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Psychology

New Research

Losing Weight Makes People Healthy—But Not Necessarily Happy

The relationship between losing weight and being happy is not at all straightforward

New Research

This Mathematical Equation Predicts Momentary Happiness

Keeping your expectations low, it seems, is key to achieving fleeting satisfaction

New Research

Suicide Risk Could Soon Be Predicted Through a Blood Test

Elevated levels of stress-related chemicals in the body seem to correlate with suicide

New Research

If You’re Feeling Stressed After Work, Skip the TV

People who arrived home stressed and then watched TV or played video games wound up feeling guilty about those activities

New Research

Researchers Crack the Code of First Impressions

Mathematics identifies the subtle facial features that influence how we judge others

A baby chimp in the 1950s

Cool Finds

This Guy Simultaneously Raised a Chimp and a Baby in Exactly the Same Way to See What Would Happen

When treated as a human, the baby chimp acted like one—until her physiology and development held her back

New Research

Schadenfreude is a Childish Emotion

Even two-year-olds find the twisted joy in others’ pain

New Research

Your Dog Might Be Jealous

How much is that green-eyed doggy in the window?

New Research

Playing Outside Enhances Kids’ Love of Nature and Animals

Exposure to the great outdoors could also influence kids’ ideas about the importance of conservation

New Research

Science Proves That Kids’ Eyes Really Are Bigger Than Their Stomachs

Adults around the world uniformly clean their plates at dinner time, but not kids

Children were asked to rate how cute they found each of the images to be.

New Research

Even Toddlers Recognize the Superior Cuteness of Puppies and Kittens

Our notion of cuteness might be hardwired rather than learned

New Research

These Psychologists Think We’d Be Happier If We Talked to Strangers More

Though you should definitely take this on a case-by-case basis.

New Research

No Matter How Much You Practice, If You Don’t Have Natural Talent You Still Might Never Be the Best, Some Experts Think

Yet other researchers think that different factors, such as the quality and timing of practice, matter most

Cool Finds

A Quarter of Americans Are Stressed Out—And That’s Probably a Massive Underestimate

Health, family and monetary problems are top causes of stress, as are raising a teenager or being a single parent

Patients at an internet addiction boot camp in Guangzhou practice gardening.

Cool Finds

China Now Has Up to 250 Boot Camps to Cure Teens of Internet Addiction

One of these facilities recently opened in the US, too

Cool Finds

British Airways’ New Blankets Pick Up On and Display Your Anxiety

The blankets are only in the experimental phase right now, however

New Research

Here’s How You Should Actually Go About Comforting a Depressed Friend

Optimism and well-wishes are not necessarily the best way to show a suffering friend that you care

A file photo of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg from November 2010.

Trending Today

Facebook’s Mood-Manipulation Study Wasn’t Nice But It Also Wasn’t Very Good Science

Facebook tried to deliberately change the moods of some of its users

New Research

The Experience of Almost Dying Is Surprisingly Calm

People who have had near-death experiences report that they are quite peaceful.

New Research

Morning People May Act Less Ethically at Night

Early birds become less ethical late at night, and night owls are more likely to be dishonest early in the morning, a study shows.

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