Behavior
Flat Earthers: What They Believe and Why
Michael Marshall, project director of the Good Thinking Society in the U.K., talks about flat earth belief and its relationship to conspiracy theories and other antiscience activities.
Behavior4226 articles archived since 1845
Behavior
Connecting with Voters in a Time of Social Distancing
Research suggests a powerful way to get out the vote without having to canvas in person
Engineering
Empathy Machine: Humans Communicate Better after Robots Show Their Vulnerable Side
The behavior of such machines influences how people treat one another
Behavior
Anthony Fauci Shows Us the Right Way to Be an Expert
He’s grounded in humility and humanity; he uses plain language; he admits uncertainties and failings; and he refuses to make the science overtly political
Biology
Sick Vampire Bats Restrict Grooming to Close Family
When vampire bats feel sick, they still engage in prosocial acts such as sharing food with nonrelatives. But they cut back on grooming anyone other than their closest kin.
Behavior
The Problem with Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests
Despite caveats in ads and on packages, users can fail to understand their limitations
Behavior
Trust Is The Key to Fighting the Pandemic
Containing the spread of COVID-19 may require that citizens have faith in both their government and one another
Behavior
One Root Cause of Pandemics Few People Think About
It’s our seemingly insatiable desire to eat meat
Behavior
Urban Riots Are Actually “Prepolitical” Protests
Originally published in June 1968
Behavior
Some Kinds of Doctors Get More Speeding Tickets Than Others
Make way for emergencies—but go safely
Mental Health
Treating “Moral” Injuries
A potentially debilitating condition in veterans, distinct from PTSD, results from crossing moral lines
Cognition
Can Science Explain Deja Vu?
Most of us have experienced deja vu—that sensation when new events feel eerily familiar. Could this "glitch in the Matrix" be a brain short-circuit?
Behavior
When It’s Safer to Stay Apart
My father is an infectious disease physician in New York City. He needs to do his job, so for our own safety, he can no longer live with the family
Behavior
What’s Scarier than the Coronavirus?
Our extreme responses to COVID-19 have revealed an underlying societal vulnerability that is more concerning than the virus itself
Behavior
The Good News about Women and STEM
Programs aimed at making workplaces more inclusive are showing signs of success
Behavior
When We’re Wrong, It’s Our Responsibility as Scientists to Say So
We tried to reproduce our 2012 paper on how to make people report their income more honestly—and we ended up refuting it
Behavior
COVID-19’s Psychosocial Impacts
The pandemic is putting enormous stress on all of us but especially on health care workers and other specific groups
Behavior
Those Precautions for Avoiding the Coronavirus May Seem Extreme, But ...
That’s the wrong way to think about them
Behavior
Near Real-Time Studies Look for Behavioral Measures Vital to Stopping Coronavirus
The goal is to identify the best means of encouraging individuals to change the way they live. Young people may need more convincing
Behavior
The Surprisingly Old Science of Living as Transgender
In the 20th century’s middle decades, the first recipient of phalloplasty surgery fought to be recognized as a man
