evolutionary psychology
Is reality real? These neuroscientists don’t think so.
Reality is more distorted than we think.
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Animal altruism: nature isn’t as cruel as the Discovery Channel says
One man studied apes for 50 years. He says nature isn't as cruel as you think.
Talking with your hands alters the perception of your words
A new study found that words are more accurately heard when accompanied by hand gestures.
Why moral people tolerate immoral behavior
As morally sturdy as we may feel, it turns out that humans are natural hypocrites when it comes to passing moral judgment.
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How showing remorse can save your relationships
Scientists ripped up kids' drawings. This is what they learned about relationships.
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5 min
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Human sexual desire: Is monogamy natural?
Monogamy is often considered a key component of traditional marriages, but it's only half the story.
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8 min
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Are humans wired for conflict? Lord of the Flies vs. Charles Darwin
We make school kids read "Lord of the Flies"—but it's only half the story.
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5 min
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How humans ended up the most altruistic of animals
Humans help each other in ways animals don't dream of, but why?
‘Gender Pay Scorecard’ grades 50 major U.S. companies
What factors explain the gender pay gap?
Evolution: That famous ‘march of progress’ image is just wrong
Some fish evolved legs and walked onto the land. Right?
Dad bod & dad brain: How a man’s brain changes when he becomes a father
The bonding experience is promoted by important neurological changes.
Are humans hardwired for monogamy?
Evolution steered humans toward pair bonding to ensure the survival of genes. But humans tend to get restless.
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What are the psychological effects of consuming violence online?
Can our bodies tell the difference between recorded violence and real life danger?
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Women dress modestly to avoid aggression from other women, study suggests
Attractive women are especially likely to dress modestly, but only in certain scenarios.
Is psychopathy untreatable? Why researchers are starting to change their minds.
A growing body of research suggests that the "clinical pessimism" over treating psychopathy is unwarranted.
Study: You can have empathy and still be a psychopath
People who score high in "dark triad" personality traits are able to empathize. They'd just rather not.
Anatomical quirks: 10 things you didn’t know about your body
Bill Bryson's new book, "The Body: A Guide For Occupants," provides important (and funny) lessons in anatomy, neuroscience, physiology, biology, and more.
The perks of being a bit neurotic
It's one of our five major personality traits, and arguably, it's the worst one. Why are some human beings neurotic?
Is creativity actually just a brain malfunction?
A new study says curiosity and creativity are computational errors.
Men with psychopathic traits are more desirable to women, Canadian researchers say
The results have startling implications about the evolution of psychopathy in humans.
Did we evolve to see reality as it exists? No, says cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman.
Cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman hypothesizes we evolved to experience a collective delusion — not objective reality.
New study ranks the animals we fear most. Here’s what they are.
The animal we fear most? Spiders.
Is psychopathy an evolutionary strategy rather than a disorder?
Psychopaths are manipulative, violent, impulsive, and lack empathy — but if psychopathy encourages more frequent reproduction, is it, then, an advantageous strategy?
Why we prefer people just like us. And why that may be dangerous.
In general, birds of a feather do tend to flock together.
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The human brain doubled in power, very suddenly, 200,000 years ago. Why?
A long-ridiculed theory about humankind's early leap of consciousness is revived.
A pleasure to burn: Why do people like spicy foods?
Spicy foods are enjoyed the world over, but scientists don't know why people partake in culinary masochism.
Why your favourite film baddies all have a truly evil laugh
What's the role of evil in storytelling?
Short men are indirectly aggressive toward taller men, study finds
The study shows when the 'Napoleon complex' is most likely to emerge.
Women — not men — are more willing to punish ‘sexually-accessible’ women, researchers find
Even when they suffer costs in doing so.
How evolution made our brains lazy
Blame our ancestors for why it's easier to be a couch potato.