Make Birth Control, Not War

After studying four decades of terrorism, Aaron Clauset thinks he’s found mathematical patterns that can help governments prevent and prepare for major terror attacks. The U.S. government seems to agree.

Accidental death rates are higher in states where challenges to one’s masculinity are taken seriously.

Philosophers’ views on freedom and moral responsibility are influenced by inherited personality traits. If they can’t be objective, can anyone?

Did you see that movie about the moron? If so, it may have negatively impacted your own intelligence, according to new research from Austria.

A study of contestant behavior on the popular game show “Jeopardy!” suggests women tend to hedge their bets when facing male opponents.

New research from Israel suggests exposure to sarcasm may enhance creative thinking.

New research finds people primed to think in terms of action are more certain of their opinions and less likely to seek out dissenting views.

New research reveals why food labeled “healthy” is unsatisfying.

Perceived American influence and its failure to live up to its freedom-loving rhetoric pour into a gulf of discontent in the Muslim world.

New research finds moral disgust can elicit a physical reaction, changing our evaluation of a beverage.

Canadian researchers report floating in an isolation tank increased the technical skill level of young jazz players.

New research finds membership in a minority religion seems to hasten a loss of volume of the hippocampal region of the brain.

Brain-scan research from Mexico suggests women’s neural systems respond more robustly to images that evoke compassion.

New research suggests white audiences tend to stay away from movies featuring minorities due to the assumption that they are not the films’ intended audience.

Conspiracy theorists have already emerged from the woodwork asking if bin Laden is really dead, or if he was dead already. Don’t be fooled.

Researchers debating the effect of “leadership decapitation” of terrorist organizations have come to very different conclusions.

New research suggests being informed of one’s environmental footprint can have the opposite of the intended effect.

While “figures lie and liars figure,” that’s no reason not to pay attention to some basic facts about common numerical comparisons.

Law professor Robert Benson — part of the panel that offered Frank Gehry the first big commission to draw international attention to his architecture in 1979 — talks to the world-class architect about the benefits of “creative play.”

New research links the cost of community college tuition rates with drinking and drug use by teenagers.

Bucking a trend, a new book shows that group living can inoculate the homeless who are mentally ill against a return to the streets.

Data from one Catholic parish suggest donations to the general operating funds dip on Sundays when a second collection is held.

New research suggests people are more likely to endorse conspiracy theories if they would be willing to personally participate in such a conspiracy.

Impediments to easy understanding — hard-to-read fonts, hard-to-follow lectures and lessons that are all too soon forgotten — may be the key to really learning something.

New research from Singapore suggests touching a stuffed animal can counteract the tendency of ostracized people to engage in antisocial behavior.

Washington remains optimistic about the war on drugs based on dips in the importation of cocaine. But even the “good news” derived from comparisons with Europe is distressing.

What constitutes torture? New research finds the answer varies with the level of pain one is currently feeling.

Italian researchers find social conservatives tend to attribute more negative qualities to members of a minority group.

A French researcher finds flowers really do put women in a romantic mood.

New research finds subtle reminders of cleanliness seem to shift people to the political right.

The documentary ‘The Desert of Forbidden Art’ tells the story of the Igor Savitsky Museum, a remote refuge for Soviet-era art that ran afoul of Stalin’s diktat.

New research finds a shift in emphasis in pop song lyrics over the decades, from “we” to “me.”

Professional skeptic James Randi’s offer to pay a million dollars to the maker of any homeopathic remedy that actually works points out the logical fallacies in this branch of ‘medicine.’

New research suggests people reject evolutionary theory because, as a way to think about life and death, it doesn’t provide the emotional solace we seek.

A psychology study from Hong Kong suggests that, among men, the impulses to make love and war are deeply intertwined.

New Harvard University research suggests childhood memories stimulate selflessness.

Years of operating under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy created a backlog of questions to answer as the U.S. military works to integrate openly gay troops into the ranks.

New research from Australia suggests Facebook users are more extroverted and narcissistic than Internet users not plugged into the social network.

In a tongue-in-cheek analysis appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day, four intrepid researchers conclude that Guinness beer is more enjoyable when surrounded by Ireland.

Those tone-deaf belters humiliating themselves for our amusement help explain why we think we’re better than the experts.

A new NEA study finds the group of people who regularly attend arts events is both shrinking and getting less active.

Researchers from Nottingham University Business School say their survey proves it’s time for the city to re-embrace its most famous, albeit probably mythical, hero.

New research finds even nonexperts can differentiate between masterful abstract art and similar works painted by a child or an animal. See for yourself with our enclosed art quiz.

“Academically Adrift,” a new book on the failures of higher education, finds that undergrads don’t study, and professors don’t make them.

Harvard University President Emeritus Derek Bok says college professors don’t challenge their students because they don’t know how.

In Washington, D.C., commuters have taken thousands of cars off highways via a homegrown rideshare system known as “slugging.” Can the government create more slugs — without stepping on any?

Newsflash: Submerging your feet in alcohol doesn’t get you intoxicated. It only helps you dodge the “Less Filling/Tastes Great” debate. Sorry, Denmark.

New research suggests e-mail is an all-too-effective way of spreading false political rumors.

From there to here, from here to there, researchers find that Dr. Seuss is — in political, social, psychological and even business terms — everywhere.

New research finds the well-documented link between religiosity and happiness applies only to those whose faith is robust.

The canine-handler teams produced by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation are the gold standard in their field. All the foundation needs now are some fake disasters the dogs can sniff.

The PBS documentary “Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story” asks the question: Who is responsible when family and society so fail a promising child that she turns to prostitution and murder in her teens?

When they beg for alms, are Senegalese “talibés” supporting Quranic schools — or being exploited? The government begins a fitful program of regulation.

Is IBM’s Watson on the verge of human-like intelligence?

Forty may be the new 30, but young people don’t take kindly to elders trying to pass for their peers.

New research finds when we make amends to assuage our guilt, a third party often pays the price.

Attachment theory helps explain why some people consider giving gifts to their romantic partners a pleasure, while others find it decidedly uncomfortable.

Trying to help troops put context into their understanding of Afghanistan, the Pentagon is having them watch 12 one-act plays.

Efforts to ban books in schools have shifted subjects and tactics, with the efforts of single parents now being replaced by organizations.

An evolutionary theorist provides evidence that intelligent individuals are more likely to enjoy purely instrumental music.

What’s one way to convert climate change skeptics? By making them sweat.

Highway administrators say car-mounted Wi-Fi system could let cars and trucks gossip with each other on the road, dramatically improving safety and efficiency.

Every January we’re treated to a display of superstitious rites that lie forgotten the rest of the year.

New research finds physical suffering reduces feelings of guilt.

A study of football fans finds that when we desire a given outcome, we are biased to believe it will occur.

Usually pictured solely as a scourge, pregnancy for unmarried poor teens may actually have some benefits for the mom.

Researchers find marriages tend to be more satisfying for both spouses when the wife is thinner than the husband.

Newly published research finds people give more generously to relief efforts following natural disasters, effectively penalizing the people caught up in man-made catastrophes.

A larger-than-Rushmore size granite memorial to the famous Sioux warrior has been under construction since 1948, but is that really what the Sioux residents in the area need?

Airport security in Europe tends to be more discreet than in the U.S. But an industry group wants to change that.

Researchers find physical elevation seems to trigger pro-social behavior.

A look at swimmers competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics concludes they gave their best performances when their efforts were essential for a team win.

In a recent experiment, women who showed interest in college-aged men were more likely to be remembered if they were deemed attractive.

Newly published research suggests keeping a potential romantic partner guessing can pique his or her interest.

Concrete concerns about saving and expanding slavery, and not the nebulous theology of states’ rights, ignited the U.S. Civil War. Why does that message keep getting lost?

Our resident skeptic takes a look at some of the mythologizing that has arisen around the West’s winter holidays, from poison plants to phantom Der Bingles.

Remarks that stop the conversation cold at social gatherings can instantly elicit deep-seated feelings of exclusion.

Charter schools don’t foster segregation, argues the former CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, but they do reflect the environments where they toil to create equal opportunity.

Once they learned how to talk like real people, workers with Illinois’ child welfare agency started spreading the word of strengthening families.

Secular European governments give money to Muslim congregations in an effort to defang radicalism imported from foreign sources.

Chess player Bobby Fischer’s tortured life illustrates why promising young talents deserve better support programs.

When it comes to involvement in their children’s education, Asian Americans have their own distinct style that often pays dividends when report cards arrive.

Issues swirling around Europe’s non-assimilation of its Muslim population recall its anti-Semitic past, according to scholar Reza Aslan.

Retired military officers consistently report better health than their lower-ranking counterparts.

It’s a long and sorrowful history. But is the new Islamophobia also “anti-Semitism”?

Desegregation of public schools peaked about two decades ago, and no one at the federal level is doing much to reverse the decline.

Research shows the names of Israeli military campaigns are cleverly designed to push the citizenry’s emotional buttons.

Newly published research suggests whether infidelity ends a relationship depends in part on whether the affair was gay or straight.

Scholar Reza Aslan discusses anti-Islamic feelings in the U.S. and reflects on how other faiths have faced down feelings of “otherness.”

German politician and banker Thilo Sarrazin scared his countrymen with unsophisticated analysis and a eugenics-based argument about native intelligence.

Looking at the math behind profiling meant to nab terrorists, computer scientist William Press realized it may be less effective than purely random sampling.

White college students exposed to images of a Confederate flag judged a black person more harshly and expressed less willingness to vote for Barack Obama in 2008.

Miller-McCune interviews two education experts about the promise and betrayal of diversity in the charter school movement.

In examining what’s ailing American teaching, a blue-ribbon panel decided that teachers should be trained the same way we train doctors — through clinical practice.

Why has anti-Muslim sentiment risen in lockstep in America and Europe?

New research finds that the quality of early maternal caregiving impacts a child’s emotional relationships once he or she arrives at early adulthood.

Miller-McCune.com’s resident skeptic, just as you might expect of a Scorpio, will have no truck with horoscopes or astrology.

How everything you learned in kindergarten affects your salary, your chances of going to college and owning a home, and even your retirement savings.

A startling proportion of the population, the existentially indifferent, demonstrates little concern for meaning in their lives.

New research finds that within the U.S., those states with cooler temperatures tend to have populations with higher IQs.

Researchers find that assuming a powerful body position helps you feel powerful, act more self-confident and raise testosterone.

The people who jumped to their death from the Golden Gate Bridge over the past decade are significantly older than their counterparts of a generation ago.

New research finds physically attractive people are viewed both more positively and more accurately.

Disney’s animated films perpetuate the stereotype that beautiful people are smart, superior and successful, according to new research.

New research links fears of terrorism with authoritarian parenting practices.

A new study finds the value system of the early colonists, which links hard work, conservative sexual behavior and spiritual salvation, still has a hold on Americans’ psyches.

Germany’s Angela Merkel stirred up a hornet’s nest when she decried “multiculturalism,” but that reaction suggests the hornets hadn’t been paying attention.

A reader’s experience leads him to question the premise of our recent article on bilingual education in schools.

Researchers tap the indie marketplace to learn more about hipsters, who don’t think of themselves as hipsters despite their obvious hipsterness.

New Islamic theology courses offered at Goethe University in Frankfurt are an example of a new movement to train imams in Europe.

Cars that share the general traits of a baby’s face trigger the ‘Isn’t it cute’ response in consumers.

New psychological research finds credit cards make people more likely to bolster their fragile egos by purchasing luxury items.

A recent study that dismissed the effectiveness of pop-up books was flawed from the start, argues best-selling children’s book author Sally Blakemore.

New research suggests one reason our political discourse is so loud and angry: Planting seeds of doubt leads people to more vigorously advocate for their cherished beliefs.

A design researcher suggests people look for the same qualities in products as they do in their partners.

New research finds confronting a man about his sexist language can have surprisingly positive results.

Pre-teens living in high-crime neighborhoods avoid making friends, a University of Chicago pilot study has found.

New documentary on schools shines a spotlight on the plight of low-income and minority children, but the film flops when it comes to solutions.

New research finds the elderly have a psychological incentive to embrace cultural conservatism: Such beliefs prop up their self-esteem.

Women are more likely to engage in problematic shopping behaviors during certain times in their menstruation cycle, according to newly published research.

For men and women in leadership positions usually occupied by the other gender, a single mistake is seen as evidence of incompetence.

New research finds that, under certain conditions, a dip in self-confidence can increase one’s performance level.

New research finds people tend to assume their Facebook friends agree with their political views — and they’re wrong much more often than they realize.

New research on alcohol and aggression finds intoxicated people are more likely to believe an ambiguous act is intentional.

A newly published study finds the issue of gay marriage has been framed quite differently in The New York Times compared to the Chicago Tribune.

Might a burqa ban herald a new fashion for outlawing religiously inspired dress championed by other faiths?

India is considering allowing Western universities to plant satellite campuses directly in the subcontinent’s fertile soil.

A new analysis finds that parents are less likely to volunteer when their children attend larger schools.

A survey of American social values over recent decades finds an increasing emphasis on self-respect, while security and a sense of belonging decline in importance.

One drink of alcohol may make a smaller guy more drunk, but research suggests it makes a bigger guy more aggressive.

American public education continues to give short shrift to serious teaching of foreign languages, especially those harder tongues that promise to be prominent in the future.

New research finds a link between musical rhythm and visual processing, and offers a tantalizing clue to the art form’s origins.

As society gets more punitive in dealing with bullies, psychologists are trying to figure out what drives them to aggression.

Hand washing may help us emotionally disconnect from past decisions. But it may also increase feelings of moral superiority.

Evolutionary theory suggests younger siblings take more risks. New research finds that is true — at least on the baseball diamond.

It may seem unlikely, but new research says that increased TV watching alone isn’t likely to harm children’s thinking or schooling.

As hundreds of thousands of teachers and staffers brace for layoffs, there might be a federal bailout in their future, too.

New research reveals that people connected to organized religion are more likely to harbor racial prejudice.

New research suggests compassion helps buffer women against the physical consequences of emotional stress.

New research from Australia finds racists mistakenly tend to believe they’re less prejudiced than their neighbors.

How did such an un-American-sounding idea as banning someone’s religiously inspired clothing choice take root in Western countries?

A U.S. immigration court creates a new persecuted group in Europe: Christian home-schoolers.

How do you get kids to do their homework? Help them shape a positive but realistic image of themselves as successful adults.

Can some forms of physical contact make you more likely to exhibit risk-taking behavior? So maybe the meltdown is mom’s fault.

The U.S. Library of Congress is blazing a trail in determining how to store an ever-expanding trove of information that never had physical form.

New research finds exposure to Native American mascots increases one’s tendency to stereotype a different ethnic group.

Will your child finish college? The answer may be as close as your bookshelves, or lack thereof.

Two new studies — one sociological, another using brain scans — document and help explain our lack of empathy for perceived outsiders.

While being involved in your children’s lives and studies is intuitively (and statistically) smart, some techniques are better than others.

The Yankees look to be the dominant team in baseball for 2010, according to a New Jersey Institute of Technology mathematician (and Mets fan).

New research finds exposure to a bare, illuminated light bulb — a universal symbol of bright ideas — is a catalyst to reaching insights.

Put down those program notes: New research suggests describing a piece of classical music may diminish the pleasure of listening.

New research investigates how underage college students obtain false identification to gain access to alcohol.

A University of Louisville researcher data-crunches and theorizes about the ‘greatest’ American cities.

While GPS can tell you exactly where you stand, sometimes it takes a bit of dead-tree cartography to tell you where you are.

A newly published meta-analytic review states emphatically that players of violent video games are at greater risk of engaging in aggressive behavior.

The 1 in 20 truly wretched schools in America need interventions, but the ‘turnaround’ effort has yet to prove itself the answer.

New research suggests sexual objectification hinders some women’s cognitive ability.

A movement aimed at tackling the energy crisis with aplomb has been stepping on the gas since its formation.

Even if you do have a mostly private Facebook profile, others can glean vital information about you — just by looking at your friend list.

A controlling, bossy element on “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends” exudes qualities that put him on track to become vice president?

Newly published research describes two innovative methods to inspire creativity: Compare and contrast different cultures, or think of yourself as a 7-year-old.

Letters to the Editor: The keyboard may be quicker, but the supporters of cursive aren’t about to give up the fight.

A new study reveals that U.S. companies are less likely to accept financial risks when they are based in communities where religion is important.

A documentary examining the life of Veit Harlan, a film director responsible for films favored by Nazis, provides back story for a new and controversial feature film.

Globally, moviegoers’ tastes are becoming increasingly homogeneous, which is a very good sign for Hollywood.

Oscar winners may live longer lives than their peers. Or perhaps shorter ones.

Research indicates that even underused carpool lanes have a smoothing effect on freeway traffic.

University of Oregon academic predicts Academy Awards will go to Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock and Kathryn Bigelow.

Studies come to conflicting conclusions as to whether Academy Awards are a genuine measure of artistry.

Maybe not, but they should offend most passengers.

An analysis of titles of Harlequin romance novels provides evidence that evolutionary impulses help explain our choice of mate.

New library complexes rejuvenate urban centers around the world by including theaters, shops, cafes, offices and even gyms.

Despite years of research on everything from ‘HeroRATS’ to TNT-sniffing bees, humans still remove most landmines by poking — very, very carefully — in the ground.

An American academic finds people can somewhat accurately predict your political affiliation by your looks alone.

New research suggests news of impending large-scale unemployment results in fewer males being born.

Never has the world historical and cultural record been more accessible — or more fragile.

The voracious U.S. appetite for intel on casual tourists pushes the boundaries of privacy without necessarily keeping Americans safe.

Arie Kruglanski, who leads a team of researchers who examine the motivation of terrorists and the effectiveness of de-radicalization efforts, shares his insights.

… And how not to. The rules are changing, just as the human memory of Nazism fades.

‘The Art of the Steal’ paints of picture of moneyed, but likely well-meaning, interests having their ways with a cloistered collection of art.

Tiger’s Wood’s apology kabuki included the now de rigueur appeal to religious values — but not to the Christian ones Americans usually hear.

New research suggests creativity in the workplace is enhanced by concern for others’ needs, and a willingness to walk in their shoes.

While the Pentagon gathers new information to support repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, academics say there’s plenty out there already.

How anthropology and other social sciences are transforming the American way of war in Afghanistan.

Surprising new research suggests non-experts’ receptiveness to modern artworks may be lessened when contextual information is presented.

In this edition of ‘Wonks Gone Wild,’ researchers find that men overrated, and women underrated, the likelihood that they would participate in sexual activities with a new partner at Mardi Gras.

In this edition of ‘Wonks Gone Wild,’ a researcher spends 500 hours at Mardi Gras celebrations to learn what makes revelers participate in deviant behavior.

In this edition of ‘Wonks Gone Wild,’ one researcher finds an answer to the Mardi Gras question: How do I get someone to throw me some beads?

The administration’s latest dot-gov wants American drivers to focus on the road. But how will the populace react to chiding while driving?

A collection of academic musings on Valentine’s Day traditions to keep you warm in bed at night (in the event that you don’t find a date).

The politics swirling around the cultural attire associated with Islam may cover up an obvious rationale — it’s currently fashionable in some circles.

Nazi revisionism in America revolves around the idea that anyone you don’t like gets to be a fascist.

Overweight is the new normal in America. So why do we still share an immediate, negative reaction toward the obese?

A cross-national comparison of alcohol and marijuana use among adolescents indicates that stricter laws may prevent high school kids from drinking, but not from smoking pot.

Highly math-anxious female teachers may lead girls to conform to the stereotype that, when it comes to math, they just can’t compete with the boys.

Working magicians conjure up rationales — both beneficial and baneful — for why so few women perform magic.

Facebook friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your earbuds. But don’t ask me to name the Speaker of the House.

With the general public overwhelming in support of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, why is it still politically contentious to overturn the policy?

New research finds a sense of purpose developed during college years sticks with you and helps shape adult behavior.

Perfectionism can be positive or negative, depending upon whether you’re striving to live up to your own high standards or straining to meet the expectations of others.

A new meta-analysis finds gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors are smaller than you may think.

Challenging tests and falling short may be hard on the ego, but they can do more than mere studying for eventually getting it right.

Getting Americans out of their cars would be nice, but their hometowns and mean streets would still favor motorized transport.

Giving a name to a difficult concept or nuanced research may make it easier to recall but a new study suggests it may also devalue the results.

That high-priced new star might fill seats, but a study of professional soccer teams reveals that low player turnover is the best predictor of success.

A new federal Web site hopes to match human research volunteers with medical researchers.

As arts education is pushed further to the margins by the current emphasis on standardized testing, a tool for nurturing children’s social and emotional development is being lost.

While our kids may drive us crazy, a prominent researcher given a big new prize hopes to spend his money finding out if that’s universal.

It’s long been noted that power corrupts, but it also makes people hypocrites, too.

The final wave of Nazi trials focuses on now-octogenarian pawns of the end game that was the Holocaust.

New research suggests the contemplation of compassion can negate the power of threat to increase support for conservative values.

Privacy and security expert Fred H. Cate believes we can make it safer to fly without a new airport security system — but we do need to improve the one we have.

A new study of college students finds a correlation between body art and deviant behavior, but only for those with multiple tattoos or piercings.

College party-goers share their reasons puffing on the patio … and other odd studies highlighted in this month’s Cocktail Napkin.

Full cliché ahead! At least this year-end list connects to good journalism.

As time erodes the ephemera of genocide, the purpose behind preserving every physical bit of atrocity becomes a question for archivists and ethicists.

Cristi Hegranes, a Miller-McCune Wonking Class Hero, expands the Global Press Institute to Kenya, where women will become the eyes and ears of the developing nation.

How do you best measure a decade, and what do you measure if you do?

Long after the benefit concerts are finished, the victims of hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis suffer severe emotional aftershocks. Is there a better way to respond to disaster?

GIS mapping technology is helping underprivileged communities get better services — from education and transportation to health care and law enforcement — by showing exactly what discrimination looks like.

As the legion of home-schoolers rapidly grows, sensible government oversight seems to be a reasonable option — or it’ll invite a firestorm of opposition.

A leading canine researcher says dogs understand more than 150 words and can count up to four or five. He has compiled a list of the world’s smartest dogs. See if your pooch cracks his Top 7.

Why are suicide rates in the military going up? A new analysis suggests combat training meant to override feelings of fear and pain may be a key factor.

Writing words by hand is a technology that’s just too slow for our times, and our minds.

Collective guilt regarding climate change can be a catalyst to individual action, but new research suggests eliciting that emotion can be tricky.

A sociologist and an economist look at collegiate grade inflation and find a bogeyman that doesn’t frighten them at all.

Just how toxic is the term “tax?” A newly published study suggests its use decreases support for climate change initiatives.

When you say a little prayer for someone, new research suggests you may be changing your emotional relationship with that person.

Framing international conflicts as comedies could help to resolve them.

New research finds fathering children leads men to behave in more altruistic ways.

In sizing up a possible opponent’s intentions, men make snap judgments based on the shape of the guy’s head.

New research finds the presence of Mexican immigrants in the United States is good for democracy in Mexico.

A new look at the link between religiosity and long-term health finds devoutness does delay death — but only for women.

The world’s most prosperous (and happiest) countries are also its least religious, new research states.

Uniforms make students look sharper, and they create a safer environment, but they can’t they raise a school’s achievement level

New research finds black women are more likely to go unnoticed and unappreciated than black men or whites of either gender.

Two recent studies find more Xena than imperiled Penelope among stereotype-busting women.

Western filmgoers increasingly like to see it all come down as apocalypse become hot box office.

A new analysis of five years of box-office data finds nudity and sexuality do not, on average, increase a film’s profitability or prestige.

Can compulsively searching, instead of merely surfing, lead to greater cognitive benefits for netizens?

The realization there’s a lot of competition out there for a mate appears to increase one’s religious intensity.

The documentary “The End of Poverty?” takes an impassioned if clunky look at international capitalism over the last half millennium. Guess what it finds?

Since the First World already mucked up the climate, animal nature dictates that developing economies are piqued at having to clean up.

The 2007 Virginia Tech massacre resulted in widespread psychological distress among the university’s students — whether or not they witnessed the incident firsthand.

Life-threatening illnesses can disrupt even the most stable marriages, but new research suggests that men are far more likely to divorce a terminally ill spouse.

Can ADHD stimulants like Adderall be the answer for college students looking to increase academic performance? They think so.

A new study illuminates the motivations behind religious sacrifice among a very devout population — adolescents.

Talking on your cell phone can distract you from your surroundings — even if they include a unicycling clown.

Working to accomplish your goals may cause you stress in the moment, but will increase your overall happiness.

Professor Shigeru Watanabe from Keio University in Japan, writing in the journal Animal Cognition, says pigeons can use color, pattern and texture to distinguish good paintings from bad.

An overlooked component of the health care debate is our tendency to justify the status quo.

The tendency to fault others for our own failures can spread like a virus.

With the right parenting, the mischievous — but not the outright evil — may be on the fast track to a leadership role.

A new study from neuroscientists at UC Irvine suggests that bad driving may be in your blood.

What happens when witches meet wonks? With Halloween approaching, Miller-McCune’s skeleton staff digs up some facts about the haunted holiday.

New research suggests people who enjoy gazing in the mirror have reason to like what they see.

Jessica Sager and Janna Wagner train home-based child care providers for the poor neighborhoods that need them most.

Health care will change an essential American debate, and it’s unlikely to take its cue from anywhere else.

How to get to Sesame Street? Take Wonk Way and turn left on Research Road.

In a German study, the notion of ongoing Holocaust-related suffering among Jews apparently increased feelings of anti-Semitism.

Research suggests certain mental games may help chocolate lovers resist the temptation to overindulge.

Two psychologists show that our concepts of morality and sin are mentally associated with lightness and darkness, with potentially troubling implications for criminal justice.

While adolescents today work less and have more leisure time than previous generations, how do they invest these valuable hours?

New research suggests workers paid an hourly wage are more likely than salaried individuals to associate money with happiness.

Two social ills come together in Miami for a positive outcome, at least on a small scale.

Guest blogger Tom Jacobs says psychology provides some suggestions as to why so many artists transgress ethical boundaries.

Authors of two recent books, “Whitopia” and “The Big Sort,” see Americans as disuniting based on politics, race and culture.

Two new studies suggest older people have difficulty suppressing stereotypes, which means many may become prejudiced against their will.

What’s your idea of an ideal mate? The answer may depend upon whether your stomach is rumbling.

A new study links bullying behavior by adolescents to the perception they are not treated fairly by their parents.

Fleeing congestion and high taxes, America’s internal migrants must have Horace Greeley spinning in his grave.

In a sequel to an experiment from the days of silent film, a multinational team of psychology researchers has shown that we perceive emotions based on what we bring to the table.

Does acting violently make us animals? A study finds that idea reduces right-wingers’ support for war.

Why do people visit art museums? The answer depends on the type of art on display.

New research finds love inspires creativity, but thoughts of sex stimulate analytical thinking.

New research finds males mistakenly believe aggressive behavior is admired.

A group of psychologists argue that during Hurricane Katrina, those who stayed in New Orleans had a very different sense of their options than those who oversaw the evacuations or those watching from afar.

A Harvard psychologist argues that our mindless acceptance of stereotypes leads to premature aging.

To chase street gangs out of suburbia, adults will have to make a dramatic change: They’ll have to start paying attention to the culture their children live in.

New research suggests our brains react almost instantaneously to statements that challenge our moral values.

You don’t always need a standardized test to know a school is in trouble. Just look in the boys’ john.

Professor Howard Wainer’s exercise in presuming innocence exercised a lot of boffins eager to set the record straight.

A sense of entitlement, whether through beauty or brawn, goes hand in clenched fist with anger, a provocative new study suggests.

New research finds those who feel a strong connection to the natural world have a more caring attitude toward others.

Miller-McCune’s first-ever summer intern returns this summer to discuss the pressure many college students face to fill their off hours with something useful.

A new study finds 18-month-olds who were subtly introduced to the concept of togetherness were far more likely to help someone in need.
 

Ancient Greek wanderers knew something modern mortgage agents and serial snackers don’t: It’s easy to overestimate your willpower to resist.

Power tends to bend a person’s moral outlook, making one less likely to believe bending the rules is acceptable behavior.

Wondering if she is gay? Your first instinct is probably right.

Guys wait longer to get married where women are in abundance, but get hitched sooner when females are scarcer.

A new study finds listening to Mozart can indeed provide a boost for the brain — but only in non-musicians.

A ‘virtual census’ finds that, in the fictional universe of video games, white males still rule.

While the passing of Frank McCourt shone a light on memoirs, more literary biographies have been doing land-office business of late.

A new study finds people forced to decide between two unpalatable choices are judged harshly, no matter which option they pick.

The stereotype of the self-absorbed orchestra conductor appears to be off-key.

Whether it’s from Irish-American high school teachers or vice presidents reporting from underground bunkers, Americans have a taste for others’ personal experiences.

The fanatical thinking that leads to militant extremism is a seductive narrative that may have a surprisingly widespread low-level resonance in the general population, finds one study.

Fans aren’t the only ones under the spell of the seven-tome series. Academics at non-Hogwarts institutions find a great deal to study as well.

It takes two to tango, but do it poorly and you end up dancing with yourself.

Miller-McCune magazine highlights current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

Miller-McCune decides to wade into some recent studies regarding the summer season’s most popular yet problematic recreational facilities: swimming pools.

An electronic survey launched at the height of media coverage about swine flu — but by no means at the height of the current pandemic — puts data to public perceptions.

Giving people basic facts changes their opinions on major schools issues — which may dismay those seeking more school funding.

A pinch of passion goes a long way: Researchers are showing that paint-by-numbers performances, from symphony halls to training grounds, are less well received than mindful renditions.

An economist taking a new look at existing data suggests that gay men do incrementally better at college than straight men, while bisexual women do worse than their peers.

The numbers are still small and even proponents admit to a whiff of fad, but backers of green burials see their way of death as the wave of the future.

Duke University Engineers use the classic detective game of CLUE™ to teach robots how to navigate minefields and find hidden explosives.

Liberals and conservatives conceive of morality in decidedly different ways. Jonathan Haidt has mapped out their competing ethical universes in hopes they can learn to peacefully coexist.

A Miller-McCune interview of intellectual provocateur Leon Botstein.

Julie Cajune leads a groundbreaking Montana initiative to compile American-Indian history and include it in public education.

Wonks examine the state of American self-governance; little hopeful audacity is found.

We look at studies analyzing the longevity of pro golfers’ careers, health benefits for amateur players, environmental impact of the greens as well as sexism on the links.

It’s little remarked upon, but there’s a thriving culture of video gaming among people who can legitimately join AARP, and intergenerational communication may just be the better for it.

Just Communities is dedicated to teaching educators about unintentional racism, which it says is a key contributor to the persistent achievement gap.

Although bullying and its new-media sibling cyberbullying aren’t going away, we don’t need to be helpless in responding to them, argue the authors of a new guidebook.

After years of ambivalence, the United States is trying to reconnect with its past as the leader of a global effort to save the treasures of the planet, from the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite National Park to the pyramids of Egypt and the East African Serengeti.

Review: A useful but incomplete book looks at the compatibility (if any) of Buddhism and science.

We look at studies analyzing Major League Baseball’s race relations, economics and pop-ups.

In his new book, professor Jonathan Fast describes the similar cultural factors that create the rampage killer.

It being that bit of plastic perfection’s 50th birthday today, Miller-McCune.com takes a look at the wealth of research on Barbie.

A nonprofit group is working to create the new Rwanda, made by orphans.

A look at studies that highlight music’s affect on memory, the sturdiness of beer bottles and, of course, French rap.

For those challenges that are difficult to describe, tackling the hardest example first may be the best way to master a concept.

Amid the hand-wringing over the parlous state of U.S. education, experts suggest that successes demonstrate that lasting reform will require constellations of effort, not just stars.

Interview with retired legislator Harris Wofford, who helped birth such organizations as the Peace Corps.

Civil rights advocates fear that anti-terrorism fusion centers are overstepping their bounds.

An ambitious project in Chicago provides a glimpse at poverty solutions that might actually make a difference.

Men find a woman in red activates their animal urges, according to a pair of psychology researchers.

The case for making American universities into patrons of the arts.

Flaws in human vision produce incorrect “out” calls by tennis referees at Wimbledon.

Miller-McCune’s experts offer solutions to problems that were under-discussed during the presidential campaign.

Some readers say our article on a “harm reduction” approach to the drug problem is, itself, harmful.

Research suggests that seeing the flag doesn’t make Americans feel more patriotic. But it does make them feel more nationalistic and more superior to non-Americans.

Can government incentives bring something besides fast food to South L.A.?

People lie more often when using electronic communication, business profs find.

The ‘Bradley Effect’ may be kaput, but the ‘Turban Effect’ is alive and kicking.

A Miller-McCune interview with Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State.

If you arrogantly proclaim, ‘We’re No. 1,’ it’s probably because you know darn well you’re not.

A look at some current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

No country is an island, a poet might say, but the insularity of the U.S. has raised some hackles.

Two troubling trends have reshaped the lives of Americans over the past few decades: Our jobs are less secure, and we are less likely to participate in social and community groups. A first-of-its-kind study suggests these phenomena are linked.

While most of math professor Bruce Bukiet’s divisional-winner picks failed to come home, he says his system can still score.

Local governments take the lead in placing older Americans in public service opportunities.

Hey, man, this baby boomer retirement thing ain’t that big a deal. OK?

An engineering professor has submitted a patent application for a circular, spinning aircraft design … or flying saucer

Pew finds that baby boomers are gloomier than Americans older and younger than they are.

An unprecedented era of great-power aging makes it likely the 21st century will, again, be American.

A look at some current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

A journalism professor finds a straw woman on daytime TV and, in the name of scholarship, knocks her right down.

About 600,000 elderly stop driving every year. How can we keep them mobile?

The Olympics edition!

Offline Diary: An old way of turning sunlight into electricity reinvents itself in California.

Even as corn prices rise with the demand for biofuels, a simmering dispute percolates in Mexico where genetically modified imports from the U.S. are both welcomed and damned.

Part III of a three-part series: The affirmative action of tomorrow might focus more on class and other proxies for hardship and less on race.

Part Two of three-part series: Some contrarians feel affirmative action focuses more on getting in when it should focus on what students are getting out of college.

A ‘pregnancy pact’ among high school sophomores suggests conventional sex education has some explaining to do. An international consultant on adolescent sexual health offers direction for where changes should be heading.

Miller-McCune.com takes a three-part look at affirmative action 30 years after a landmark court decision that changed its face.

The results of a new study point to placebos as the perfect performance-enhancing drug: Athletes performed better on a high-jump test after unknowingly ‘doping’ with sugar pills.

Two academic groups — one funded by collegiate sports’ governing body — aim to provide ‘factual’ research regarding athletic issues.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tracks the arrival and initial settlement location of refugees coming to the United States.

In Europe and elsewhere, governments are using ideas from the new science of well-being to try to make citizens more content. Will America follow their lead?

Cristi Hegranes and her nonprofit train women around the world so they can help their communities — through journalism.

A documentary looks at historic injustice in the Texas prison system — and comments on the habeas corpus battles of the war on terror.

Offline Diary: Where we look beyond some of the stories originally published on Miller-McCune.com.

Notes on early parenthood, cell phone usage, the lack of obesity in France and more.

A look at some current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

Public debate has been dominated by the belief that education builds human capital, causing increased income, health and political participation, among many positive outcomes. But new research suggests that costly expansions of education may not always bring the promised social results. In some cases, those expansions may do little but sort people according to their native ability.

How and why the threat of bioterrorism has been so greatly exaggerated. A Miller-McCune interview of UCLA’s William R. Clark.

Haiti has been an early casualty of the latest global food crisis. Here, the Associated Press correspondent in Port-au-Prince provides a first-person report from the front lines.

A documentary about a meditation program among convicted murderers sparks discussion about the benefits religion and spirituality offer inmates and officials.

Research into helping families cope with divorce is finally bearing fruit, but some governments continue funding unproven programs.

Re-emergent STDs lead some to call for restrictions on gay hookup websites, which may possess a more formidable weapon: the First Amendment.

Art posters on the walls of an office lower both the anger and stress levels of men but don’t seem to have the same effect on women, according to new research.

Residential neighborhoods are still the final frontier of desegregation.

New research suggests every choice made depletes our store of mental energy, lessening our ability to control impulses.

A survey on discrimination taken soon after 9/11 reveals a strong belief in equality for all — although
men seem more willing than women to set aside that ideal.

Although U.S. authorities haven’t budged on the ban, other nations and several airlines are close to allowing cell phone use in the skies.

A study of peak-hour traffic along the thousand-plus miles of high-occupancy vehicle routes in California shows that carpooling may not be the best solution for solving the state’s — not to mention the nation’s — traffic congestion problem.

A look at some current research that merits a raised eyebrow or a painful grin.

Quick hits from the professoriat: That’s the brakes for those caught in traffic, it’s a grand old (subliminal) flag, and Amber Alerts get a yellow light.

A flood of ideas has brought unacknowledged progress toward a ‘new’ New Orleans, but big business still has to be persuaded to invest.

States’ kindergarten policies continue to diverge, despite years of research revealing the academic benefits of full-day kindergarten.

Since the 1970s, the cry has been to ‘Save Our Cities’ — often from the seductive call of the suburbs. But now our oldest suburbs themselves are under siege from the same problems.

A pair of researchers claim teachers’ college curricula feature misplaced priorities they say helps explain the poor math skills of American students. Critics don’t give the researchers even partial credit.

The most common victims of serial killers may be much more numerous than experts generally believe.

High school football players and wrestlers are far more likely to get into violent altercations than their non-athletic classmates, according to a new finding.

More than 20 years of published articles on performance-enhancing drugs have ranged from identifying the damage the drugs have on the individual to the damage they have on society as a whole.

The GED may not be worth as much as governments, the military and employers might suggest, but new research shows it may promote better health.

Urban sprawl continues to increase. More and more land is being developed on the edges of wilderness or agricultural areas, affecting quality-of-life issues.

While scientists monitor how our clothing affects the climate, trend-watchers are more interested in the reverse: how climate change is beginning to alter our apparel. Bamboo underwear, anyone?

Serious research into juvenile bullying increasingly focuses on ways to curb what appears to many as an inevitable feature of the schoolyard.

Mr. Rogers was right: Neighborhoods play an important role in a child’s development.

Research using brain-scanning technology finds that images of violence stimulate specific responses in the human brain that do not occur in reaction to other types of imagery.

Hollywood stars have made international child adoptions trendy in recent years, but countries have been striving to make practice safer.

The touted AMBER Alert system is so inherently flawed it amounts to little more than "crime-control theater," according to a new report by researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno.