human behavior

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Evolution: Survival of the ... Nicest?
 Evolution: 
 Survival of  
 the ... Nicest? 
david brooks
May 17, 2011 12:42 PM CDT

Evolution: Survival of the ... Nicest?

New research suggests that selfishness is a bad strategy: David Brooks

(Newser) - Our notion of "survival of the fittest" has long held that self-centered aggressors dominate the world and that being an ethical do-gooder is a losing evolutionary bet, writes David Brooks in the New York Times . But that notion is shifting, he argues, and he rounds up a spate of...

4-Second Silences Make Us Feel ... Awkward
4-Second Silences
Make Us Feel ... Awkward
study says
Dec 31, 2010 2:11 PM CST

4-Second Silences Make Us Feel ... Awkward

Researchers cite ancient fears of exclusion

(Newser) - Just four seconds of silence in the middle of a conversation can be excruciating, research finds: That pause can leave us feeling left out and awkward, reports Time . “Conversational flow is associated with positive emotions, and a heightened sense of belonging, self-esteem, social validation and consensus,” researchers report...

Kids Curse, Oldsters Ramble: Facebook Study

Analysts probe data for behavioral trends

(Newser) - You can learn a lot when you’re listening to 550 million people. Using linguistic software, Facebook analysts investigated what people were saying in status updates, and came up with a number of interesting trends, Business Insider reports:
  • The oldsters chatter quite a bit: Status update length was the best
...

10 Celebs With Bad Reputations In Restaurants
 10 Celebs 
 Restaurants Fear 
poor TIPS, STINKY FEET
May 2, 2010 3:00 PM CDT

10 Celebs Restaurants Fear

Please don't take your shoes off, smear food on yourself

(Newser) - Ever wonder how that celeb behaves at the corner table you got muscled out of? The Frisky lists misbehaving A-listers who have been kicked to the D-list by restaurants:
  • Jeremy Piven: Left an Entourage DVD for a tip at an Aspen sushi joint, along with a snide "Thanks for
...

Biologists: Drive to Help Others 'Innate'

Hard-wired helpfulness separates us from chimps

(Newser) - An inborn urge to be helpful may a key universal trait that makes us distinctively human, according to biologists. Experiments have found that babies just 12 months old are naturally helpful—pointing to help an adult find a lost item, for example—while chimpanzees aren't. The helpful instinct was found...

Forget Comfort Food: We Shun It in Turmoil

Studies suggest we don't seek solace in the familiar

(Newser) - Conventional wisdom has it that when we face big changes, we look to the familiar to get us through—whether it’s comfort food or music we’ve loved for years. But new studies suggest the opposite is true, that “change begets change,” in the words of one...

Moody Teen? Must Have an Immature Frontal Lobe

Decision-making area matures last: study

(Newser) - Scientists studying teenage brains believe the growth process is responsible for some of the more unpleasant traits of adolescence, the Daily Telegraph reports. Brain scans revealed that the front of the frontal lobe—responsible for impulses and decision-making—was among the very last parts of the brain to mature, which...

Skull Hints at Caveman Compassion

Skull suggests ancient humans cared for sick

(Newser) - Scientists have pieced together the skull of an ancient human who appears to have been deformed, but survived to at least age 5—suggesting he or she was cared for in spite of the handicap. That’s evidence for the existence of compassion in early humans, a trait other primates...

Tears Lone Signal of Sadness: Study

(Newser) - Tears are more than just an indicator of sadness, Wired reports—they may be the indicator, as far as other people are concerned. People categorize identical images of a face totally differently if tears are present in one photo and digitally removed from the other, a new study found. “...

'Social Siberia' Isn't Just a Metaphor

Icy behavior cools body temperatures: study

(Newser) - Icy stares and chilly receptions can leave you feeling—well, cold. Metaphors about social behavior, like "warm welcome" and "cold shoulder," seem to relate to physical reality, new research finds. People who had experienced and recalled social rejection perceived a 5-degree temperature drop in the lab and...

Officials Worry About Staying Power in Gustav Tales

Those who partied in New Orleans could influence evacuees to remain next time

(Newser) - As the thousands who rode out Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans boast about the hardy, and sometimes boozy, camaraderie to neighbors who paid in frustration for following evacuation orders, authorities are hoping those tales won’t keep residents from heeding warnings next time around, the Christian Science Monitor reports. “...

Rats! Humans, Rodents Have Lots in Common

Much-maligned animals laugh, dream, look forward to sex

(Newser) - Rats may be repulsive to some, but scientists are finding that they're a lot like humans. A recent crop of behavioral studies shows that rats are astonishingly self-aware, Natalie Angier reports in today's Times. They laugh when tickled and dream in epic narratives. There are even rat optimists and rat...

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