Are we over the hill after 40?  Recent research says we're not.  Rather, middle age has been crafted by natural selection to fill a powerful role in human society.

"...middle-aged people may be seen as an essential human innovation, an elite caste of skilled, experienced 'super-providers' on which the rest of us depend."

Changes in body shape and ( Read more... )

New cave paintings in Spain with designs that have "no precedent" may have been created by Neanderthals, researchers say.

Hitherto, all prehistoric art discovered is thought to be created by homo sapiens sapiens (modern humans).  If the new art is the work of Neanderthals, it would suggest they had the same capacities for symbolic representation ( Read more... )

The reconstructions above may sound garbled but they are a huge step toward something we may never have thought possible: true telepathy.

They are the product of technology which identifies areas of the brain concerned with specific audio frequency ranges, then reproduces those frequencies based on brain activity in those areas.  The result: you can ( Read more... )

Elementary kids are fascinated by science, but that interest drops off at around age 10-14.

This may be because the squeaky clean image cultivated by the scientific community, where all concentration is on remarkable discoveries and not on the flaws of their discoverers, doesn't fit in with young adult psychology.

Young adults are working on their ( Read more... )

There are relatively few fungi that invade the bodies of the only two kinds of warm-blooded creatures: mammals and birds.  A new theory suggests that we are warm-blooded - a very expensive evolutionary trick - in order to kill off most fungi.

This is one of the best New Scientist articles I've read in a while, not only for its well-written depiction ( Read more... )

TED Talk: Paul Zak: Trust, morality -- and oxytocin

This is a very interesting article that suggests people on the autism spectrum, as well as those with other disorders, gave early humans a distinct advantage.

While the arguments are interesting, I do get quite skeptical when scientists try to equate shamanic experiences with mental disorders.  There may be some significant overlap, but it's my ( Read more... )

It used to be thought the educating people about the evidence was the best way to persuade people about climate change.  But research has shown that education may actually further polarize and harden people's views.

Dan Kahan, who studies cultural cognition, has found that persuasion has less to do with evidence and more to do with trusting the ( Read more... )

Scientists have made headway into reading some very simple thoughts using brain scans.  Further, they have had similar success in reading the content of dreams.

Mind-reading scan identifies simple thoughts   New Scientist
Dreams read by brain scanner for the first time   New Scientist

One of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with climate skeptics is getting your own climate change facts straight.  I am constantly amazed at how extraordinarily poor the writing on climate change has been.  How many times have I given up trying to research the facts, because it's just too damn tough even for a grad student like me?  It's no ( Read more... )