Experiment Shows That All Of Us Are Naturally Altruistic
AdultsHumanPhilosophy...Put to work at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, Alan Alda finds out how children will help, and like it, while chimps are less inclined to offer enthusiastic assistance.
5 Weird Involuntary Behaviors Explained!
AdultsPsychologySocietyOur bodies do a lot of weird things, and many of them are completely involuntary. Why do we often jerk our bodies awake right before falling asleep? Why do we yawn, or hiccup? Why do some people sneeze when they look at the sun? And why does your eye twitch? This week we'll look at the science behind these crazy involuntary behaviors!
"Slap her": children's reactions
AdultsMasculinitySociety...What happens when you put a boy in front of a girl and ask him to slap her? Here is how children react to the subject of violence against women.
Is Santa Real?
AdultsSocietySpiritualityHappy Holidays! Ever wonder how Santa could possibly manage to deliver all those presents in a single night? Or what gives red-nosed reindeer the ability to fly? And why do your Christmas lights get tangled in knots no matter how carefully you put the away?!
8 traits of successful people
AdultsLeadershipSocietyTen years of research and 500 face-to-face-interviews led Richard St. John to a collection of eight common traits in successful leaders around the world.
How Were the Pyramids Built?
AdultsConstructionHistory...The most common misconception about the pyramids is that they were built by slaves. Recent archeological evidence suggests they were instead constructed by paid workers. Some may have performed this work as a form of tax payment for several months of the year. Skilled engineers would have planned and orchestrated the building. An estimated 10,000-20,000 people would have been working on a pyramid at any one point in time. They were well fed and provided with shelter near the pyramids. Plus their burial sites close by indicate they were respected and were not slaves.
The Fear That Everything Has Already Been Done
AdultsPhotographySocietyThe frustration of photographing something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist-the same sunset, the same waterfall, the same curve of a hip, the same closeup of an eye-which can turn a unique subject into something hollow and pulpy and cheap, like a mass-produced piece of furniture you happen to have assembled yourself.
The language of lying
AdultsLanguageSocietyWe hear anywhere from 10 to 200 lies a day. And although we've spent much of our history coming up with ways to detect these lies by tracking physiological changes in their tellers, these methods have proved unreliable. Is there a more direct approach? Noah Zandan uses some famous examples of lying to illustrate how we might use communications science to analyze the lies themselves.
Why Are Some People Left-Handed?
AdultsData ScienceScience...We've got two perfectly good hands attached to two perfectly good arms, so why do most people prefer to use one over the other for common tasks?
Comfortable: 50 People 1 Question
AdultsSelfSocietyThese days it is so easy to feel insecure about our appearance. Whether it is because of the mean comment that comes our way or the photoshopped image we see in magazines, it can be so easy to feel self conscious about our body. When was the last time you felt comfortable in your own skin?
Perth Train Party
AdultsMusicTransportation...Social artist Peter Sharp doesn't want money, he just wants to spread a little bit of happiness to the crowd!
3 Questions That Could Change The World from Kid President
AdultsInternet CultureSocietyDo you dare to do something awesome?
Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story
AdultsEqualitySocietyOur lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
5 Crazy Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain Right Now
AdultsLifeSocial Media...Multi-tasking is actually bad for you when you use social media? Learn why.
Umbrella Here
AdultsSocietyTechnologyUmbrella Here is a light that can be attached on an umbrella. It is controlled by a mobile app that tells people that this umbrella is available for sharing. Just like the light you would see on a taxi. When the light is on, it represents that strangers are welcome to come in and share your umbrella. On Kickstarter
How to Build a Better City
AdultsCitiesConstruction...There are things that all of us can do. Check them out.
Homeless Fonts
AdultsEqualitySociety...Homelessfonts is an Arrels Foundation initiative which consists of creating a collection of typefaces based on the handwriting of homeless. The idea behind these typefaces is for people and brands to use them in their announcements. All profits are intended to help the 1400 people supported by the Arrels Foundation.
Inside the ant colony
AdultsAnimalsNature...Ants have one of the most complex social organizations in the animal kingdom; they live in structured colonies that contain different types of members who perform specific roles. Sound familiar? Deborah M. Gordon explains the way these incredible creatures mate, communicate and source food, shedding light on how their actions can mimic and inform our own behavior.