age 33, but she found herself on the wrong side of the line...
Opinion: How to measure learning
The deputy Vice-Chancellor from La Trobe University probes the question of how do we access, gather and evaluate evidence of student learning.
Roger Jones obituary
Roger Jones, who has died from cancer at the age of 61, was one of the outstanding academic publishers of his generation. He was a great creative editor, who had a knack...
Battling the Boys: Educators Grapple with Violent Play
Educators are rethinking how to handle the pretend fighting and killing frequently forbidden in young children's classrooms.
Nails And The Human Brain (Part 2)
Yesterday I posted a couple splendid instances of people driving nails into their brains. And here, for those of you that think (as I do) that the only thing better...
Emmy Awards go digital with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
The 2010 Emmy Awards for American television have gone interactive, with viewers tweeting lines for host Jimmy Fallon, voting on an interactive ballot and watching backstage happenings on Facebook and...
Judicial Activism Is Always Bad For Science
Politics is funny business because there will always be a conflict between freedom, democracy and the Constitution and political winds blow decisions in various directions - that's the way it...
Let's have a scientific Olympiad as well as one devoted to the arts | Henry Porter
The widespread ignorance of science reflects badly on a nation with a such a questing and inventive historyThe prospect of the Cultural Olympiad accompanying the London Olympics in two years' time fills me...
When that glow has to go
Sweating too much can be more than just a damp drag. Though drugstore remedies help most, for some there are stronger options, including pills, Botox and even surgery.Summer temperatures make...
Investigating Ghosts - For Real?
Hank recently wrote a piece that dealt with the problem of a "ghost train" and a "ghost hunter" that was killed by a real train while waiting for the apparition. Since...
The science to landing your first job out of college
With many new college graduates struggling to land a job, incoming seniors should act now to avoid falling into the same trap, says Ladd Flock, director of career services at...
How Boys and Girls Reacted to Stress of Katrina
Girls showed signs of depression, while boys became withdrawn.
Metaphysics and the limits of science
Serious scientists know that they cannot explain all the major puzzles of existenceIs physical science – as some people say – omnicompetent? Can it (that is) answer all possible questions? If, for instance,...
Facing Long Mine Rescue, Chile Spares No Expense
President Sebastián Piñera has staked his nascent presidency on rescuing the miners, sparing no attempted innovation to maintain their psychological health.