The Hype Machine: Why Social Media Has Changed the World — And How to Fix It
MIT Professor Sinan Aral’s new book, “The Hype Machine,” explores the perils and promise of social media in a time of discord. Are you on…
Behavioral Science
Cognitive Decline in Aging Pet Dogs Not Impacted by Diet or Prior Training
New study has developed robust tests to measure behavior and cognition in aged pet dogs and suggests need for further research into links between aging,…
Why Pandemics and Epidemics – Such As COVID-19 – Can Exacerbate Racism and Xenophobia
When viruses, parasites, and other pathogens spread, humans and other animals tend to hunker down with immediate family and peer groups to avoid outsiders as…
Why Flat-Faced Dogs, Like Pugs and Bulldogs, Remain Popular Despite Substantial Health Risks
Owners of bulldogs, French bulldogs and pugs are highly likely to want to own their breed again in the future, and to recommend their breed…
Why Time Sometimes Flies or Drags: How the Brain Creates the Experience of Time
Time-sensitive neurons fatigue and skew our perception of time. On some days, time flies by, while on others it seems to drag on. A new…
New National Poll: Loneliness Doubled Among Older Adults in First Months of COVID-19
Lack of social interaction or companionship is more common among those with health issues, but neighbors, healthy habits and technology may help. Staying close to…
Unconscious Learning Underlies Belief in God – Stronger Beliefs in People Who Can Unconsciously Predict Complex Patterns
Individuals who can unconsciously predict complex patterns, an ability called implicit pattern learning, are likely to hold stronger beliefs that there is a god who…
Common Pain Reliever – Acetaminophen – Makes Risky Moves Seem Less Dangerous
In study, acetaminophen alters perceptions of risk. While acetaminophen is helping you deal with your headache, it may also be making you more willing to…
Cliodynamics: Russian Scientists Predicted Increased Unrest in the United States Back in 2010
How Cliodynamics Can Chart Social Dynamics Beginning in May 2020, after George Floyd, a Black American man, died in police custody, ‘Black Lives Matter’ demonstrations…
Is Consciousness Continuous or Discrete? Scientists Think It’s Both
Two major theories have fueled a now 1,500 year-long debate started by Saint Augustine: Is consciousness continuous, where we are conscious at each single point…
New Research Shows Nice Guys Don’t Finish Last and Being a Selfish Jerk Doesn’t Get You Ahead
Two 14-year longitudinal studies found that selfish, combative, manipulative people are not more likely to achieve power in the workplace than are nice people. The…
First Daily Surveillance of Emerging COVID-19 Hotspots in the United States
Hotspots have trended towards smaller but more numerous clusters since the pandemic started. Over the course of the coronavirus epidemic, COVID-19 outbreaks have hit communities…
Changing Landscapes, Changing Diets: Fossilized Teeth Reveal Dietary Shifts in Ancient Herbivores and Hominins
A new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences documents dietary shifts in herbivores that lived between 1-3…
Body-Swapping Experiment Shows How “Swapping Bodies” With a Friend Changes Our Sense of Self
Our sense of who we are is thought to be influenced by things like our childhood experiences, our interactions with others, and now, researchers say,…
Clubs Closed During COVID-19 Pandemic? Partygoers Turn to Virtual Raves and Happy Hours
Social distancing during COVID-19 creates new contexts for drug use. People have traded in nightclubs and dance festivals for virtual raves and Zoom happy hours…
Why We Distort Probability: Scientists Identify Cognitive Limitations That Can Lead to Disastrous Decisions
A team of scientists has concluded that our cognitive limitations lead to probability distortions and to subsequent errors in decision-making. The chances of a commercial…
Scientists Built a Simulated Sea Slug – It Quickly Became Addicted to an Intoxicating Drug
Scientists built a computer model of a simple brain network based on that of a sea slug, taught it how to get food, gave it…
When Racism and Sexism Benefit Black and Female Politicians
When It Comes to Supporting Candidates, Ideology Trumps Race and Gender Prejudiced people will still vote for Black and female politicians, as long as ideologies…