Human Behavior, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 30, 2012

Columbus May Not Have Been First to America

An investigation worthy of a Dan Brown novel has shed new light on the voyages of John Cabot, the Italian navigator and explorer, revealing that he may have had knowledge of European expeditions to the New World that predated Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage. Although commonly credited with discovering America, Christopher...

Apr 30, 2012

Hitler Used Cocaine and Had Fart Problem, Medical Records Show

Adolf Hitler farted uncontrollably, used cocaine to clear his sinuses, ingested some 28 drugs at a time and received injections of bull testicle extracts to bolster his libido. The startling revelations come from Hiltler's medical records, now up for auction at Alexander Historical Auctions of Stamford, Conn. (full catalogues here...

Apr 30, 2012

10 Iconic Historical Hairstyles (And Why We Love Them)

Vidal Sassoon, the hairstylist credited with ushering out stiff-and-stuffy styles and bringing in short, geometric cuts, died at his home on May 9. But Sassoon's styles weren't the only ones that defined an era. Hairstyles have long been signifiers of culture, religion and values. Here are a 10 iconic styles...

Apr 30, 2012

Ancient 'Loch Ness Monster' Suffered Arthritis

Ancient creatures resembling stout-necked Loch Ness Monsters apparently developed arthritis in their monster jaws, revealing that even such lethal killers could suffer from and eventually succumb to diseases of old age, researchers find. Scientists reached that conclusion while investigating the fossil of an extinct marine reptile known as a pliosaur....

Apr 30, 2012

Political Polarization 'Dangerous,' Psychologist Says

CHICAGO - For the first time in American political history, Democrats and Republicans have sorted themselves into a perfect left-right split, a prominent political psychologist said this week, calling the result a dangerous era in U.S. politics. Traditionally, political parties have been coalitions of broad groups of people, based more...

Apr 30, 2012

Cosmic Art Glows With Fluorescent Bacteria

At an upcoming art exhibit, glowing images of heavenly objects — stars, galaxies, nebulae and remnants of supernovae — will have unusual frames: the clear rims of Petri dishes, the sort typically used to grow microbes. There's no coincidence here. The images of these astronomical structures have been created from...

Mar 31, 2012

Did Shroud of Turin Inspire Spread of Christianity?

A hoax or a miracle? The Shroud of Turin has inspired this question for centuries. Now, an art historian says this piece of cloth, said to bear the imprint of the crucified body of Jesus Christ, may be something in between. According to Thomas de Wesselow, formerly of Cambridge University,...

Mar 31, 2012

Samantha Brick's Claim Reveals Science of Beauty

While the Internet is abuzz declaring she's hot or she's not regarding Samantha Brick, who claimed Monday that she is too beautiful and it has been something of a curse for her, scientists may have some hard-and-fast rules about true beauty. Brick, a freelance writer from France, made her claim...

Mar 31, 2012

The Fish That Nearly Sank Isaac Newton's Career

An intricate image of a flying fish is one of hundreds of images now searchable online courtesy of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom's national academy of science. This striking wood engraving appeared in the 1686 text Historia Piscium or The History of Fishes by John Ray and Francis Willughby....

Mar 31, 2012

Women Seek Less-Dominant Dates in Recession

When thinking about the economic recession, women exhibit less interest in alpha males in favor of guys who call themselves natural followers, a new study suggests. The results are surprising because they fly in the face of what evolutionary psychologists expect from women's mate choices. According to evolutionary theory, women...

Mar 31, 2012

Key to Happiness: Balanced Perspective on Past, Present & Future

Happiness may stem from a balanced perspective involving looking fondly on the past, enjoying the present and having goals to strive for in the future. A new study by San Francisco State University researcher Ryan Howell and his colleagues demonstrates that having this sort of balanced time perspective can make...

Mar 31, 2012

Older People Hold Stronger Belief in God

Across the world, people have varying levels of belief (and disbelief) in God, with some nations being more devout than others. But new research reveals one constant across parts of the globe: As people age, their belief in God seems to increase. The new study is based on data collected...

Feb 29, 2012

Why It Took So Long to Invent the Wheel

Wheels are the archetype of a primitive, caveman-level technology. But in fact, they're so ingenious that it took until 3500 B.C. for someone to invent them. By that time — it was the Bronze Age — humans were already casting metal alloys, constructing canals and sailboats, and even designing complex...

Feb 29, 2012

Long-Lost Da Vinci Masterpiece Possibly Found

An engineer by training and now an expert in art diagnostics, Maurizio Seracini may have just hit pay dirt: After more than 30 years of searching for a long-lost Leonardo da Vinci painting, he has evidence the mural has been hiding out on the very wall where it was painted...

Feb 29, 2012

Murder Suspect Says Psychic Made Him Do It

An Australian man is on trial for allegedly killing his parents for their inheritance; he did so after a psychic told him that he was owed an abundance of riches. David Weightman, the adopted son of Sydney residents Pam and Bill Weightman, is accused along with an accomplice of strangling...