Psychology

Cool Finds

Does That Button Really Work, Or Is It a Placebo?

Fake buttons are more common than you might think

April 21, 2015

New Research

Painkillers Might Also Dull Your Emotions

A study shows Tylenol could affect emotional evaluations, but judging the meaning of that finding is tough

April 15, 2015

Crowds Are Much Smarter Than We Suspected

In a new book, Michael Bond explores a growing body of research that says people in crowds exercise a collective intelligence

April 3, 2015

New Research

Like Tiny Scientists, Babies Learn Best By Focusing on Surprising Objects

Lab tests suggest that infants learn more about the world around them when they encounter and investigate unexpected phenomena

April 2, 2015

New Research

Crossing Your Fingers Could Reduce Pain (No Lie)

Researchers find the spatial arrangement of our digits affects the sensations they feel

March 30, 2015

New Research

Politicians Are More Persuasive During Interactive Town Hall Meetings

When given a chance at direct persuasion, most politicians are surprisingly good at changing our minds

March 16, 2015

Ask Smithsonian: How Do People Get Phobias?

The origins of irrational fears

March 12, 2015

New Research

The Desire to Conform Starts In Toddlers

Apes don’t have this problem — if they know the answer to a puzzle, they’ll do it, regardless of what their friends might think

March 11, 2015

Cool Finds

Our Brains Hate Waiting So We Sped Up Everything Else

Sidewalk rage, road rage and anger at slow-loading web pages are all part of our evolutionary inheritance

March 10, 2015

New Research

Can You Draw the Apple Logo From Memory?

New research shows you probably can’t

March 9, 2015

The Spiritualist Who Warned Lincoln Was Also Booth’s Drinking Buddy

What did Charles Colchester know and when did he know it?

March 2015

Hunger Makes You Buy More Stuff, Even If It’s Not Food

Whether you’re shopping at the mall or online, having the munchies will compel you to purchase extraneous things

February 18, 2015

New Research

Dogs Can Tell Whether You’re Making a Happy or Mad Face

For the first time, science shows that a non-human animal can recognize the emotional state of another species

February 12, 2015

How Long Will You Live? Ask Your Friends

A medical personality quiz started in the 1930s shows how your best pals may know more about your health than you do

February 10, 2015

New Research

Are You Binge-Watching Because You’re Depressed?

A new study found that people who were depressed binge-watched TV more—and used TV binges to deal with negative emotions

January 29, 2015

New Research

Being Politically Correct Can Actually Boost Creativity

In mixed-gender groups, being PC makes everyone more comfortable and lets ideas flow

January 28, 2015

New Research

Ancient Assyrian Soldiers Were Haunted by War, Too

A new study finds evidence of trauma experienced by soldiers returning home from combat over 3,000 years ago

January 26, 2015

New Research

Angry Tweets Help Twitter Detect Heart Disease Risk

New research shows that Twitter can detect not just viruses, but long-term public health problems

January 22, 2015

New Research

Your Spouse’s Personality Can Help You Get Ahead at Work

Tests on married couples reveal that conscientiousness in a spouse is the most helpful trait if you want promotions and success

January 21, 2015

Social Media Is Not Making You a Ball of Stress

But perhaps unsurprisingly, Facebook and Twitter can cause stress to spread when bad things happen to friends and family

January 15, 2015