Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Anti-doping expert warns cheating athletes
Professor David Cowan, Director of the Drug Control Center at Kings College London, has warned athletes who take prohibited performance-enhancing substances that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will...
Pressure for positive results puts science under threat, study shows
Scientific research may be in decline across the globe because of growing pressures to report only positive results, new analysis suggests.
Researcher launches teen contraceptive website
In an attempt to provide a reliable and trustworthy source for reproductive health information for teenagers, one physician-researcher has launched the website Ask A Doc RI.
U.S. public may not be aware of important uncertainties about drug benefits and harms
Many U.S. adults believe that only extremely effective drugs without serious adverse effects are approved, but providing explanations to patients highlighting uncertainties about drug benefits may affect their choices, according...
Student loan default rates jump
The number of borrowers defaulting on federal student loans has jumped sharply, the latest indication that rising college tuition costs, low graduation rates and poor job prospects are getting more...
Honoring a tireless advocate
Clara Goldberg Schiffer took adversity in stride. When she was in her 70s, the Radcliffe alumna altered her diet and joined a gym after learning she had heart disease. She was determined...
Raising a child doesn’t take a village
It doesn’t take a village to raise a child after all, according to University of Michigan research. “In the African villages that I study in Mali, children fare as well...
Calling All Parents: Eat Your Rutabagas!
If parents load their own plates with leafy greens, juicy fruits, and colorful veggies, their children just may do the same.
A deep male voice helps women remember
Men take note: If you want women to remember, speak to them in a low pitch voice. Then, they may rate you as a potential mate. That's according to a...
Well Blog: Is SpongeBob SquarePants Bad for Children?
Researchers report that 4-year-olds who had just watched the fast-paced fantasy cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants" before school or before doing their homework did worse on tests of attention and problem-solving than...
Well Blog: Understanding a Child's Nap Time
Napping in children actually is a complex behavior, a mix of individual biology, including neurologic and hormonal development, cultural expectations and family dynamics.
Genetic clues to what really caused Black Death
The Black Death arrived in London in the fall of 1348, and although the worst passed in less than a year, the disease took a catastrophic toll. An emergency cemetery...
Manipulative mothers subdue show-off sons
The gaudy plumage and acrobatic displays of birds of paradise are a striking example of sexual selection, Charles Darwin's second great theory of evolution. But new research shows that this...
Cases: For Many Older Gays and Lesbians, Isolation Is a Problem
A geriatrician reflects on the challenges facing the aging generation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who are often more isolated than their heterosexual peers.
What makes AA work?
Among the many ways that participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) helps its members stay sober, two appear to be most important — spending more time with individuals who support efforts toward sobriety and...
London Olympics athletes given anti-doping warning by scientists
2012 Games will be 'riskiest yet' for athletes using illegal methods to enhance performanceAthletes who store their own blood and then inject it back into their bodies for an artificial boost ahead of...
Dr. Tu Youyou, Antimalarial Drug Pioneer, Earns Lasker Honor
An 81-year-old Chinese scientist, who helped turn an herbal medicine into a widely used antimalarial drug, is among this year’s winners of the Lasker Awards.
News in Brief: Humans
Footprinting crime scenes, wine refueling stations for King Tut and more in this week’s news
Exposure to white-light LEDs appears to suppress body's production of melatonin, research suggests
Exposure to the light of white LED bulbs appears to suppress melatonin five times more than exposure to the light of High Pressure Sodium bulbs that give off an orange-yellow...
Peace of Mind: Near-Death Experiences Now Found to Have Scientific Explanations
Near-death experiences are often thought of as mystical phenomena, but research is now revealing scientific explanations for virtually all of their common features. The details of what happens in near-death...
VIDEO: Science festival shows off eco-building
As the British Science Festival begins, its host, the University of Bradford shows off its new, green, student housing development
Steelers commit 7 turnovers in 35-7 loss to Ravens
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers had just absorbed a 35-7 beating at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, and Mike Tomlin knew his players were...
Remembering the unforgettable, America gathers
At churches, we prayed. At fire stations, we laid wreaths. At football stadiums, hands and baseball caps over hearts, we lifted our voices in song and familiar chants of "USA!"...
New devices like motorcycle ambulances help poor
LONDON (AP) -- A bit of creativity never hurts, especially when it comes to solving health problems in developing countries....
People Who Volunteer Live Longer, Study Suggests
People who volunteer because of their altruistic values or desire for social connections live longer than people who don't volunteer, a new study shows.
Keeping tabs on Skynet
(PhysOrg.com) -- In line with the predictions of science fiction, computers are getting smarter. Now, scientists are on the way to devising a test to ascertain how close Artificial Intelligence...
Six months into Japan's cleanup, radiation a major worry
The scars of Japan's March 11th disaster are both glaringly evident and deceptively hidden, Craig Dale writes.
Untangling the Web Life Stages
Is the Web struggling with a mid-life crisis or in an adolescent strop?This Sunday's Untangling the Web column calculates the psycho-social age of the 21-year old Web. How has it matured since it...