human behavior

Little kids adore repetitive play. Turns out it does wonders for their developing brains.

Health & Safety

Again! Again! Here's why toddlers love to do things on repeat

12:35pm January 12, 2024

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Reading the same books, playing the same games, asking the same questions. Kids' fascination with repetition can be exhausting for parents, but researchers say it's key to brain development.

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Harvard University professor and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson takes a break from searching for insects in the Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord, Mass., in 1998. Wilson died on Sunday at the age of 92.

Science

E.O. Wilson, famed entomologist and pioneer in the field of sociobiology, dies at 92

3:24pm December 27, 2021

by Scott Neuman

The influential and sometimes controversial Harvard professor first made his name studying ants. He later broadened his scope to the intersection between human behavior and genetics.

Software engineer Adriana Kaplan outside her home in South Philadelphia.

Health & Safety

Without Clear Pandemic Rules, People Take On More Risks As Fear And Vigilance Wane

5:12pm December 11, 2020

by Nina Feldman

Officials may be relying on people to do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 at a time when the public is simply not afraid enough anymore to keep up the recommended behaviors.

We all struggle with healthy habits — including experts. They just have science-tested tips to get them back on track.

Health & Safety

Fresh Starts, Guilty Pleasures And Other Pro Tips For Sticking To Good Habits

11:07am August 16, 2019

by L. Carol Ritchie

For most of us, sticking to a good habit is a battle of wills. But the researchers who study habit formation turn to science to help curtail their own tendency to slack off.

If you start to feel hangry, eat something!

How Hunger Pangs Can Make Nice People 'Hangry'

5:00pm June 11, 2018

by Angus Chen

For someone to become "hangry," context is key. People need to be in a negative situation or subject to negative stimuli to have a hangry response.

Laura Ogden, Jack Hannan, and Dr. Jones the dog.

Science

Rewinding & Rewriting: The Alternate Universes in Our Heads

9:00pm May 21, 2018

All of us think back to turning points in our lives, and imagine how things could have unfolded differently. Why do we so often ask ourselves, "What if?"

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Researchers say when a baby is babbling, she's primed to learn.

Health & Safety

Baby Talk: Decoding The Secret Language Of Babies

9:00pm May 14, 2018

To us non-babies, babbles like "ah-gah" and "dadadadada" can sound like cute gobbledygook. But they don't have to be such a mystery. We'll get a primer on how to decipher the dialect of tiny humans.

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A young man records a voice note. A new dating app called Waving lets you swipe right on someone based only off short voice profiles.

Science

Can You Choose A Romantic Partner Just By Their Voice? A Dating App Thinks So

9:26pm March 18, 2018

by Emily Sullivan

Waving is a Tinder-like app that lets users judge potential partners by their voice. An evolutionary psychologist provides some tips on sounding attractive.

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You'd be doing us and yourself a favor if you'd just stay in bed.

It's Not Just A Cold, It's 'Sickness Behavior'

11:51am January 06, 2018

by Nancy Shute

Feeling grumpy and antisocial because you've got a cold? That's not just a random side effect. It's your body saying, "Hey, slow down and rest so you can get better."

What does it mean when we say "Huh?" or "Um" in conversation? Barbara J. King explores a new book looking at the topic, How We Talk.

Um, Uh, Huh? Are These Words Clues To Understanding Human Language?

9:59am November 13, 2017

by Barbara J. King

Tiny filler words in human rapid-fire conversation hold the key to understanding how language is unique, according to a new book. But anthropologist Barbara J. King raises some questions.