What Will It Take for Conservative States to Allow Needle Exchanges?
Indiana has temporarily lifted a ban on needle exchanges to help combat an HIV outbreak. Why leave the ban intact at all?
Survey: The State of Adjunct Professors
In our new survey, 62 percent of adjuncts say they make less than $20,000 a year from teaching, and 88 percent say working with students is their favorite part.
Would You Notice John Stamos in Front of the Real 'Full House'?
It's a classic invisible-gorilla moment—with a twist.
Valentine's Day Validation
Is there another holiday as perennially divisive as Valentine's Day? We've compiled stories on love and lust that will fit whatever mood you happen to be in this year.
Be Careful What You Emoji
As emoji become a part of our social fabric, they also are factoring into more criminal cases.
Are Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Scarier Than Dengue Fever?
A proposed mosquito-control tactic in Florida is riling up citizens who fear messing with Mother Nature.
Picky Penguins Aren’t Surviving the Antarctic Warm-Up
Forget about a polar bear stranded on the ice float, the new mascot for global warming could be a penguin turning up its beak at a diverse diet.
A ‘Pacific Standard’ Annotation of the 2015 State of the Union
President Obama's speech last night contained a series of economic proposals. Here's how the data and research back up or complicate his claims.
Most Diabetic Seniors Think Health Apps Are a Good Idea
But almost none of them actually use apps to help manage their diabetes.
There Is No Surge in Illegal Immigration
The overall rate of illegal immigration has actually decreased significantly in the last 10 years. The time is ripe for immigration reform.
The Power of Placebos
The mind is a powerful thing. For our latest week-long special report, we look at the placebo effect, deception, control, and the ever-mysterious mind-body connection.
Too Hot to Hire
Are you an attractive woman looking for a job? Acknowledging your beauty could keep potential employers from discriminating against you.
The Bitter Taste of Hostility
Swallowing a bitter pill isn't just a metaphor for an unpleasant experience—research shows bitter tastes can cause outright hostility.
People All Over the World Are Afraid of Happiness
People all over the world are afraid of happiness, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's yet another challenge to the notion that positive thinking can heal all wounds.
For Charitable Products, Sex Doesn't Sell
Sexy women may turn heads, but for pro-social and charitable products, they won't change minds.
Most Surgical Research Ignores Females
A new analysis shows only three percent of surgical studies conducted on animals and cells include both male and female subjects.
No, Smartphone-Loss Anxiety Disorder Isn’t Real
But people are anxious about losing their phones, even if they don’t do much to protect them.
Diversity Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Perception of group diversity depends on the race of the observer and the extent to which they worry about discrimination.
Do Dogs Understand When a Soldier Comes Home?
The animal science behind your favorite heartwarming YouTube phenomenon.
Welcome Home: It's Homecoming Week
Whether or not you have a home—and how you live your life in relation to it—has enormous economic and psychological implications. Introducing our new special report.
How Have Textbooks Changed the Face of War? - The Science of Society
War is more personal, less glorious, and more hellish in modern textbooks than in the past. But there’s still room for improvement.
People Are Clueless About Placebos
Doctors know that sometimes the best medicine is no medicine at all. But how do patients feel about getting duped into recovery?
Is Having the Same Sexual Desires as Your Partner Important?
Not really—it’s more crucial that couples’ desires complement each other.
Which Color Do You Smell?
Hazelnut smells like brown, unless you’re Malaysian Chinese.
‘House’ Fans Are Scared of the Wrong Diseases
People who watch medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy and House are more likely than non-watchers to be fatalistic about cancer and to underestimate the importance of chronic illnesses.
Here's How Not to Teach First-Grade Math
One of the few rigorous studies of its kind shows that first-grade math teachers tend to use unproven alternative techniques when there are more math-challenged students in their class.
Is Ambivalence the New Homophobia?
As anti-gay prejudice becomes less socially acceptable, homophobia joins racism and sexism in the ranks of biases veiled behind supposed ambivalence.
What’s in a Name? Your Genes Will Know
Liking your own name is associated with a host of positive traits. New research suggests it could be genetic.
More Than Just Tiger Moms: A Reader
To accompany our story today on why it's worrisome that Asian Americans have become a model of academic achievement, "The Problem With a Culture of Excellence," here's a guide that's meant to serve as a starting point to the research literature on related subjects.
The Problem With a Culture of Excellence
Asian Americans have become a model of academic achievement. This is bad news for basically everyone.
Can Exercise Close the Achievement Gap?
Just 12 minutes of aerobic exercise can boost low-income college students’ academic performance. The effect is large enough to close the achievement gap.
How Does Bias Affect Forensics Experts?
A new study suggests forensic anthropologists are biased by external information when performing visual examinations.
Do Minorities Fare Better at Multicultural Colleges?
Black and Hispanic college students experience more loneliness and depression than their white peers, even at schools where whites are the racial minority.
For Most Self-Proclaimed Dieters, There's No Diet at All
New research from the Netherlands shows that about 60 percent of people claim to be dieting, but very few actually do it.
The Evolving Difficulties of Giving Housing to the Homeless
First introduced in 1992, the Housing First model suggested that we fight homelessness by first giving the homeless a place to live. Twenty-four years later, the study of a program in Hamilton, Ontario, sheds some light on how the system is working today.
America's Lost Generation of Asian Immigrants
How the Chinese contribution to the Transcontinental Railroad, held up as a shining moment in Asian American history, led to a ban on almost all Asian immigration to the U.S.
Does a Cold Courtroom Result in Murder Convictions?
The ambient temperature of a courtroom could change the way people perceive crimes—which, in turn, could affect sentencing.
Selfishness Pays: Every Assist Costs an NBA Player $6,000
Teamwork wins games, but a taste for “hero ball” means players are much less cooperative during playoffs. That kind of selfish play is often rewarded with boatloads of money.
What Steve Jobs' Death Teaches Us About Public Health
Studies have shown that when public figures die from disease, the public takes notice. New research suggests this could be the key to reaching those who are most at risk.
Gaming the Wedding Gift Registry System
Registering for your wedding? Keep your must-have items away from the average price of your registry—they’re unlikely to be purchased.
It Just Got Easier to Ban Outdoor Smoking
A new mapping technique could help public officials make the case to ban smoking in public areas.
Can You Learn to Judge Creativity?
A new study suggests that, with training, amateurs can judge the level of creativity of artwork much like experts would. But is expert opinion always correct?
Asia Watches as Taiwan's Democracy Falters
Student protests in one of Asia’s most stable democracies are facing violent police crackdown. The effects could echo throughout the region.
What Makes Normal People Commit War Crimes?
Delivery matters: Authorities give orders in a way that minimizes psychological impact for the soldiers who carry out these crimes.
Can a Song’s Lyrics Predict Its Commercial Success?
New textual analysis of Billboard Hot 100 hits shows that certain themes are more likely to be No. 1.
Reader Responses: The Mostly Unread World of Academic Papers
What's the purpose of academic papers that have very few readers and even fewer citations? A Twitter discussion. Join us with #unreadstudies.
The Benefits of Walking on Fire
Those who participated in a fire-walking ritual felt happier and less fatigued afterwards than close relatives who spectated.
Could Kids’ Nightmares Turn Into Schizophrenia?
A new study shows that children with frequent nightmares are more likely to have psychotic experiences.
Chaos, Democracy, and Religion in the Pokémon World
How the live-streaming, crowd-sourced gameplay of a 15-year-old game captivated millions and generated its own set of religions.