Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Julian Assange back in court to fight for bail
(AP) -- A judge is set to decide whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be freed or remain in prison, as authorities appeal a court's decision to grant him...
Story tips from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory — December 2010
To arrange for an interview with a researcher, please contact the Communications and External Relations staff member identified at the end of each tip. For more information on ORNL and...
Chronic Jet Lag And Memory Issues Linked
Chronic jet lag alters the brain in ways that cause memory and learning problems long after returning to a regular 24-hour schedule, according to research by Berkeley psychologists. Twice a week...
Are good-looking people more employable? Findings vary depending on whether it's a male or female applicant and who's doing the screening
In a new study by researchers in Israel, the resumes of "attractive" males received a 19.9 percent response rate, nearly 50 percent higher than the 13.7 percent response rate for...
Acupuncture changes brain's perception and processing of pain
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have captured pictures of the brain while patients experienced a pain stimulus with and without acupuncture to determine acupuncture's effect on how the...
Motivation to end racism relies on 'yes we can' approach
If you're trying to end racism, it's not enough to get people to understand that racism is still a problem. You also have to make them feel like they can...
Apes unwilling to gamble when odds are uncertain
Humans are known to play it safe in a situation when they aren't sure of the odds, or don't have confidence in their judgements. We don't like to choose the...
New Rules on Vitamin D and Calcium: Most People Get Enough
Contrary to some earlier findings, most Americans and Canadians are getting enough vitamin D and calcium.
Strange Quarks Episode 4: Martin Poulter on Scientology
Episode four of Strange Quarks is out! Martin Poulter talks about the secret world of Scientology, while Kylie Sturgess asks why it is that women are more likely to believe...
Feature: New insights into the autistic brain
Dr Braidotti writes about a new form of hope for autism – using ‘biomarkers’ to diagnose autistic behaviour via biological ways.
IGF1 Gel May Reduce Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is a condition that causes deafness in 40,000 Americans each year, usually in early middle-age. A new treatment has been developed SSHL, say researchers writing in...
Ten questions science must answer
For 350 years, the Royal Society has called on the world's biggest brains to unravel the mysteries of science. Its president, Martin Rees, considers today's big issues, while leading thinkers describe the puzzles...
Japan's banking crisis led to 20 years of stagnation. Is there a lesson there for us?
To see what Britain's economy might look at in the years ahead, just look at what happened to JapanI went to Japan looking for economic apocalypse, and a clue to the possible...
People's Pharmacy: Chocolate coating on almonds can counteract effect on heartburn
I read with interest that eating three almonds before or after a meal could help with heartburn. Do you see any problem with the almonds being chocolate-covered?
Toilet-cleaning karma pays off for yoga buffs
A growing number of yoga students in Calgary are paying for classes with their sweat through the phenomenon of karma cleaning.
Evolutionary psychology: Why daughters don't call their dads
Psychologists look at connection between women reproductive cycle and interaction with male kin.
An Odyssey Through the Brain, Illuminated by a Rainbow
A glossy new art book, “Portraits of the Mind,” hopes to draw the general reader into neuroscience with the sheer beauty of its images.
Hormone oxytocin bolsters childhood memories of mom's affections
Researchers have found that the naturally-occurring hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin intensifies men's memories of their mother's affections during childhood. The study was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy...
Look beyond tax hikes to fund medicare: study
It's time to think beyond the proverbial let's-raise-income-taxes box and consider a combination of other strategies for filling health-care coffers, a group of Ontario doctors and academics say.
Well: Narcissism No Longer a Psychiatric Disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and the need for constant attention, has been eliminated from the latest manual of mental disorders.
Evolutionary psychology: Why daughters don’t call their dads
CORAL GABLES, FL (December 7, 2010) -- Previous research has shown that when women are in their most fertile phase they become more attracted to certain qualities such as...
Study: Avoidance, poor coping challenge prisoners returning to society
How do individuals often cope with reentry from prison to society? Too frequently with avoidance, says Lindsay Phillips, assistant professor of psychology at Albright College in Reading, Pa. and...
Vital Signs: Aging: Unsteady on Your Feet? Try Moving to Music
A music and exercise program lowered the risk of falling in elderly participants, a study found.
Wordplay: Numberplay: Scrambled Controls
A set of puzzles where a goal has to be achieved blindly and in spite of random perturbations.
Your Brain on Magic
How magic tricks hack your neural wiring. Magicians dazzle us by exploiting loopholes in the brain's circuitry for perceiving the world and paying attention.
Writing Exercise Helps Women Narrow Gender Gap in Science
A writing exercise helped female students narrow the academic gender gap on tests in an introductory physics course.
Whatever happened to the Pan-African University?
The African Union is determined to push ahead with plans for a Pan-African University, despite disputes over several of its five hubs.
President Obama Wants Review of Human Medical Experiments
A medical atrocity of the past spurs President Obama to order a bioethics investigation