Society & Culture
To be perfect, practice isn’t enough
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — There may be more to perfection than a lot of practice, according to a small study of chess players and musicians. Continue…
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 13:53 - 0 Comments
Society & Culture - May 21, 2013 12:48 - 0 Comments
Early bilinguals pick up two ‘sound systems’
U. ARIZONA (US) — People who learn two languages early in life can switch back and forth between separate sound codes for each language. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 21, 2013 11:00 - 1 Comment
Strong guys less willing to share wealth
UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Upper body strength and socioeconomic status can predict men’s opinions on the redistribution of wealth, according to researchers. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 17, 2013 10:26 - 2 Comments
Kindergarten math lessons are ‘old news’
VANDERBILT (US) — Kindergarten teachers say they spend most of their math instructional time teaching lessons students have already mastered, like shapes and basic counting. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 15, 2013 11:55 - 3 Comments
Kids aren’t kind to chubby cartoons
U. LEEDS (UK) — Very young children appear to reject storybook characters who are overweight as potential friends, a study shows. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 15, 2013 10:16 - 0 Comments
DNA reveals origins of Minoan civilization
U. WASHINGTON (US) — DNA from skeletal remains clears up competing theories about the origins of the earliest European civilization. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 14, 2013 14:34 - 1 Comment
Come on, get happy, crank up the music
U. MISSOURI (US) — You really can convince yourself to be happier, especially if you’re listening to an upbeat song while doing so. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 13, 2013 10:54 - 3 Comments
Is middle class wealth in meltdown?
NYU / BROWN (US) —The collapse of home prices and the stock market has taken an immense toll on the assets of the middle class, hitting minorities and young adults especially hard, a new study suggests. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 9, 2013 14:29 - 4 Comments
Privacy: Does face recognition cross the line?
IOWA STATE (US) — Facial recognition technology could help businesses customize services but are customers ready for it? (more…)
Society & Culture - May 9, 2013 12:01 - 0 Comments
Food ads fire up the teenage brain
U. MICHIGAN (US) — Watching TV commercials of people munching on French fries or cereal resonates more with teens than advertisements about cell phones or the latest car. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 8, 2013 15:30 - 0 Comments
Digital formats split up electronics market
U. PITTSBURGH / CARNEGIE MELLON (US) — Digital converters lower the risk of getting “stranded” with a losing, incompatible format—like when VHS made Betamax obsolete. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 8, 2013 15:25 - 24 Comments
Europeans are basically one big family
UC DAVIS (US) — Everyone with ancestors from the European continent are likely cousins who share the same family members from about a thousand years ago. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 7, 2013 13:23 - 0 Comments
Can high home ownership lead to unemployment?
U. WARWICK (UK) — Government policies that boost the number of homeowners are likely to inflict severe damage on the labor market, an international study suggests. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 6, 2013 12:35 - 0 Comments
How couples ‘click’ in just four minutes
STANFORD (US) —When trying to make a love connection in just under five minutes, speed daters need to remember that it might be what you say, not what you look like, that matters most. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 6, 2013 12:15 - 1 Comment
Did China’s agriculture sprout in Ice Age?
STANFORD (US) — The discovery of grinding stones pushes the origins of agriculture in China back 12,000 years, and suggests it evolved independently around the world. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 6, 2013 10:49 - 1 Comment
To think clearly under stress, focus on values
CARNEGIE MELLON (US) — New research provides the first evidence that self-affirmation can protect against the damaging effects of stress on problem-solving performance. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 2, 2013 13:56 - 0 Comments
Grassroots schools educate hard-to-reach kids
UC DAVIS (US) — An effort to create nonformal schools for children in Bangladesh who would not attend school otherwise is showing promising results. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 2, 2013 12:26 - 2 Comments
Bonding with avatar can shift perception
PENN STATE / U. MICHIGAN (US) — People who customized an avatar and saw it wearing a backpack overestimated the heights of virtual hills, just as people in real life tend to overestimate heights and distances while carrying extra weight. (more…)
Society & Culture - May 1, 2013 15:51 - 4 Comments
Workplace ethics rub off on employees
U. MICHIGAN (US) — Your boss and co-workers may be more important than your morals in deciding whether or not you report unethical behavior at work. (more…)
