Social Sciences
The social sciences study cultural artifacts, innovations, language and behaviors to discover how humans relate to each other and to society
The Carbon Dioxide in a Crowded Room Can Make You Dumber
A new experiment shows that the collective carbon dioxide exhaled by people around you might cause you to think more slowly
October 22, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Men Chasing Cat Stumble Upon 2,000-Year-Old Roman Treasures
A 2,000-year old burial chamber was discovered with the help of a cat
October 19, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
A New Leap Forward for Radiocarbon Dating
Sediments and ancient leaves recovered from the bottom of a Japanese lake will help scientists around the world more precisely date ancient objects
October 18, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Marshmallow Test Gets More Complicated
A new study finds that in a study of self control, the perception of trustworthiness matters
October 15, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
100-Million-Year-Old Spider Caught in the Act of Pouncing on Its Prey
A rare fossil captured a 100-million-year-old moment in time, a spider attacking an insect trapped in its web
October 15, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Do We Really Pick Our Friends Based On Genetic Similarities?
A new study debunks the idea that friendships are influenced by shared genes
October 09, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Archaeologists Uncover Massive Stone Age Complex in Scotland
A 5,000-year old temple complex may have been the centre of Stone Age British culture
October 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Maya Holy Snake Queen’s Tomb Unearthed in Guatemala
Glyphs carved into a ceramic jar indicate that scientists found the burial chamber of Lady K'abel, a seventh-century Maya Holy Snake Lord who is considered one of the great queens of Classic Maya civilization
October 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Are These Two Toes the World’s First Prostheses?
This is probably the world's first prosthetic—a wooden toe that dates back to before 600 BC
October 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
How Often Do Scientists Commit Fraud?
The evidence says scientists are pretty honest. New techniques could make it easier for scientific fabricators to be caught
October 01, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Why Power Corrupts
New research digs deeper into the social science behind why power brings out the best in some people and the worst in others
October 2012 |
By Christopher Shea
Fossil Finding Goes High Tech
A new high tech approach to digging in the dirt is helping paleontologists dig smarter: artificial intelligence
September 28, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Carved From Meteorite, This Thousand-Year-Old Statue Was Taken From Tibet by the Nazi SS
Crafted from a meteorite fragment, Nazis may have taken this early Tibetan relic because it displayed a swastika
September 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Looters Are Selling Artifacts to Fund War in Syria
War zones are dangerous places, for both people and cultural heritage
September 26, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Who Needs a Boss When You Have Your Co-Workers?
In a new book, Steven Johnson encourages us to lose top-down hierarchies, typical of companies, and instead organize around peer networks
September 25, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Are Scientists Sexist? New Study Identifies a Gender Bias
A new study indicates that the gatekeepers of science, whether male or female, are less likely to hire female applicants to work in labs
September 24, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Is Your Vote Affected By Your Home Team’s Wins and Losses?
A new study indicates that having a winning sports team may make us more likely to reelect an incumbent politician
September 21, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Honey Was the Wonder Food That Fueled Human Evolution (And Now It’s Disappearing)
Energy-rich honey could have been the food that let humans get so brainy
September 20, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Stockings Series, Part 3: Ads from the Archives, 1890-1939
For decades, Ivory sold itself as the suds that made legwear last longer
September 18, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Top Harvard Scholar Discovers 4th-Century Text Fragment That Suggests Jesus Was Married
Researcher Karen King announced today the stunning discovery that could is sure to send shock waves through the Christian world
September 18, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
