Science of Us – What Studies Say About Human Behavior & Productivity

What happens when 16 strangers on both sides of America’s most contentious divide are asked to take on someone else’s story? An experiment in empathy.

12/23/2016 at 12:00 p.m.

How to Make Friends Faster

By Jon Levy

Five scientifically proven ways to build meaningful relationships quickly.

12/23/2016 at 11:00 a.m.

When Food Is Expensive, We Assume It’s Healthier, Too

By Cari Romm

A misconception that’s bad for both your body and your bank account.

12/23/2016 at 9:55 a.m.

Scaredy-Cat Dogs Go Gray When They’re Younger

By Melissa Dahl

Their distinguished looks may have been hard-earned.

12/23/2016 at 9:00 a.m. hygge

The Nordic Way to Be Good at Winter

By Drake Baer

Medieval knitting, Catholic martyrs, open candles, and hot, boozy beverages.

12/23/2016 at 8:00 a.m.

The Science of Us Guide to Your Holiday Weekend

By Cari Romm

Use psychology to keep yourself sane and happy all the way to New Year’s.

12/22/2016 at 6:18 p.m. social contagion

Ask Sinbad About How False Memories Spread

By Drake Baer

This one gets weird.

12/22/2016 at 5:18 p.m.

‘Family Jet Lag’ Is Real, and it’s Exhausting

By Cari Romm

There’s nothing wrong with sneaking away from the festivities to take a nap.

12/22/2016 at 1:49 p.m.

You’re Less Likely to Die If Your Doctor Is Female, According to a New Study

By Lisa Ryan

The study says 32,000 fewer patients would die each year if men achieved the same outcome as women.

12/22/2016 at 9:00 a.m.

How a Vegan Diet Affects Your Body’s Ability to Heal Itself

By Stephanie Bucklin

The science on diet and injury recovery is still pretty murky.

12/22/2016 at 8:00 a.m.

What Makes Kids Stop Believing in Santa?

By Cari Romm

It’s more complicated than just growing up.

12/21/2016 at 3:54 p.m.

The Older You Are, the Better Excuse You Have for Being Late

By Cari Romm

Blame it on your brain’s changing internal clock.

12/21/2016 at 12:26 p.m. public health

More Evidence That Violence Is Contagious

By Drake Baer

Like smoking or obesity, it travels along social networks.

12/21/2016 at 10:41 a.m. self-care

Saunas Help Your Brain, Says Deeply Finnish Study

By Drake Baer

More bathing, less Alzheimer’s.

12/21/2016 at 10:18 a.m.

The Potential Danger in Therapy Apps Like Talkspace

By Drake Baer

If someone is contemplating suicide, is a text message enough?

12/21/2016 at 8:00 a.m. personality psychology

Can You Predict Your Scores on an Important Personality Test?

By Jesse Singal and Ashley Wu

The Big Five framework has been embraced by many personality psychologists as an important way to measure human personality.

12/20/2016 at 4:51 p.m.

To Save Money, Pay Attention to Your Mood

By Cari Romm

Certain emotional states make for better shopping decisions.

12/20/2016 at 3:42 p.m. philosophy of science

A Few Reasons Science Is Afraid of Animal Consciousness

By Drake Baer

Or: Does a duckling think?

12/20/2016 at 11:23 a.m.

Even Cavemen Brushed Their Teeth — and They Probably Had Better Teeth Than You

By Cari Romm

A scientist used fossilized plaque to figure out ancient oral hygiene.

12/20/2016 at 10:18 a.m. religion

Most Non-Christians in the U.S. Celebrate Christmas

By Drake Baer

Over 80 percent!

12/20/2016 at 10:12 a.m.

What Is the Speed of Thought?

By Jeff Wise

It takes half a second for sensory information to be incorporated into conscious experience. So, in a sense, the future has already happened.

12/20/2016 at 9:00 a.m. animal intelligence

Octopuses Are ‘the Closest We Will Come to Meeting an Intelligent Alien’

By Drake Baer

You don’t want to be speciesist about consciousness, do you?

12/20/2016 at 8:47 a.m.

When Trump’s America Doesn’t Feel Like Home Anymore

By Cari Romm

Four disillusioned voters talk about no longer feeling connected to the places that shaped their lives.

12/19/2016 at 2:41 p.m.

Pretending to Be Busy Is a Status Symbol

By Cari Romm

Whether or not you actually have a lot going on matters less than seeming like you do.

12/19/2016 at 1:50 p.m.

Scientists Finally Figured Out How Pregnancy Changes a Woman’s Brain

By Lisa Ryan

Pregnant women lose gray matter in the “social cognition” part of their brains.

12/19/2016 at 1:46 p.m.

How to Have an Emotional Meltdown at Work and Get Away With It

By Melissa Dahl

It’s worth a try.

12/19/2016 at 1:13 p.m. cognitive behavioral therapy

For Social-Anxiety Disorder, Talk Therapy Is More Effective Than Pills

By Drake Baer

The medication “camouflages” the fact that patients can learn to regulate their anxiety themselves.

12/19/2016 at 11:38 a.m.

Learning a Language Makes You Better at Handling Ambiguity

By Drake Baer

Because you’re not going to know everything.

12/19/2016 at 9:00 a.m.

The New Alternative to ‘Female Viagra’ Is Zapping the Brain

By Lilly O'Donnell

Researchers are working on a form of electroconvulsive therapy to help women with low sex drives.

12/18/2016 at 8:00 p.m. sexuality

The Phenomenon of ‘Bud Sex’ Between Straight Rural Men

By Jesse Singal

“I don’t want the effeminate ones, I want the manly guys … If I wanted someone that acts girlish, I got a wife at home.”

12/16/2016 at 4:13 p.m. evolutionary psychology

Not All Critiques of Evolutionary Psychology Are Created Equal

By Jesse Singal

It’s important to separate good-faith critics of specific arguments from those who deny evolution can explain any sex differences.

12/16/2016 at 10:58 a.m.

How Your Brain Controls the Speed of Time

By Jeff Wise

Why does reality seem to slow down in moments of extreme peril? Can the mind really bend time? Here’s the neuroscience behind the phenomenon.

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