Behavior
Moving in Sync Creates Surprising Social Bonds among People
Dancing, rowing and even finger tapping in unison unleash powerful forces in the brain that drive good feelings
Stories by Marta Zaraska
Conservation
How Global Warming Is Shrinking Earth's Animals
A rise in global temperatures may be making all kinds of creatures smaller—a trend with worrisome implications
Biology
Can Plants Hear?
Flora may be able to detect the sounds of flowing water or munching insects
Mental Health
People with This Phobia Suffer from a Fear of Being Laughed at
Gelotophobics can’t stand to hear chuckles because they think they’re the butt of the joke
Computing
Scientists Are Teaching Robots to Laugh
Expressing humor is a key part of being human
Fitness
The Warmth of Friendship, the Chill of Betrayal
Thanks to some evolutionary hardwiring in the brain and body, our physical and psychological temperatures are linked
Biology
Veggies with Vision: Do Plants See the World around Them?
The concept of a “seeing plant” fell by the wayside in the early 20th century—only to reemerge in the past few years
Neuroscience
Eating These Foods Makes Men More Attractive to Women
Women prefer the scent of men who eat diets rich in certain foods—including garlic!
Neuroscience
So, You Want to Be a Synesthete?
Several “artificial” approaches exist but most evidence suggests that training cannot capture a synesthete’s experience
Neuroscience
Hear the Violet, Taste the Velvet
Research is unwinding the physiological basis of synesthesia, finding links to migraine, autism and other conditions that suggest a role for the immune system
Public Health
The Next Zika
Four insect–and tick-borne viruses that you may not have heard about are now worrying researchers
Cognition
Meet the Meat Paradox
We love animals, yet most of us also eat them. Research is revealing the cognitive tricks we use to resolve the omnivore’s dilemma
Behavior
The Genes of Left and Right
Our political attitudes may be written in our DNA
Mind & Brain
With Age Comes Happiness: Here's Why
New research is unraveling how and why the elderly “choose happiness”
