Human Behavior, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 31, 2015

Fairy-Tale-Inspired 'Gremlin Drones' Could Spy in Swarms

When the U.S. military needs a new idea for drone technology, it turns to an unlikely source for inspiration: old fairy tales. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which is responsible for developing new technologies for the military, recently announced its gremlin program, a drone design initiative. It aims...

Aug 31, 2015

Does Everyone Have a Look-Alike?

We've all done a double take when mistaking a random person on the street for someone we know or know of, like the celebrity look-alikes Will Ferrell and Chad Smith — the actor and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer, respectively. But does everyone have a doppelganger? There's a fairly...

Jul 31, 2015

Can Sexting Have Benefits for Couples?

Sexting is common among U.S. adults, and although the practice is often portrayed as risky or just bad behavior, it may have benefits for couples, a new study suggests. In the study, 870 people ages 18 to 82 filled out an online survey about sexting, which is defined as sending...

Jul 31, 2015

Women Are More Likely to Initiate Divorce, But Not Dating Breakups

Women are more likely than men to initiate divorce in the United States, but they are no more likely than men to initiate breakups in a dating relationship, a new study finds. The breakups of nonmarital heterosexual relationships in the U.S. are quite gender-neutral and fairly egalitarian, study author Michael...

Jun 30, 2015

7 famous Fourth of Julys: How Independence Day has changed

Americans celebrated the first July Fourth in 1777, a year after declaring independence from England. The festivities have varied in the years since then, but several mainstays have emerged (parades and fireworks) while other patriotic pastimes (drunken toasts made by menfolk) have gone out of style. Here's a list of...

Jun 30, 2015

Why Atticus Finch's Racist Shift in 'Watchman' Could Be an Anomaly

The character Atticus Finch, long revered by many as a paragon of justice, has transformed into an unapologetic racist in Harper Lee's new novel, Go Set a Watchman (Harper, 2015). But it's curious that Atticus endorses racism in his old age, as most people tend to become more tolerant in...

May 31, 2015

NYC Ivory Crush Sends Strong Anti-Poaching Message

NEW YORK — Some 1,500 people gathered in New York City's Times Square today (June 19) to witness the destruction of 1 ton of confiscated ivory — a move intended to demonstrate to the world that objects made from poached ivory have no value. Some wore it, some carried it,...

May 31, 2015

Water Fights and Grown-Up Talk: How Dads Do It Differently

Dads toss their kiddos in the air, they roughhouse, and they're always game for a water-balloon fight. Those may be stereotypes about Daddy's brand of parenting, but they have some basis in reality, at least according to research. Thousands of studies have found differences, on average, in how dads and...

May 31, 2015

Universal Rhythm: People Dance to Same Beat Across the Globe

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called music the universal language of mankind. Now researchers may know why. A new analysis of music from diverse cultures around the globe reveals that regardless of whether it's hip-hop or classical or alternative rock, all music shares certain universal features, such as having a simple...

Apr 30, 2015

Royal Baby: Second Siblings Who Changed the World

This story was updated on Monday May 4 at 10:15 a.m. E.T. Princess Kate Middleton and Prince William just welcomed their second child, a baby girl, into the world — and into the growing queue to the British throne. Based on custom, the baby girl will be fourth in line...

Mar 31, 2015

Bizarre Syndrome Makes Visitors to Jerusalem Go Crazy

As Christians and Jews around the world prepare to celebrate the holidays of Easter and Passover, many will flock to the city of Jerusalem. Since ancient times, the city has been a magnet for religious pilgrims from some of the world's largest faiths — namely, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But...

Mar 31, 2015

This Country Is the Happiest in the World

This story was updated April 27 at 8:10 a.m. EDT. The happiest country in the world isn't in the tropics, as you might expect, but is known for its snow-covered peaks and delicious chocolate: Switzerland took the top spot in the 2015 World Happiness Report, a ranking of 158 countries...

Jan 31, 2015

Getting Tattooed & Eating Human Ashes: 6 Strange 'Addictions'

Many people get cravings for a cigarette or a glass of wine. But what about a potent desire to get tattoos or eat human ashes? Merriam-Webster defines an addiction as a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble), or...

Jan 31, 2015

Online Dating Tips to Help You Find 'The One'

Attention, online daters: If you want to get lucky in love, it's better to go with the screen name AdorableAnnie, rather than ZoltantheDestroyer. That and other insights come from a large new review of online dating tactics and their success levels. Among the findings: picking a screen name that starts...

Jan 31, 2015

5 Things a Man's Finger Length Says About Him

Man's finger length A peach against a blue sky background. (Image credit: Shutterstock)Men, take a look at your right hand. Is your index finger shorter than your ring finger? The ratio of these digits' lengths could hint at everything from personality to intellect to physiology, a number of studies suggest....