Human Behavior, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 31, 2013

What Does the Average American Know About Science?

Can you identify the gas that makes up most of Earth's atmosphere? If yes, you may be surprised to be among the minority in the United States. (Hint: It's not oxygen.) But if you know which kind of radiation that sunscreen protects against, you're in good company. The American public's...

Mar 31, 2013

Bureaucracy, Meat Production Crucial To Building Egypt's Pyramids

(ISNS) -- Of the Seven Wonders of the World only one remains standing: the 4,500-year-old pyramids of Giza in Egypt. How an ancient civilization organized the people, the supplies and the infrastructure to put up something that huge and long-lasting remains mostly a mystery and the topic of considerable controversy....

Mar 31, 2013

Drone Wars in America: Op-Ed

Jeff Nesbit was the director of public affairs for two prominent federal science agencies and is a regular contributor to U.S. News & World Report, where this article first ran before appearing in LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The drone wars are coming to America. While most of us...

Mar 31, 2013

States Where Gay Marriage Is Legal (Infographic)

1. Massachusetts - (2004) 2. Connecticut - (2008) 3. Iowa - (2009) 4. Vermont - (2009) 5. New Hampshire - (2010) 6. Washington, D.C. - (2010) 7. New York - (2011) 8. Washington (state) - (2012) 9. Maine - (2012) 10. Maryland - (2013) 11. Rhode Island - (2013) 12....

Mar 31, 2013

Missing Rune Stone Returned to Rhode Island Authorities

A boulder-sized rune stone that went missing from the coast of Rhode Island has been found and returned due to the help of an anonymous tipster. The stone is a Rhode Island formation meta-sandstone that is 7 feet long, 5 feet high and 2.5 feet high [2.1 X 1.5 X...

Feb 28, 2013

Does Religion Matter for Couples?

Helen Fisher, biological anthropologist and chief scientific advisor for Chemistry.com, contributed this article to LiveScience’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Happy Easter, if you are Christian. Happy spring weekend to the rest of you. I have just returned from the highlands of New Guinea where Christianity has taken hold among...

Feb 28, 2013

Easter Science: 8 Facts About Jesus

He may be the most famous man who ever lived, but surprisingly little is known about his life. This Sunday (April 1), more than 2 billion Christians will celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. While there is no scientific way to know whether that supernatural event at the heart...

Jan 31, 2013

Why We're All Above Average

On a scale of one to 10, you probably think you're a seven. And you wouldn't be alone. While it's impossible for most people to be above the median for a specific quality, people think they are better than most people in many arenas, from charitable behavior to work performance....

Dec 31, 2012

Why Some Facebook Users Constantly Update Status

Scientists have found what compels people to constantly update their Facebook status. College students who posted more status updates than they normally did felt less lonely over the course of a week, even if no one Liked or commented on their posts, researchers found. We got the idea to conduct...

Dec 31, 2012

Knowledge of History May Change How You View Racism

Ignorance about the extent of racism in history might explain why some people perceive less racism today than others, researchers say. To examine possible reasons why different groups see the reality of racism differently, the researchers recruited college students — 199 of European descent and 74 of African descent —...

Dec 31, 2012

Why Do Golf Balls Have Dimples?

About a century ago, after someone realized that a scuffed-up ball travels farther than a shiny new one, balls gained dimples. Now manufacturers invest millions of dollars each year to design better performing golf balls. The dimples in golf balls create turbulence, or mixed airflow, which, if done right, reduces...

Nov 30, 2014

Futuristic Laser Weapon Ready for Action, US Navy Says

The next generation of futuristic weapons has arrived. The U.S. Navy announced that its high-tech laser weapon is ready to disable and destroy enemy drones and small boats, should the need arise. The 30-kilowatt laser weapon system (LaWS) is housed aboard the USS Ponce, a naval vessel stationed in the...

Nov 30, 2014

6 Times Holiday Decorations Turned into Disasters

This story was updated Dec. 29 at 12:58 p.m. EST. Each winter, many people decorate their homes and offices with holiday lights, ornaments and tinsel. They chop down fir trees, and sit near them at home, breathing in the sharp evergreen scent. But while many people use the holiday season...

Nov 30, 2014

Starting Families 'Late' was Common a Century Ago

This article was originally published on The Conversation. The publication contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The shift towards late motherhood – commonly defined as motherhood after 35 – is often presented as a story of progress and technological liberation from the biological clock. The...

Oct 31, 2014

Photos: F-35C Fighter Jet Successfully Lands on Aircraft Carrier

An F-35C Lightning II fighter jet conducted its first landing aboard an aircraft carrier on Nov. 3. The successful touchdown was considered a landmark moment for the U.S. Navy, which plans to begin operating the carrier version of the Lockheed Martin-built fighter jet at sea, beginning in 2018. Here's a...