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Psychology

Science can help you avoid a holiday gift faux pas.

How to Give the Best Gifts, According to Science

Researchers are unwrapping the science behind gift giving, from the value of simplicity to the quality of the bow on top

New Research

Teachers Can Control Who the Cool Kids Are

Children nestled in the center of the classroom are deemed the coolest

Cool Finds

Dreams Are Slow-Motion

Lucid dreamers are offering insight into the sleeping mind

Who is this random guy? It's John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

New Research

Soon Enough No One Will Remember Bill Clinton

People mostly remember first and recent US presidents, forgetting almost all the ones that came between

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends … "

Shopping on Black Friday Makes You Feel Like a Well-Loved Warrior

A powerful cocktail of social bonding and competitive adventure will compel more than 95 million people to hit the stores on one day

A scanning electron micrograph of Escherichia coli, one of the most common species of gut bacteria.

New Research

More Evidence That There’s a Connection Between a Person’s Gut Bacteria And Brain

Bacteria can affect your brain, but it’s still too early to do much with the information

Trending Today

Even Climate Scientists Are Getting Depressed by Our Lack of Progress

Anxiety about the changing environment isn’t just affecting you and professionals are working to understand it

New Research

Your Reaction to “Gross” Pictures Can Betray Your Political Beliefs

Liberal and conservative brains show different activity patterns when they look at pictures of things typically thought of as disgusting

New Research

A Couple’s First Two Kids Make Them Briefly Happier; the Third Not So Much

Older couples get the most joy from their new addition to the family, teens the least

New Research

This Headline Is Trying to Manipulate You, And It’s Working

Bad headlines stick with you, even if you read the story

New Research

Do You Make Better Decisions When Hungry?

Results from tests on university students contradict the notion that hunger makes you impulsive, instead it might make you intuitive

New Research

Many of the Same Brain Regions Are Activated When Mothers Look at Their Pets or Their Children

It seems that maternal attachment does not discriminate between species

New Research

Why Eye Contact Makes You Squirm

Catching someone else’s eye makes us more self conscious about our bodies

Cool Finds

People Get Separation Anxiety When Parted From Their Phones

Separating college students from their smartphones can cause anxiety, especially for those who use their phones a lot

New Research

Americans See Scientists As Smart, But Not Trustworthy

Scientists, along with lawyers and engineers, are viewed as competent but lacking in warmth

New Research

Dreams Escalate in Weirdness As the Night Wears On

Early in the night our dreams are grounded in reality, but by the end, anything goes

As soon as Wonder Woman appeared in Sensation Comics, beginning with her cover debut in 1942, she caused a stir. "Wonder Woman is not sufficiently dressed," one bishop groused.

The Surprising Origin Story of Wonder Woman

The history of the comic-book superhero’s creation seven decades ago has been hidden away—until now

Cool Finds

This Website Wants to Make Your Major Life Decisions for You

The site could help people who just want their decisions validated or who honestly have no idea what to do with themselves

New Research

Dog Movies Create Ten-Year Spikes in Breeds’ Popularity

“Lassie” alone led to a 40 percent increase in the number of border collies that families adopted

New Research

When We’re Lonely, Inanimate Faces Come Alive

Our minds are less particular about the source of comfort when we are craving contact with others

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