Latest science news in Psychology & Sociology
Mistakes can explain 'cooperative' behavior
How people behave in economic games, where they can choose to be selfish or cooperative, can be explained more easily by 'mistakes' than wanting others to succeed.
Researcher: Former Bush voters could determine outcome in 2012 presidential elections
(PhysOrg.com) -- President Obama's campaign brought millions of new voters to polls during the 2008 elections, but the decisions of former Bush voters had a substantial effect on the outcome.
Caring for sick pet could benefit your health
Taking care of a sick pet can have a positive effect on the owner's health, new research suggests.
First drug to demonstrate therapeutic effect in a type of autism
Researchers have identified a drug that improves communication between nerve cells in a mouse model of Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS). Behavioral symptoms of PMS fall under the autism spectrum disorder category.
Arsenic in playgrounds nothing to worry about, study suggests
Pressure-treated wooden playground structures do not live up to the bad reputation they have earned as being harmful to children, according to the findings of a new study.
Rhythm Determines Musical Taste Better Than Genre
Listening to music based on the genre it belongs to may lead you away from songs or albums you would actually enjoy, say the authors of a study in the...
Novartis Ordered to Pay $250 Million in Gender Bias Suit
The judgment opens the way for 5,588 women to claim compensatory damages.
Asian audience hates sexy ads
Sex doesn’t always sell, according to a new study – American men and women liked ads with sexual content, but Asian audiences didn’t.
Watching religiously
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new survey of the boom in religious broadcasting in the Middle East reveals how the small screen is becoming an increasingly important battlefield in the struggle for...
Excess salt cancels craving
A new study was expected to find that humans crave salt after they’ve been stressed – but we eat too much salt, so it made no difference.
Signal flurry checks location
New research has discovered a way to send secure messages that can only be read by someone in the right location.
WHO adopts global strategy to combat alcohol abuse
(AP) -- Nations have adopted a global strategy to reduce alcohol abuse, breaking decades of inaction on one of the leading causes of sickness and death.
Video: Girl Asks First Lady About Immigration
During a visit to an elementary school in Maryland, First Lady Michelle Obama faced a tough question from a young girl about immigration and it's impact on her family.
Extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon put on hold
Theresa May agrees adjournment of judicial review to consider whether Gary McKinnon is fit to be extradited to USThe extradition of the computer hacker Gary McKinnon has been put on hold after...
49% of California voters back legalizing pot, poll finds
With 48% opposed, legalization effort faces a difficult challenge, pollster says. ...
Profits may not equal success
Carly Fiorina's business experience is a mixed blessing in political realm.
Poor children more vulnerable to effects of poor sleep
Researchers studying 140 children in third to fifth grades found that elementary-school-age children from poor families are more vulnerable to the effects of poor sleep than their peers. Researchers gathered...
Severity of binge eating disorder linked to childhood sexual or emotional abuse, researchers find
Researchers in Canada have discovered a link between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and binge eating disorder in adulthood.
Scientists Fault U.S. Response in Assessing Gulf Oil Spill
Prominent oceanographers are accusing the government of failing to conduct an adequate analysis of the damage and of allowing BP to obscure the spill’s true scope.
The Skeptical Boys Club
The Worldwide Skeptical MovementTM,1 has found itself in the unenviable position of one of Van Wilder's2 clients, namely asking, "How do we get ladies to come to our events?"3. Fortunately,...
O.C. mother shoots dog after it attacks her 6-year-old daughter
A Lake Forest woman shot a dog after it attacked her children outside their home Wednesday, authorities said.
Of course we love a medical scare. But it's got to ring true | Zoe Williams
Bogus headlines about phones giving you cancer are naff. If we're going to panic let's do it well, and keep disbelief suspendedMobile phones give you brain cancer, and a bacon sandwich a...
Gun buyers with criminal record likely to offend: study
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new UC Davis Health System study finds that handgun buyers, if they have any prior criminal record, go on to commit felonies and violent misdemeanor crimes at...
I Heart Scientists (By Way Of Introduction)
It's been several months since Michael White invited me to blog here at Scientific Blogging. I think the immediate occasion for his invitation was a conversation we had about Douglas...
Minding the Gap: A Medical School Looks at the Divide Between the Sciences and the Humanities
In 1959, noted scientist and novelist C.P. Snow gave the Rede Lecture at the University of Cambridge. His lecture, "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution," called attention to the...
LinkedIn looks to avoid privacy problems
By focusing on professional users, fast-growing LinkedIn expects to avoid the sort of user backlash being experienced by other social-networking services.
Presidents of Mexico, U.S. slam Arizona law on undocumented immigrants
With the president of Mexico at his side, President Obama on Wednesday called for a comprehensive immigration overhaul, and the two leaders lashed out at a new law in Arizona...
Architecture review: Frank Gehry's Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas
In some ways, this new design is a throwback to his studies in incompleteness, but there's a story to be told there. ...