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'Food Noise' and the Science of Interoceptive Awareness
Eliminating "food noise" comes with a cost. True health requires mindful nourishment rather than total control.
Mental Health Law Needs a Family Bill of Rights
More consensus is emerging that mental health law should better inform and engage loved ones of those with serious mental illness.
How Microplastics May Be Threatening Women's Sexual Health
Microplastics have been found inside women's ovaries, and they may be hijacking your hormones. Here's what the science says and what you can do about it.
Political Division Is Damaging Therapeutic Alliances
Opposing views between patients and therapists related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have led to ruptured treatment. It is the patients who are harmed.
Microplastics and Men’s Sexual Health
Microplastics can lower your testosterone and may be interfering with you sexual health. Here's what the latest research says, and what you can do about it.
The Science of the Smile: Why it Can be Your Best Friend
The facial cues you provide to others can shape how they treat us. The latest emotion research shows how your smile can make you, and those you care about, happier.
Even Positive Life Transitions Can Affect Mental Health
Recent studies suggest that the transition to marriage and parenthood may be associated with increased suicide risk in some individuals.
Student researcher examines how mental health affects first responder job performance
For first responders, no two days are the same, but one thing remains constant: the pressure to make split-second decisions that can save a life. Kennesaw State University research suggests that mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and insomnia may significantly impact how well first responders can do their jobs. Mahita Polineni, a third-year psychology student in KSU’s Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, is studying how these factors affect cognitive functioning including memory, concentration, and decision-making among emergency medical responders.
Anxiety and the Science of Learning Safety
Anxiety may not only be a fear of danger. Sometimes, it is the body struggling to recognize safety.
No Place for Politics in Therapy?
Personal Perspective: Some people claim that the psychotherapy room is no place for politics, but is it even possible to keep the political out of the room?
Inaugural Mind-Body Science and Health lecture planned
The inaugural Distinguished Lectureship in Mind-Body Science and Health will be delivered by Wendy Berry Mendes, Yale University professor of psychology, on May 28 at the Mellon Institute. Mendes will discuss “Affect Contagion: Physiologic Synchrony among Strangers and Close Others,” from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Mellon Institute Auditorium. The lectureship is sponsored by the Pittsburgh Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine Research Network, a joint project of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University, and Pitt’s Center for Mind-Body Science and Health. RSVP as soon as possible to help plan for a reception following the lecture. This is a public event. Students, post-docs, and early-stage investigators are especially encouraged to attend.
My unsung hero of science: Carolyn Wood Sherif, pioneer of feminist psychology who foresaw the risks of scientific bias
In 1979, Wood Sherif wrote my favourite psychological paper of all time.
An Atlas of Mental Health
Mental health diagnoses can help, but human minds are more sophisticated than rigid categories. We may need better "maps," not just boxes, to understand mental health and illness.
Outstanding Seniors in the College of Science: Elise Belcher
The College of Science is proud to recognize 12 outstanding seniors who went above and beyond during their time as Wildcats. Elise Belcher is this semester's recipient from Psychology!
The Science of Growing Up
Natalie Brito, a professor of psychology, researches how both the families we’re raised in and the societies we live in, shape us.
Integrating Mental Health Into Medical Care
The question is no longer whether mental health belongs in health care settings. It is whether health care systems can function effectively without it.
The unexpected road to a master’s in computer science
At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, students from nursing, psychology, linguistics and other fields are changing careers, expanding their skills and moving into tech through the master’s program in computer science. Students pursuing an M.S. in Computer Science come from a range of academic and professional backgrounds, each with different experiences, goals and interdisciplinary strengths.
Brain scans reveal a shocking difference between psychopaths and other people
Scientists have uncovered a striking brain difference linked to psychopathy: people with psychopathic traits were found to have a striatum — a brain region tied to reward, motivation, and decision-making — that was about 10% larger on average than those without such traits. Using MRI scans and psychological assessments on 120 participants, researchers connected this enlarged brain region to thrill-seeking, impulsive behavior, and a stronger drive for stimulation.
Game on: ASU students join ‘hot' field of sports psychology
Nowadays, every time a professional athlete wins a gold medal, dunks a ball or knocks it out of the park, there's a good chance a mental performance coach is celebrating along with the rest of the team.And while these coaches have long been considered essential at an elite level, they are no longer a luxury reserved for professionals only.
Meghan Dutkovich Commits To Pitt-Johnstown For Soccer
By: Jared Barton North Allegheny junior Meghan Dutkovich has announced where she will be attending to compete at the next level. The outside back announced on social media Thursday that she will study psychology and play for Pitt-Johnstown. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Meghan Dutkovich (@meghan_dutkovich) Dutkovich has two career… More »
The Science of Workplace Behavior
When performance issues look like people problems, they’re often really system problems—and this post shows how to spot the difference before you try to fix the wrong thing.
What Endurance Sports Teaches Us About Being Human
Ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin’s historical performance at the Cocodona 250 mile race this week calls us to question our own limits. Why not you?
Publication Q&A with Melissa Maffeo: Science of the Supernatural
Melissa Maffeo, associate teaching professor of Psychology, spoke with the Dean’s Office about her new book, Science of the Supernatural, published with Cambridge University Press. In it, Maffeo blends research and storytelling to explore eerie phenomena through the lens of neuroscience and psychology. Diving into [...]
James Loehr, Who Showed Athletes the Power of the Mind, Dies at 83
He began practicing sports psychology before it was a profession, teaching athletes the importance of mental resilience and how to cultivate it.
ASU graduate steps into leadership role in sports psychology field
For Jake Land, sports psychology is more than a degree, it is a calling shaped by years of athletic experience, curiosity about the mind and a deep belief that failure can be one of the most powerful tools for growth.
Sports psychology a natural fit for former UND athlete
Now a graduate student, Sydney Raboin is exploring how psychological interventions can help athletes perform
Political Science Professor Named 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellow
Wayde Marsh will research and write two books on rhetoric and political psychology.
Political Science Professor Named 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellow
Wayde Marsh will research and write two books on rhetoric and political psychology.
New Poll Reveals Growing Concern About Mental Health
A recent poll reveals that we are now more worried about our mental health than we are about terminal illnesses like cancer. How did we get here, and what can we do about it?
The Key to a Healthy Mind
Personal Perspective: Our symbolic environment is changing faster than our evolutionary mechanisms can adapt.
FHU graduate program adds Master of Science in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology
Freed-Hardeman University will offer a Master of Science in applied sport and exercise psychology beginning in Fall 2026, becoming the only university in West Tennessee to offer a master’s degree in this discipline. This distance education program meets educational requirements for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) certification from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).
FHU graduate program adds Master of Science in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology
Freed-Hardeman University will offer a Master of Science in applied sport and exercise psychology beginning in Fall 2026, becoming the only university in West Tennessee to offer a master’s degree in this discipline. This distance education program meets educational requirements for the Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) certification from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).
When Summer Screen Time Poses a Mental Health Risk for Teens
Beyond headlines and courtrooms, many families are seeking an answer to a more immediate question: How do we know when social media use is affecting a teenager’s mental health?
Why Business Owners Delay Exit Planning
Most business owners know they should plan their exit—but identity, fear of loss, and complexity quietly make it far harder than it seems.
Education to Improve the Planet’s Health, and Our Own
As the planet’s health declines, human health increasingly suffers. We can change this trajectory through a global Planetary Health education campaign.
The Science of Seeing Differently Through Virtual Reality
Virtual reality reveals how bias feels from the inside, and why changing minds is harder than it seems.
Building Your Own Major: Helmhold ’27 Connects Sports and Psychology Through Communication
Helmhold created an Interdisciplinary Studies major focused on communication strategies in athletics.
Not All “Plant-Based” Diets Are Equal for Brain Health
A large study suggests healthier plant-based diets may be linked to lower dementia risk, while processed plant foods may not. The findings show association, not proof.
Research Days slam winner highlights role of cortisol in health
Nebraska psychology student Max Lottes won the 2026 Student Research Days Slam with a dynamic presentation reframing cortisol as a vital stress hormone, highlighting the annual event’s decade-long role in showcasing graduate and undergraduate research.
SDSU public health programs, speech-language science rank among nation
Four top-25 programs include epidemiology and clinical psychology.
SDSU public health programs, speech-language science rank among nation
Four top-25 programs include epidemiology and clinical psychology.
SBCC Psychology Chair and Research Team's Study on Movement Disorders Published in the International Journal of Public Health
A study by an international team of researchers led by Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Psychology Department Chair Leida Tolentino was recently published in the International Journal of Public Health
Mitochondria and Mental Health
Once viewed only as power generators, mitochondria are now understood to play a role in mental illness. Their ability to signal between cells may revolutionize mental health.
Single-session therapy can help address gaps in mental health care
Can a single therapy session make a difference? Experts say yes, but only with the right mindset. Jessica Schleider is a Northwestern University psychology professor and founding director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health.
The Future of Brain Health Is Architecture
We’ve long recognized the importance of buildings in meeting a basic human need: shelter. Now, research shows how buildings can improve our overall brain health.
Carbon Emissions in a War-Torn World Threaten Brain Health
The combination of global warming and wars may deliver a double whammy to normal brain function.
The psychology of holidays: the perfect space between breaks according to science
As the great Easter break begins, It’s tempting to base annual leave around maximising days out of the office, but there’s a much better way to make the most of your holiday. Lydia Spencer-Elliott followed made one big change to her annual leave schedule and was shocked by the benefits
Is Capitalism Destroying Our Mental Health?
Our economic system doesn't just organize our society. It shapes our psychology as well.
Psychology says people who prefer texting to phone calls aren't being antisocial - they're protecting the quality of their thinking from the demands of real-time performance
At some point in the last decade, preferring to text became something people apologize for.
Ability to remain positive during conflict associated with better overall mental health in young children
Staying positive in stressful situations is a sign of resilience in young children — and it protects against mental health problems.An examination of how young children reacted to challenging and stressful situations by the Arizona State University Department of Psychology has found that those who were able to maintain positive emotions during an argument with their parents experienced fewer mental health problems, such as anxiety, depressive symptoms, behavioral outbursts and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder behaviors.
Faculty voice: Why I'm a community-centered health psychologist
Kaston Anderson Jr. is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. Here, he explains how his professional training and lived experience built his belief that a community approach is the best way to solve complex social issues.
Did Scientists Overestimate AI’s Ability To Think Like Humans?
A new wave of AI research is attempting to tackle one of psychology’s oldest questions: whether the human mind can be unified under a single theory.
Clear Space, Clear Mind: The Science Behind Decluttering
Want a clearer mind? Here are five surprising ways that a clutter-free environment can boost our well-being.
Psychology, public health sciences faculty members receive funding to implement hepatitis C virus research findings in clinical practice
Faculty members in the Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) have received $3.4 million in funding from the
What Is the Most Addictive Drug? Science May Have Some Answers
When considering the drugs most likely to cause former addicts to repeatedly relapse, opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine stand out as the most dangerous.
5 ways to resist the urge to keep looking at your phone
So you want to spend less time on your phone. How do you do that when it's designed to suck you in? Life Kit spoke to experts in behavioral science, psychology and technology for real-world advice.
Mental health solutions for the digital age
Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.
Eranda Jayawickreme awarded honorary doctorate for contributions to science and society
Eranda Jayawickreme, Harold W. Tribble Professor of Psychology and a senior research fellow with the Program for Leadership and Character, was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from Utrecht University in recognition of his contributions to science and society. Jayawickreme’s research focuses on post-traumatic growth as [...]
Blending Psychology with Entertainment: Mentalist Dan Cain Gives Us a Mind-Blowing Demonstration
Mentalist Dan Cain joins us to discuss his career that blends psychology and entertainment, as well as giving us a mind-blowing demonstration.
Why Mental Health Language Is Everywhere Now
Words like “trauma,” “narcissist,” and “anxious attachment” are now common currency. What happens when the language of psychology and psychiatry becomes the language of the everyday?
A Classroom takes flight with Zion Williamson–inspired science lessons
A NYC high school class uses NBA star Zion Williamson’s injuries, body data and career path to explore nutrition, psychology and kinesiology.
Can Science Explain Consciousness?
From plant sentience to AI feelings, Michael Pollan's new book explores the terrain of awareness.
Colorism: An Underrecognized Mental Health Issue
What happens when your therapist doesn’t understand colorism? Learn why this blind spot harms clients and what clinicians must do differently.
Can Science Account for Consciousness?
A debate about consciousness with the panpsychist Philip Goff.
A Commonsense Critique of A Priori Metaphysics
On the relationship between science and philosophy.
A Better Way to Respond to Mental Health Crises
Two men experiencing mental health crises were both wielding knives. One was shot four times by police; the other got a snack and a ride back to his neighborhood. Why?
Warm Up This Winter with WCU’s Science on Tap Talks
WCU’s Science on Tap returns, featuring monthly talks by WCU experts on physics, kinesiology, psychology, and chemistry.
Think online dating is a ‘numbers game’? You’re playing it all wrong, says this researcher
Men want hot women, and women want rich men. Or do they? Relationship scientist and UC Davis psychology professor Paul Eastwick isn't convinced.
Should I Get Married? The Science Behind the 'I Do'
Forget the fairy tale. Discover the real science on how marriage affects your bank account, brain health, and long-term happiness.
Experts Warn: The Dangerous Blur Between Science and Wellness in Mental Health Bestsellers
A marketplace where labels blur In many bookstores, titles rooted in clinical science sit inches from glossy self-help guides promising instant serenity. That proximity can make rigorous research look interchangeable with lifestyle advice, especially when everything shares the same bright displays. Readers encounter a single aisle labeled “psychology,” even when the content ranges from peer-reviewed evidence to spiritual rituals. The result is a subtle but pervasive blur, turning a complex health landscape into a grab-bag of mixed claims. Why the shelves can mislead Retail categories are built for convenience, not for methodological clarity or clinical accuracy. When “development personal” or “wellness” becomes the default bin, evidence-based psychology competes with coaching manifestos and mystical manuals. The visual language of covers—calming color palettes, confident subtitles, glowing endorsements—flattens the distinction between randomized trials and anecdotal wisdom. In that aesthetic harmony, a guide on cognitive behavioral therapy may appear no more “serious” than a book on moon manifestation. The stakes for readers and patients Confusion carries real risks, including delayed care when people self-treat serious symptoms with untested routines. Vulnerable readers—facing depression, trauma, or anxiety—may be swayed by charismatic voices over careful data. Some messages frame recovery as pure willpower, which can amplify shame when symptoms persist despite effort. Others overpromise universal solutions, ignoring cultural context, diagnostic nuance, and comorbidity. “Shelving is not neutral; it shapes beliefs, expectations, and choices.” What professionals and retailers are asking Clinicians and public-health experts argue for clear, readable signage that separates science-based mental health from broader wellness. Books by licensed psychiatrists or psychologists that cite peer-reviewed studies could be grouped under “Evidence-Based Mental Health.” Adjacent space might host reflective memoirs, coaching workbooks, or contemplative philosophy—valuable in their way, but clearly labeled as non-clinical guidance. Booksellers emphasize their dual role as cultural curators and commercial actors, noting they respond to demand while striving for quality standards. How clarity could look and feel The goal is not to police ideas, but to help readers navigate with confidence. Transparent categorization respects reader autonomy while lifting the signal of credible practice. Clear tags—such as “scientific references,” “clinical overview,” or “personal narrative”—can work like map legends, turning a maze into a route. And when a book blends modes, hybrid labels can acknowledge both insight and limitation. A practical checklist for choosing wisely Check the author’s credentials: clinical license, academic affiliation, or relevant training. Scan the references: citations to peer-reviewed journals or reputable guidelines. Look for scope limits: clear statements about who the book is and isn’t for, and when to seek care. Seek methods, not miracles: approaches tested across diverse groups, with measurable outcomes. Watch the language: be wary of absolute claims, stigmatizing tones, or one-size-fits-all promises. Cross-verify with trusted bodies: national psychology associations or public-health agencies. The publisher’s responsibility Publishers can raise the bar by standardizing disclosure on methods, sample sizes, and limitations. Editorial policies could require conflict-of-interest statements, transparent citations, and plain-language summaries of evidence. Marketing should avoid medicalized framing for books that lack clinical validation, even when sales incentives press for bold claims. When a manuscript mixes reflection with research, honest jacket copy can prevent false equivalence. Coexisting without confusion Wellness writing can offer genuine comfort, perspective, and daily habits that support well-being. Scientific texts can provide structured tools, validated therapies, and realistic expectations for progress. The aim is to let these strands coexist, while giving readers the navigational cues to tell them apart. With clearer shelves, informed labels, and modest design tweaks, we can protect reader trust—and keep the aisle both inviting and intelligent.
Roanoke introduces Master of Science in psychology
The two-year, terminal master’s degree will provide students with a robust set of skills and expertise, setting them up for success in their future careers.
The New Science of Craving
We often view our cravings—whether for drugs, alcohol, food, or approval—as indictments of our character. Yet neuroscience and psychology say otherwise; here's why.
All of the Feelings: Emotional Diversity Linked to Health
A growing body of research demonstrates that feeling a wide range of positive emotions in a single day is linked to health and well-being.
New Research on the Cognitive Science of Creativity
Creativity is more than just a spark. New brain scan studies reveal the complicated interplay between multiple brain systems.
The 'Nihilist Penguin' Trend: Unpacking Internet Psychology And Science Behind The Viral Meme
The video shows a lone penguin quietly walking away from its colony towards the mountains
How seat-back psychology helped a WA business build a safety card dynasty
This Lacey-based company has made thousands of the trifold safety cards tucked into airplane's seatback pockets.
Crockett, Seung, win major prizes from National Academy of Sciences
Molly Crockett will receive the 2026 Troland award for early-career researchers in experimental psychology, Sebastian Seung the Pradel award in neuroscience research.
Teens Are Asking to Be Seen: The Politics of Growing Up
Teens are stepping into political and moral awareness. They seek validation and want respect and recognition, not dismissal, as they shape the future they’ll inherit.
The Brain Health Wake-Up Call
Brain health is built daily. Science, lifestyle, and nutrition can shape focus, memory, and resilience at every age.
The Rise of AI and Its Impact on Mental Health
The rise of artificial intelligence comes with risks and benefits for the mental health of humans, requiring a thoughtful, mindful way forward.
What's the Point of Philosophy?
Does science really have nothing to say about the nature of consciousness?
Is Consciousness Everywhere?
On the pseudophilosophy of panpsychism and its parallel to creationism
What Makes Men Attractive? Science Reveals the Ideal Body
Do muscles make the man? New research reveals that body fat and BMI play a bigger role in male attractiveness than most people think.
The Metro: Learned helplessness in politics can be unlearned
Dr. Julia Felton, associate professor of psychology at Wayne State University, unpacked learned helplessness in our society today.
Americans have long been skeptical of ICE. That debate just became a lot more urgent.
One day – probably very soon – college psychology and political science lectures will be based on what happened Wednesday in Minneapolis.
What the colour of your home says about you, according to science
Professor Geoff Beattie, a professor of psychology at Edge Hill University argues that choosing a colour scheme is a 'psychological issue, not just an aesthetic one.'
Six Brilliant Brain Science And Psychology Books From The Year
A selection of science-based books from the year that together shine new light on who we are and why we think and act as we do.
Stigma Is the Enemy of Science and Human Progress
History shows we often dismiss what we don’t yet understand. Here’s why stigmatizing today’s uncomfortable questions may be holding humanity back.
The disunity of science is a feature, not a bug
Mathematical models wield miraculous power, but mistaking them for reality has trapped science in a destructive quest for a “Theory of Everything.” Physicist and philosopher Ragner Fjelland argues that this leads to bloated, Frankenstein theories kept alive by clumsy, ad-hoc amendments, which reduce rather than boost science’s power. Fjelland calls for a radical shift in our attitude: we must reorientate towards creating entirely new theories, celebrating rather than lamenting disunity and diversity in science. Science, from the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day, has more or less developed in a “reductionist” way. The fundamental assumption is that all sciences may be ordered in a hierarchy that can be represented as an upside-down pyramid. At the top we find the human sciences, and at the bottom physics. Strong (or “ontological”) reductionism maintains that all theories at one level can be completely reduced to the lower level, all the way down to theories of atoms and elementary particles, or whatever is “at the bottom.” In the end, all diversity in the world can be unified in one fundamental theory. Hence it is called a final theory, or a Theory of Everything.One of the central figures in developing the idea of a Theory of Everything is the Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft, who received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1999 for his work. He emphasizes the non-empirical status of the theory:There exists no closely resembling alternative theory. This means that any slight change brought about in the rules would make the theory unlikely or inelegant. The theory will be a "package deal": take it, or leave it. This should hold both for the local laws and for the boundary conditions.This endeavor is not new. On the contrary, it goes all the way back to the birth of Western philosophy 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians made regular astronomical observations during a period of 600 years, from 747 BCE until 150 ACE. They developed mathematical techniques to predict astronomical phenomena, but they made no attempts at explaining them. However, the Greeks developed models, both material and theoretical, to explain the observed phenomena.The best example is Plato’s late dialogue Timaeus. Here he introduces a divine craftsman, the Demiurge, who has constructed the universe according to an original plan. Plato seems to have thought that the original plan is what is actually real, while the material world is merely an imperfect realization of it. He therefore does not, in the Timaeus, reconstruct the material universe, but the original plan, which can then be used to explain the material universe.Plato’s aim in producing a theoretical model is to reconstruct the original plan. That is what he carries out in Timaeus—and some modern physicists have embarked on the same project. For example, Einstein’s basic attitude is reflected in the title of Abraham Pais’ biography: “Subtle is the Lord...,” echoing Einstein’s comment, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” In an interview Einstein compared our situation to a child who enters a huge library. The child knows that someone has written the books, but he does not know the languages in which they are written. He suspects that there is a mysterious order, but he does not know what it is.___“We have all been working in what Husserl called the Galilean style; that is, we have all been making abstract mathematical models of the universe to which at least the physicists give a higher degree of reality than they accord the ordinary world of sensation.”Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)___This Platonist view is contrary to a widespread impression of science, symbolized by the picture of the “father” of modern science, Galileo Galilei, with his telescope. According to this impression, Galileo liberated himself from the dominating metaphysics of his day—basically Aristotelian philosophy—and constructed a telescope that he directed towards the sky, showing that Jupiter has four moons. He also performed experiments with bronze balls rolling down inclined planes and found the law of freely falling bodies.However, in other cases Galileo emphasized the unreliability of our senses. It is easy to see why. He defended Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, we are not at rest at the center of the universe, but moving at a tremendous speed through space. Why don’t we observe this motion? Galileo praises Copernicus because “with reason as his guide he resolutely continued to affirm what sensible experience seemed to contradict.” In other places he directly refers to Plato. SUGGESTED VIEWING The quest for a final theory With Michio Kaku Galileo’s Platonism goes back to his early writings. In The Assayer, published as early as 1623, Galileo compared the universe to a grand book that is written in the language of mathematics, and “its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.” Therefore, things that cannot be described by mathematics—for example, colors, smells and odors—are not real. They are merely subjective.This division into subjective and objective, advocated by Galileo and his younger contemporary René Descartes, is normally associated with a mechanistic world view, which is regarded as the opposite of Platonism. When we reduce something to, for example, molecules and atoms, we move “downwards.” In contrast, the Platonist moves “upwards,” to abstract entities. However, it only shows that when we address fundamental questions, we should be careful in applying everyday spatial metaphors like “up” and “down.”___Nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world.___The endeavor of finding a Theory of Everything has been heavily criticized. In 2006, the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin published “The Crisis in Fundamental Physics.” He argued that one of the most fundamental principles of science is that we should only regard theories as scientific if we have the possibility to show that they are false by experiments. Although he did not refer to Karl Popper, other critics have referred to Popper and argued that a theory is not scientific if it cannot be falsified (see for example Ellis & Silk 2014).These were not the first physicists to be anti-reductionists. In 1972, the journal Science published an article by the physicist Philip Anderson with the title “More Is Different.” This is the kind of article a scientist would normally write only after he has won a Nobel Prize. However, Anderson won the Nobel Prize for physics five years later, in 1977. The article is amazing, not primarily because it argues in favor of anti-reductionism in general, but because it argues for anti-reductionism within physics itself. Anderson’s conclusion was:At each stage entirely new laws, concepts, and generalizations are necessary, requiring inspiration and creativity to just as great a degree as in the previous one. Psychology is not applied biology, nor is biology applied chemistry.We may say that Plato started the “unity of science movement,” based on Euclidean geometry as the model of all knowledge. A distinguishing mark of geometry is that all possible constructions can be reduced to a few fundamental principles. We have to acknowledge that this approach has limitations. In general, we can easily model technological systems. In addition, we may construct simplified and idealized models that capture important aspects of systems, from various perspectives and for various purposes. But nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world. In a complex system, each level has its distinct, emergent, properties that are characteristic of this level. Therefore, a complex system should be investigated at different levels and from different perspectives. Instead of exclusively pursuing a scientific ideal based on the unity of science, we should acknowledge the diversity—or even the disunity—of science.
Book examines life purpose, from ancient wisdom to emerging science
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