Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Downsizing bad for employees' health
Older workers who find themselves in jobs where there are demotions and downsizing are more likely to develop health problems, a recent study suggests.
Markets And Religious Beliefs - Why Strangers Cooperate
Researchers have long been puzzled by large societies in whichstrangers routinely engage in voluntary acts of kindness and respect even though there is often an individual cost involved. Evolutionary forces associated...
Drug Treatment Could Sharpen Adult Brains
Tests in mice show potential for reversing the slowdown in learning that comes with puberty Anyone who's tried to learn a second language knows that the earlier in life you start, the...
Cat-calls are detrimental to everyone
For every woman who is a direct target of sexism, there are others who witness the event and are also affected. The actions of one sexist man affect how female...
A bleak outlook for social science?
Social science is at the centre of every major challenge the world faces, yet faces a tough future, according to a panel of senior academics and politicians speaking in London...
Markets and religion shaped norms of fairness, punishment in complex societies
Members of large-scale, complex human societies have learned to play nice with strangers through the norms that are associated with market participation and world religions, and not solely due to...
Regenerative Medicine Forum Offers "Young Minds" Program
The Regenerative Medicine Foundation is pleased to announce a special "Young Minds" graduate student registration rate for its annual Translational Regenerative Medicine Forum, set for April 6-8 in Winston-Salem.
Breaking the Growth Habit: An Q&A with Bill McKibben
The April issue of Scientific American includes an exclusive excerpt from Bill McKibben's new book, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet , plus an...
Some bullies are just the shy type: New research shows a darker side to social anxiety disorder
When you think of people suffering from social anxiety, you probably characterize them as shy, inhibitive and submissive. However, new research from psychologists Todd Kashdan and Patrick McKnight at George...
Vocalizing Positive Emotions: Socially Learned Or Evolved?
Humans use a wide range of different cues, both verbal and non-verbal, to communicate different emotions. But vocalizing some positive emotions may be a socially learned behavior, as opposed to...
Homework copying can turn As into Cs, Bs into Ds
Copying a few answers from another student`s math or science homework assignment occurs much more frequently than copying during examinations or plagiarism on term papers. It is rarely prosecuted by...
Research reveals that temporary hearing deprivation can lead to 'lazy ear'
Scientists have gained new insight into why a relatively short-term hearing deprivation during childhood may lead to persistent hearing deficits, long after hearing is restored to normal. The research, published...
Good parenting triumphs over prenatal stress
A mother's nurture may provide powerful protection against risks her baby faces in the womb, according to a new article published online today in the journal Biological Psychiatry. The research...
Helpful Dads Can Hurt Mom's Self-Esteem
Moms these days have it tough trying to balance work and family life. But when a do-it-all dad pitches in, the result can be a blow to a woman's self-esteem.
Colorectal cancer in China
The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in China is lower than that in the west countries, but has increased in recent years and become a substantial cancer burden in China,...
Divine intervention? New research looks at beliefs about God's influence in everyday life
Most Americans believe God is concerned with their personal well-being and is directly involved in their personal affairs, according to new research out of the University of Toronto...
Octopuses like high definition TV
Octopuses like to watch high-definition television (HDTV), preferring it over normal standard television, scientists discover.
The Third Life
“The Role of Abathur (the Third Life) in the Mandaean Story of Creation.” Abathur [from Hebrew 'ab father] In the Nazarene or Bardesanian system, the father of the Demiurgus or architect...
Where's My Fusion Reactor?
Scientific American staff editor Michael Moyer talks about his article "Fusion's False Dawn" in the March issue, and editor-in-chief Mariette Dichristina discusses the rest of the issue.
Museums Special Section: The Thrill of Science, Tamed by Agendas
Science museums experiment in their struggle to define themselves.
Paterson Signs Law on Making Health Care Decisions
The law signed by Gov. David A. Paterson ranks spouses and domestic partners first in a hierarchy of surrogates responsible for making life-and-death choices.
Analyzing Effects Of Hoops Ball Hog
Fans will have noticed that when a basketball team's best player sits out for a while the team will sometimes actually do better than when the star is playing. Concepts...
Monkey deaths prompt calls for crackdown
Workers at a Nevada research lab were checking on a primate room when they came across a ghastly sight: Thirty dead monkeys were essentially cooked alive after someone left the...
Achievement gap is deep, even in middle class
(PhysOrg.com) -- Several decades after racial integration legislation was passed, many African-American students still lag behind in school, said Travis Gosa, and the black-white achievement gap, he said, is greatest...
Video Games Help Teens With Cerebral Palsy Regain Hand Function
Indiana and Rutgers researchers have modified Playstation 3 video game systems to help teenagers with cerebral palsy improve their hand functions. In a pilot trial with three participants, the system...
Science in court: DNA's identity crisis
It may be the gold standard of forensic science, but questions are now being raised about DNA identification from ever-smaller human traces. Natasha Gilbert asks how low can you go?
Science in court: The fine print
A single incriminating fingerprint can land someone in jail. But, Laura Spinney finds, there is little empirical basis for such decisions.
US clinic sparks debate with UK human egg raffle
LONDON (AP) -- An American infertility clinic seeking business in Britain has prompted fierce criticism by offering free eggs from a U.S. woman to one participant...