Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology

Chess960's random setups still favor white, new study reveals

3 hours ago from Physorg

Chess is a relatively simple game to learn but a very difficult one to master. Because the starting positions of the pieces are fixed, top players have relied on memorizing...

Taste buds: From flavor explosions to muted meals—why our taste changes as we age

3 hours ago from Physorg

Ever bitten into a hot pie, yelped "Hothothot!" then had your taste buds go on strike for the next week? Taste buds are a sensitive bunch.

2 moose removed from Calgary suburb after kicking dog in backyard

3 hours ago from CBC: Technology & Science

Two young moose have been removed from the northwest Calgary community of Arbour Lake after a run-in with a dog that resulted in minor injuries for the pet.

Overnight ER closures coming to B.C. hospital due to staffing challenge

3 hours ago from CBC: Health

Mission Memorial Hospital in B.C.'s Fraser Valley is closing its emergency department during overnight hours from from Dec. 29 to Jan. 6 due to staffing challenges.

Inside a B.C. ‘dementia village' that researchers hope could reshape long-term care

3 hours ago from CBC: Health

A Langley, B.C., care facility that blends village life with dementia support is now the focus of a national study examining whether an outdoor, community-style approach can improve quality of...

My 11-year-old son has leukemia. How and when should I talk about it?

3 hours ago from CBC: Health

When Chris Mallinos’s son Theo was diagnosed with leukemia, he was prepared for the physical isolation that would come with avoiding infection during Theo's treatment. However, Mallinos wasn't prepared for...

I spent over a decade obsessed with the gym. I’ve finally let myself stop

3 hours ago from CBC: Health

When Zahra Khozema first started going to the gym in university, it made her feel powerful and beautiful. The guilt and stress came later.

WATCH | #TheMoment a teen golfer became Canada's 1st U.S. Girls' Junior champion

23 weeks ago from

Aphrodite Deng, 15, tells The National about the moment she became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior Golf Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Ontario's proposed landlord drug liability law rattles supportive housing providers

23 weeks ago from

Supportive housing providers say a new Ontario law that would make landlords responsible for preventing certain kinds of drug-related activity in their units could threaten their ability to house those...

Could Magnesium and TikTok's 'Sleepy Girl Mocktail' Actually Help You Sleep?

23 weeks ago from

TikTok’s “sleepy girl mocktails” remind us how important magnesium is for sleep and health

Secret Mathematical Patterns Revealed in Bach's Music

23 weeks ago from

Physicists found that the music of Johann Sebastian Bach contains mathematical patterns that help convey information

Virtual Bar Scenes Are a New Tool to Study Why People Commit Crimes in the Heat of the Moment

23 weeks ago from

Virtual-reality could assist researchers in decoding how emotions spur a decision to commit a crime

Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning

23 weeks ago from

Engaging the fine motor system to produce letters by hand has positive effects on learning and memory

Flimsy Antiabortion Studies Cited in Case to Ban Mifepristone Are Retracted

23 weeks ago from

Outside experts found that two studies cited in a federal case on medication abortion had serious design problems and that their authors had undisclosed conflicts of interest

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds': Jess Bush and Martin Quinn talk feeling comfortable in their characters for Season 3 (exclusive)

23 weeks ago from

'I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible, so that a modern day Scottish person could see themselves in space one day.'

Born this way? Researchers explore the science of gender identity

23 weeks ago from

NEW YORK (Reuters) - While President Donald Trump has thrust transgender people back into the conflict between conservative and liberal values in the United States, geneticists are quietly working on...

Why do some moms have more boys than girls—or vice versa? New study provides clues

23 weeks ago from

At first glance, the sex of your unborn child seems like it should be a coin toss: Most sperm carry either an X or a Y chromosome, giving the baby a roughly...

From bad to worse

23 weeks ago from

Arts & Culture From bad to worse Photo illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer June 23, 2025 6 min read Harvard faculty recommend bios of infamous historical figures Writing...

Reading skills — and struggles — manifest earlier than thought

23 weeks ago from

Science & Tech Reading skills — and struggles — manifest earlier than thought New finding underscores need to intervene before kids start school, say researchers Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer June 23, 2025...

Why are young people taking fewer risks?

23 weeks ago from

Richard Weissbourd directs the Making Caring Common Project at Harvard.Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Health Why are young people taking fewer risks? Psychologist describes generation overparented — but also overwhelmed by ‘frightening world’ Sy...

Got emotional wellness app? It may be doing more harm than good.

23 weeks ago from

Health Got emotional wellness app? It may be doing more harm than good. Julian De Freitas. Photo by Grace DuVal Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer June 25, 2025 8 min read Study...

As reading scores decline, a study primed to help grinds to a halt

23 weeks ago from

Phil Capin, assistant professor of education, saw two research grants cut in May.Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Nation & World As reading scores decline, a study primed to help grinds to a halt Partnership...

As wave of dementia cases looms, Law School looks to preserve elders’ rights

23 weeks ago from

Health As wave of dementia cases looms, Law School looks to preserve elders’ rights Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer July 1, 2025 5 min read Academic experts seek improvements that could protect decision-making...

Can AI be as irrational as we are? (Or even more so?)

23 weeks ago from

Illustration by Judy Blomquist/Harvard Staff Science & Tech Can AI be as irrational as we are? (Or even more so?) Christy DeSmith Harvard Staff Writer July 1, 2025 6 min read Psychologists...

When the falcons come home to roost

23 weeks ago from

Campus & Community When the falcons come home to roost A nest cam has been installed to livestream a pair of peregrine falcons atop the Memorial Hall tower.Photos by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer...

Highly sensitive science

23 weeks ago from

Science & Tech Highly sensitive science Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer July 2, 2025 6 min read David Ginty probes pleasure and pain to shed light on autism,...

Meditation provides calming solace — except when it doesn’t

23 weeks ago from

Health Meditation provides calming solace — except when it doesn’t Researchers find ways to promote altered states of consciousness, reduce risks of distress that affect some Jacob Sweet Harvard Staff Writer July 7,...

Did Jane Austen even care about romance?

23 weeks ago from

Arts & Culture Did Jane Austen even care about romance? Scholars contest novelist’s ‘rom-com’ rep as 250th anniversary ushers in new screen adaptations Eileen O’Grady Harvard Staff Writer July 7, 2025 5 min...