Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Seeking seat of consciousness in dark side of brain
Most of the brain's energy is used, not in 'thinking,' but in 'not thinking.' In part 3 of Inside Your Brain, CBC's Kelly Crowe learns that the idle brain might...
Safety Survey Reveals Lab Risks
Scientists may have a false sense of security about the safety of their laboratories, according to early results from the first international survey of researchers’ workplace attitudes and practices. [More]
Electrical Current Can Unlock The Seriously Good Drugs In Your Brain
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation JanneM via FlickrOr, how to get high on electrodes. Trying to get high but don't want to go through the hassle of conducting monetary transactions with some friend of...
Babies Pick Up On Language Before They're Even Born
Baby Diving Wikimedia CommonsA new study shows how newborns can tell the difference between their native language and a foreign one. Research suggests we pick up on the nuts and bolts of...
New method for uncovering side effects before a drug hits the market
Side effects are a major reason that drugs are taken off the market and a major reason why patients stop taking their medications, but scientists are now reporting the development...
Bisexual men on the 'down low' run risk for poor mental health
Bisexual men are less likely to disclose their sexual orientation than gay men. In the first study to look at the mental health of this population, researchers found that greater...
People Like Science, Says The New York Times
Leaping Into The Unknown BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner plummets toward Earth in a spacesuit during a test skydive. The grand attempt will be a jump from 120,000 feet. Jay Nemeth/Red...
Neil Armstrong Planned 'Small Step For Man' Line Months Before The Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong During Apollo 11 NASA/via WikimediaAnd that infamously missing "a" was supposed to be there. Neil Armstrong always maintained that he'd thought up possibly the most famous line in American history just...
Write on the button: the grammar of interactivity
Deciding what text to put on an interactive button can be difficult, not least because of the unusual questions of grammar that arise. Here, we propose the 'Would you like to? /...
In the News
Is the Cure for Cancer Inside You? “In the long struggle that was to come, [Ralph] Steinman would try anything and everything that might extend his life, but he...
Brian Youngs obituary
My friend Brian Youngs, who has died at the age of 88, made it his mission to develop the scientific foundations of naturopathic medicine. He was a founder member and, for some...
He wrote the book of love
Love is hard, and Edison Miyawaki knows it. He wrote the book on it. The insomniac neurologist, who practices at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and teaches at Harvard Medical School, stayed awake...
The Seven Best Cities to Find a Job
Employees looking for new jobs may want to consider heading west in the new year, research shows.
India rejects claims it exported fake medicine to Africa
Delhi denial follows claims a third of anti-malarial drugs in Uganda and Tanzania could be counterfeit or substandardIndia has denied claims that it has exported large quantities of counterfeit medication to Africa, after...
Can your phone double up as your life-coach?
(Phys.org)—Researchers are developing a smartphone platform that enables careful monitoring of lifestyle to pinpoint and help avert triggers for stress and negative emotion.
Fructose may spur overeating, brain scans suggest
Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the North American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating.
Making New Year's resolutions work
It's coming up to that time of year again when people start making their New Year's resolutions, with promises to stop smoking or lose weight, and roping in their families...
5 easy-ish weight-loss tips for 2013
Looking for some ways to lose weight this coming year? Check out these expert tips on how to help yourself get there.
Tip over injuries continue to increase in children
Nearly 13,000 children are injured each year in the U.S. from televisions tipping over, with a child dying every three [...]
Why should academics get involved in outreach?
More and more researchers are involving themselves in outreach work and scientific communication projects. Here's some reasons the rest might want to consider getting involved.Given my pretty hefty catalogue of outreach projects it...
Safed Journal: New Insights on Marijuana in Israel, Where It’s Illegal
Tikkun Olam, a government-approved farm where new strains of cannabis are being developed, is at the center of the debate in Israel on the legality, benefits and risks of medical...
Science and reality: about those resolutions … | Editorial
What if our notions of willpower and self-determination are mistaken and humans are a future virtual reality experiment?This is the time of year for willpower; for vows to eat less, exercise more and...
When Science Goes To Pot
Disclaimer: I have never smoked pot. Not interested. But, I have been very interested in the decades-old debate about it. On one side you have people who claim it as...
A stopwatch on the brain's perception of time
Research by neuro-physiologists shows that our emotions affect our awareness of the passing of timeOur perception of time changes with age, but it also depends on our emotional state. Research is steadily improving...
Vital Signs: Patterns: Motor Skills May Predict Success in School
Researchers in Finland say that poor motor skills may be a factor in predicting poor academic performance in adolescence.
Science Topics Find an Audience in Social Media
In surprising numbers, people posted, viewed and searched for science-related topics in 2012, embracing the ability to communicate with others about global subjects in real time.
Observatory: Birds Found to Have Emotional Reactions to Song
Female white-throated sparrows were found to respond to the songs of male sparrows in the same way as humans listening to pleasant music.
Studying Seemingly Immortal Lichens, in a Place for the Dead
Anne Pringle, a Harvard mycologist, believes that lichens growing on a grave marker may help determine if immortality is biologically possible.