Five Things We’ve Learned About Fear Since Last Halloween
Including why screams get our brain’s attention and why a drop of “love hormone” in our nose could make us less fearful
A look at what’s really going on when we get the creeps
Back to Africa: Ancient Human Genome Reveals Widespread Eurasian Mix
Genes from a 4,500-year-old skeleton from Ethiopia show how migrations shaped modern populations
What’s Beautiful? It Depends on What Your Eyes Have Already Beheld
Opinions about beauty may be shaped just as much by past social interactions as by our genes
What Makes a Fossil a Member of the Human Family Tree?
The surprising new species Homo naledi raises more questions than answers—for now
“Hidden Brain” Podcast Will Make You Think Twice About Your Unconscious Mind
In the new NPR program, correspondent Shankar Vedantam connects rigorous science with people’s everyday experiences
Winning Really Does Taste Sweet, Because Emotions Change Taste Perception
A study of hockey fans sampling ice cream may offer clues to the origins of emotional eating disorders
Scientists Replicated 100 Psychology Studies, and Fewer Than Half Got the Same Results
The massive project shows that reproducibility problems plague even top scientific journals
Want a Satisfying Sex Life? Try Being a Better Parent
Data suggest that splitting childcare duties often produces happier, more sexually satisfied couples
Shootings and Mass Murders Seem to Be Contagious
Data spanning decades shows how high-profile events can cause outbreaks of similar killings that mirror the spread of disease
People Get Seasonal Depression in the Summer, Too
Millions suffer from SAD in summer as well as winter, and evidence hints that birth season plays a role in who develops the disorder
11 Reasons to Love Bacteria, Fungi and Spores
From medicines to jet fuel, we have so many reasons to celebrate the microbes we live with every day
Eight New Things Science Says About Being a Dad
They’re still not very good at cooing to toddlers, and their testosterone levels start to drop even before a baby is born
The Many Ways Baby Talk Gives Infant Brains a Boost
From a higher vocabulary to mastering mouth motion, the lilting babble seems to play a key role in helping babies process language
Investigating the Case of the Earliest Known Murder Victim
A 430,000-year-old skull discovered in a Spanish cave bears evidence of deliberate, lethal blunt force trauma
The Oldest Stone Tools Yet Discovered Are Unearthed in Kenya
3.3 million-year-old artifacts predate the human genus
10 New Things Science Says About Being a Mom
Such as, how much time she spends with her child doesn’t matter as much as we think
DNA Testing Could Identify Litterbugs and Dog Poop Miscreants
Anonymous crimes may not be quite so anonymous anymore
What Does It Feel Like to Be Invisible?
Volunteers in Sweden were tricked into thinking their bodies had vanished, and the “superpower” seemed to ease social fears
Ask Smithsonian: How Do People Get Phobias?
The origins of irrational fears
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