Human Behavior, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 31, 2013

Fortune-Telling: Fact, Fiction & Fantasy

Palm reading, dream interpretation, numerology, phrenology — and other methods of predicting the future — don't work. (Image credit: Everett Collection Shutterstock)Fortune-telling has been practiced for millennia. Humans have always yearned to know what the future has in store for us. Who doesn't want a glimpse — even if only...

Mar 31, 2013

Too Much Media Could Hurt Marriage

Even though it's now possible to constantly keep tabs on your partner though text, Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare, you might want to back off. Too much talking through too many different channels could hurt a relationship, according to a British survey of married couples. Over 24,000 people in marital relationships...

Mar 31, 2013

2,000-Year-Old Ritual Bath Found in Jerusalem

Archaeologists in Jerusalem say they've found a 2,000-year-old ritual bath with a sophisticated system to keep water pure, Israel's Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced. The bath, known as a miqwe or mikveh, was found at a site in southwest Jerusalem's Kiryat Menachem quarter, and researchers say it had a unique water...

Mar 31, 2013

The Real 'Hobbit' Had Larger Brain Than Thought

The brain of the extinct hobbit was bigger than often thought, researchers say. These findings add to evidence that the hobbit was a unique species of humans after all, not a deformed modern human, scientists added. The 18,000-year-old fossils of the extinct type of human officially known as Homo floresiensis...

Mar 31, 2013

Brazilian Tribe Threatened as Illegal Loggers Stay Put

A deadline for the removal of illegal settlers from the lands of a threatened tribe in Brazil has passed without action, according to a British-based advocacy group for indigenous people's rights. The Awá, an indigenous group of about 450, has legal rights to their lands and a judge's order requiring...

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 —...