These seven questions can define how wise you are
Researchers at UCSD report that an abbreviated, seven-item scale can help determine with high validity a person’s level of wisdom.
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The Brighter Side of News features good news, compassionate news and inspirational news from around the world
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JJ Shavit
- Jan 30
Human activity has degraded more than a third of the remaining Amazon rainforest, scientists find
The Amazon rainforest has been degraded by a much greater extent than scientists previously believed with more than a third of remaining.
JJ Shavit
- Jan 20
Major discovery finds most accurate predictor of human intelligence
A new analysis offers the clearest picture yet of how various brain regions and neural networks contribute to a person’s problem-solving.
JJ Shavit
- Nov 21, 2022
What do your favorite songs reveal about you?
What does having a particular artist on repeat tell us about how to — or how not to — navigate our romantic lives, friendships and family.
JJ Shavit
- Nov 14, 2022
How do we experience the pain of other people?
People greatly differ in their ability to empathize. Sharing the distress of others is considered key to empathy and our motivation to help.
JJ Shavit
- Nov 7, 2022
Science is one step closer to understanding human consciousness
Where in the brain consciousness resides has been one of the biggest questions in science, said Associate Professor Masafumi Oizumi.
Joshua Shavit
- Nov 7, 2022
Looking for romance? What really matters may surprise you, study finds
Study analyzing romantic first impressions shows that compatibility and popularity among the dating pool are influential in shaping pursuits
JJ Shavit
- Sep 19, 2022
Sharing a laugh: Scientists teach a robot when to have a sense of humor
Researchers designed a shared-laughter AI system that responds to human laughter in order to build a sense of empathy into dialogue.
Joshua Shavit
- Sep 12, 2022
Scent of a friend: Similarities in body odor may contribute to social bonding
Science researchers have found that people may have a tendency to form friendships with individuals who have a similar body odor.
JJ Shavit
- Aug 25, 2022
Dogs cry more when reunited with their owners
Dogs and humans clearly have a special bond. But do dogs, like humans, produce more tears at times when they are flooded with emotion?
JJ Shavit
- Aug 23, 2022
Integrity can be good for your health, Harvard researchers find
Harvard research study links ‘strong moral character’ with reduced risk for depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular disease.
JJ Shavit
- Aug 11, 2022
Community support critical for individual health and weight loss
Weight gain can be prevented and perhaps reversed — even during a pandemic — with the help and support of a person's community.
JJ Shavit
- Aug 11, 2022
World's most boring jobs and people discovered by researchers. Is it you?
The peer-reviewed study into the science of boredom has uncovered the jobs, characteristics, and hobbies that are considered a snoozer.
Joshua Shavit
- Aug 8, 2022
The yin and yang of empathy holds the key to handling stress
Humans have evolved as social animals. From childhood, we are taught the benefits of forging ties and being empathetic for survival.
JJ Shavit
- Jul 12, 2022
Taking aim at gun violence: Tech strategies for reducing harm
Gun violence is now recognized as a pervasive and growing problem in a country with patchwork regulation and 25% more guns than people.
Joshua Shavit
- Jul 10, 2022
Friends at first sniff: People drawn to others who smell like them
To assess whether the eNose results accurately mirrored human perception, the team recruited human smellers and devised a set of tests
Joshua Shavit
- Jul 6, 2022
Neuroscientists discover the spark of creativity
Coming up with a creative idea requires us to draw on all our previous knowledge. But how does this happen in our mind and in our brain?
JJ Shavit
- Jul 6, 2022
Silencing your smartphone may actually be more distracting not less
Turning smartphones off, or setting them to silent to ease distractions or avoid addictive internet behaviors may backfire on some people.
Joshua Shavit
- Jul 3, 2022
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would reduce risks to humans by up to 85%
Researchers find that the risks are reduced by 10-44% globally if warming is reduced to 1.5°C rather than 2°C or 3.66°C.
Joshua Shavit
- Jul 1, 2022
Google searches are effective predictors of domestic violence, research finds
Study finds that Google searches are an effective tool to track and predict domestic violence, especially in times of crisis.
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