Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Moral evaluations of harm are instant and emotional, brain study shows
People are able to detect, within a split second, if a hurtful action they are witnessing is intentional or accidental, [...]
Father of text messages reflects on 20th anniversary of first SMS message
In a BBC interview via texting, Matti Makkonen discusses the birth and growth of SMS on its twentieth birthday
Asperger's to be dropped from psychiatric manual
Revisions to psychiatry's diagnostic guide drops Asperger's disorder and keeps dyslexia.
Surprising results from study of non-epileptic seizures
A neurologist is reporting surprising results of a study of patients who experience both epileptic and non-epileptic seizures.
Child trauma can leave permanent print on DNA
Abused children are at high risk of anxiety and mood disorders, as traumatic experience induces lasting changes to their gene [...]
Sean Barrett obituary
My friend Sean Barrett, a doctor of quantum physics at Imperial College London, has died aged 36 in a road accident in Perth, Western Australia, where he was due to attend a...
Amnesty International media awards 2013: calling all students
The Observer will be on next year's panel to select the winner of the student human rights reporter prize, won this year by Amy Mackinnon for her article about a Nigerian asylum...
We Won't See Auschwitz by Jérémie Dres – review
Jérémie Dres brings universal appeal to the story of a road trip to discover his own family's Polish-Jewish rootsFollowing the death of his beloved grandmother, Jérémie Dres, a young Parisian illustrator, and his...
How an illegal deal for 80,000 weapons led to the downfall of Britain's 'lord of war'
Gary Hyde was seen as a pillar of his Yorshire community. Now he awaits sentencing over a £6m arms shipmentTo his neighbours in the Yorkshire village of Newton upon Derwent, Gary Hyde,...
Guardian and Observer 2012 Christmas appeal: Basic Needs combats mental illness
Thanks to Basic Needs Ghana, Charles Tagoe has much more than a poultry business: he has a way to rebuild his lifeCharles Tagoe cannot remember exactly how long he has been rearing...
Freed Kosovo war chief pledges: 'I will lead my people once more'
Ramush Haradinaj spent eight years accused of war crimes before acquittal. But a new crisis in the Balkans looms over suspicions of a Belgrade deal to prosecute himThe former prime minister of Kosovo,...
Police 'ignored' fears that Russian mob killed witness who fled to Britain
Alexander Perepilichnyy, who was found dead outside his home, had been a key informant in massive Moscow tax fraudPolice investigating the death of a whistleblower found dead in Surrey were unwilling to believe...
Office party season with One Direction, Barack Obama, Rihanna and the Queen
It's office-party season again. As the year's celebrities gather round the buffet, it looks like it'll be a night to rememberThere's a flurry of activity in the ladies' loos, a choppy sea...
Women bishops: church schools have nothing to do with the synod's vote | the big issue
The new archbishop will find a way of introducing female bishopsBy all means criticise the failure of the General Synod to agree on legislation to enable women to become bishops, but don't...
Adderall, a Drug of Increased Focus for N.F.L. Players
According to N.F.L. figures, there have been 21 suspensions this calendar year because of failed tests for performance-enhancing drugs, including amphetamines like Adderall.
Lorna Byrne: 'I believe in angels' – interview
Irish mystic Lorna Byrne is not alone, it seems. Not only is she in daily contact with the benign supernatural, her faith is shared by a third of Britons. How in the...
Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks – review
Our minds play tricks on us far more often than you might think. In his new volume Oliver Sacks cites a host of vivid examplesAn ageing woman waits calmly on her hospital...
I'm 51, have no children and am feeling depressed and lonely | Mariella Frostrup
Mariella Frostrup gives advice to a lonely, depressed woman who is going through a midlife crisisThe dilemma I am 51 and feel alone and unsettled. Although I have lived in the UK...
5 Questions: Julie Bowen talks about allergies in her own 'Modern Family'
Actress Julie Bowen of "Modern Family" doesn't want other parents to go through what she and her husband did when their toddler experienced a life-threatening allergic reaction that sent him...
Why Women Worry About Retirement
Women may start saving for retirement earlier than men, but that doesn’t mean women feel any more confident about their ability to retire.
Some wish Islam would inform climate talks
DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- At Friday prayers in Qatar's most popular mosque, the imam discussed the civil war in Syria, the unrest in Egypt and the...
Small Employers Weigh Impact of Providing Health Insurance
Businesses like restaurants and hotels that rely heavily on low-income workers are trying to decide how to change their business models for the new health care law.
Load up on geeky science gifts for 2012
What do you give the science geek who knows everything? It's a perennial question this time of year — and a question that we've been answering annually for the past...
Man on Fire
The story of 27-year-old Jamphel Yeshi, a Tibetan who burned himself in protest against Chinese policies in March 2012.
Pictures: After Fiery Protest, a Tibetan Exile Is Honored
Photos show the final moments of a Tibetan exile who self-immolated at a protest rally in March. Warning: This gallery contains graphic images.
Battle of the Sexes: How Women and Men See Things Differently
Men and women differ when it comes to how much of an image they explore and where they focus their attention.
Ronald F. Thiemann dies at 66
Ronald F. Thiemann, Bussey Professor of Theology and former dean of Harvard Divinity School (HDS), died on Nov. 29 at the age of 66. A noted scholar, theologian, teacher, and administrator, Thiemann...
French Scientists Give Government an Earful in 4-Month Listening Tour
National consultation will form basis of new science and higher education law