Hot Springs Help Japan’s Snow Monkeys Cope With The Cold
Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, have been enjoying regular baths in the hot spring at Jigokudani in Japan for decades – and have…
Behavioral Science
MIT Neuroscientists Identify Neurons Responsible for Routine Habits
Our daily lives include hundreds of routine habits. Brushing our teeth, driving to work, or putting away the dishes are just a few of the…
Study Shows Chimps and Infants Want to Punish Antisocial Behavior
Living together in communities requires mutual cooperation. To achieve this, we punish others when they are uncooperative. Until now, it has been unclear as to…
Neurologists Map Brain Lesions for Clues to Criminal Behavior
New research examining brain lesions in individuals with a history of criminal behavior found a common link to a network involved in moral decision-making. The…
Researchers Shed Light on the Nature of Risk Preferences
People differ in their willingness to take risks. An individual’s propensity for risk taking can also vary across domains. But new research conducted at the…
Biologists Show Food Odor Enhances Male Flies’ Attractiveness
“A way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.” New research shows that this popular saying isn’t only true for humans. In the vinegar fly…
Shrews Reduce the Size of Their Organs in the Winter
New research shows that tiny mammals reduce the size of their organs in the winter and can even decrease and rebuild bones. During winter, the…
Study Shows Why Adolescents Are More Likely Than Adults to Engage in Risky and Impulsive Behavior
New research from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development shows that adolescents are more likely to ignore information that could prompt them to rethink…
New Yale Study Reveals That Gun Violence is a ‘Contagious’ Social Epidemic
New research from Yale University reveals how gun violence spreads over social networks through a process of social contagion. Gun violence is often described as…
Yale Study Shows Risk Avoidance in Older Adults is Related to Brain Anatomy, Not Age
New research from Yale University and NYU reveals that older adults are less inclined to take risks due to changes in brain anatomy rather than…
New Study Shows Individual Lifespans Are Becoming More Similar
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research have discovered a novel regularity for vastly different human societies and epochs. On average, as lives…
Children of Older Mothers Are Healthier, Taller and Obtain More Education
New research shows that the benefits associated with being born in a later year outweigh the biological risks associated with being born to an older…
Yale Researchers Show Parents Underestimate Their Children’s Weight
A new study form Yale University details how some parents underestimate their children’s weight, a misperception with important implications for clinical prevention and treatment of…
Is There a Guide to Long Life? Scientists Examine Life Expectancy Disparities between Population Groups
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute examine why life expectancy disparities between population groups have been increasing and see if there is a guide to…
Neuroscientists Reveal Neuron-Firing Patterns That Underlie Time Measurement
In a newly published study, neuroscientists from MIT and Columbia University reveal how neurons in one part of the brain measure time intervals and accurately…
Free Mate Choice Enhances Reproductive Success
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute show that behavioral compatibility plays an important role in mate choice in zebra finches. Zebra finches allowed to breed…
New Research Shows Having Kids Later is Associated with Higher Satisfaction Levels
A newly published study from the Max Planck Institute reveals that the satisfaction levels of parents depend not only on the number of children they…
Chimpanzees Plan Their Breakfast Time, Type and Location to Acquire Sufficient Food Intake
New research from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology shows that wild chimpanzees plan their breakfast time, type and location when food supplies are…