Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Text donations for Haiti a big success
Donations texted by mobile phones to charities working in Haiti likely represent a "watershed" moment in fundraising, according to a charity spokesman - although it isn't without glitches.
Fair weather friends | Michael Fish
Long term forecasting is a science in its infancy. The BBC should stick with Met Office expertiseIt's open season, it seems, on the Met Office. The BBC is reported to be weighing...
News Analysis: In Recall, a Role Model Stumbles
Johnson & Johnson, historically adept at crisis management, lost its footing last week over a recall of several hundred batches of popular medicines, including Tylenol.
Are your friends making you fat?
How can someone you'll never know make you fatter, happier and even sexier? Simon Garfield meets the Harvard professor exploring the amazing power of social connectionsA couple of months ago, about 80 people...
Mental health is a luxury for the uninsured
An unemployed Nevada resident is forced to seek treatment at a crowded state facility. But a sensitive and understanding nurse named Jeff makes the visits worthwhile. When I get anxious, I call Jeff....
How to stay healthy during old age: Keep moving
Physical activity is the No. 1 preventive-care tip for seniors. ...
Dr. Jeffry Life believes he's the picture of health
He's that graying senior with the chiseled physique in those print ads. He shares his health regimen. ...
How music 'moves' us: Listeners' brains second-guess the composer
Have you ever accidentally pulled your headphone socket out while listening to music? What happens when the music stops? Psychologists believe that our brains continuously predict what is going to...
Roundtable discussion highlights vital role for palliative care in health-care reform
New Rochelle, NY, January 15, 2010 -- Opinion leaders in the field of palliative medicine explored the unparalleled opportunities that now exist for the palliative care community, which matches...
Scientists Suit Up For Spaceflight Training
A group of 13 scientists hoping to perform experiments on suborbital spaceships took a dizzying spin in a centrifuge this week in the first-ever commercial training session targeted at civilian...
What Parents Don't Teach You, Siblings Will
What we learn from our siblings when we grow up has a considerable influence on our social and emotional development as adults, according to researchers from the the University of...
The best scientific advice on drugs | David Nutt
Our new advisory committee is not a rival to the government's, but I believe that scientific advice must be independent of politicsAfter the politics of recent months, it was great to go...
Does Google Deserve the Kudos?
Despite Early Praise, Questions About Motives in China Flap Linger
Bible Possibly Written Centuries Earlier, Text Suggests
The Bible may have been written earlier than thought, newfound ancient Hebrew writing suggests.
Surrey couple challenge shaken baby allegation
A Surrey B.C. couple accused of shaking their baby girl are taking their case to court to try to prove she has a medical disorder, in an attempt regain custody...
How defence scientists hope to save the UK's juniper bushes
Defence scientists at Porton Down in Wiltshire aim to save juniper bushes from extinction.
Teenage Fathers Often Born to Teenage Fathers, Study Finds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sons of adolescent fathers are nearly twice as likely to perpetuate the cycle of young parenthood and become teenage dads themselves, a new study by the Yale School...
Status of face-covering veils Muslim around Europe
FRANCE: After passing 2004 law banning Muslim headscarves and other "ostentatious" religious symbols from classrooms, France's government submitted a draft law this week on a ban on face-covering veils. The...
Columbia prof says Prop 8 adds to gay health woes
(AP) -- A Columbia University social scientist says California's voter-enacted ban on same-sex marriages contributed to the social stigma that makes gay men and lesbians more susceptible to depression,...
Reviewing The Review Of Sowell's "Intellectuals And Society"
It's interesting that in reading this review the first thing one is struck by is that Sowell is guilty of the very thing he's railing against. Setting himself up as...
Animal behavioral studies can mimic human behavior
NEW YORK (Jan. 14, 2010) -- Studying animals in behavioral experiments has been a cornerstone of psychological research, but whether the observations are relevant for human behavior has been unclear.
Wives of deployed soldiers suffer more depression, sleep disorders
(PhysOrg.com) -- Wives of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other mental health conditions than women whose husbands...
Newborns nurse long-term memories of smells
Odors babies encounter while breast-feeding remain favorites as toddlers
Activists Slam Testing That Buried Pigs
Scientists Say Snow Experiment Designed to Save Lives of Avalanche Victims
Study finds consumer behavior and lifestyle traits influence foreclosure rates (w/ Video)
A homeowner's station in life and personal spending beliefs and habits are important indicators of the borrower's potential for home-mortgage default, say researchers in the University of Alabama at Birmingham...
Airport Security Unlikely to Spot Hard-to-Find Weapons
New research shows that when people think something will be difficult to find, they don't look as hard as when they think they're likely to see what they're searching for.
Doctor and Patient: Do You Have the ‘Right Stuff’ to Be a Doctor?
Traits like extraversion and conscientiousness might be better predictors of who makes a good doctor than a high score on a standardized test.
Nikola Tesla Achieves Belated WSJ Fame, via David Bowie
Thank you, Wall Street Journal, for finding the Venn segment where David Bowie, Nikola Tesla and faux-woodcut portraits overlap. It's taken from a story in today's Journal documenting the...