October 9, 2009
God's in Mississippi, where the gettin' is good
Stories by Jesse Bering
Jesse Bering is Associate Professor of Science Communication at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He is the author of The Belief Instinct (2011), Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? (2012) and Perv (2013). To learn more about Jesse's work, visit www.jessebering.com or add him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jesse.bering).
Mind & BrainSeptember 29, 2009
The problem with psychopaths: a fearful face doesn't deter them
Mind & BrainSeptember 16, 2009
Top scientists get to the bottom of gay male sex role preferences
Mind & BrainSeptember 11, 2009
Why We Blush: The Social Purpose of Showing Embarrassment
Evolutionary psychologists examine the adaptive function of blushing in social situations
Mind & BrainSeptember 4, 2009
“So Then I Said to Roger Federer…”: The Tricky Business of Name-Dropping
Psychologists examine how name-dropping can backfire on those poor at the craft
Mind & BrainAugust 27, 2009
Breasts in Mourning: How Bottle-Feeding Mimics Child Loss in Mothers’ Brains
After a successful birth, opting not to breast-feed may trigger evolved mourning behaviors
Mind & BrainAugust 17, 2009
“Annoying Habits of College Professors” (circa 1935 to 1937)
The timeless pet peeves of American university students
Mind & BrainJuly 30, 2009
Think Crying Is Cathartic? Not Always
Psychologists take a closer look at the folk wisdom that "it's good to get it out of your system"
Mind & BrainJuly 9, 2009
It Ain’t Easy Being a Pit Bull Owner
Researchers examine how owners of this "outlaw" breed cope with unflattering stereotypes
Mind & BrainJuly 1, 2009
Pedophiles, Hebephiles and Ephebophiles, Oh My: Erotic Age Orientation
Why most "pedophiles" aren't really pedophiles, technically speaking
Mind & BrainJune 29, 2009
Dreaming of Nonsense: The Evolutionary Enigma of Dream Content
Evolutionary theorists question whether there's an adaptive purpose to dreaming
Mind & BrainJune 18, 2009
Equal Right to Kiss? Why You May Be Disgusted by Gay Behavior without Knowing It
"Gay-friendly" people unconsciously feel that two men kissing in public is morally wrong
Mind & BrainJune 10, 2009
The Sorriest Animal: Why We Seek Forgiveness
Investigators explore how to use an apology effectively
Mind & BrainMay 30, 2009
The Misunderstood Penis
Gordon Gallup sets the record straight on the semen displacement theory
Mind & BrainMay 29, 2009
Women Really Are More Socially Aggressive Than Men (With Apologies to Jezebel.com)
Like it or not, men and women evolved different kinds of violent minds
Mind & BrainMay 27, 2009
The “Bitch” Evolved: Why Girls Are So Cruel to Each Other
Researchers study the natural foundations of female social aggression
Mind & BrainMay 13, 2009
Armpit Psychology: The Science of Body Odor Perception
Researchers explore how other people's smells are processed by our brains
Mind & BrainMay 5, 2009
What’s Your Story? The Psychological Science of Life History Research
How we "spin" our self-narratives can reveal our hidden personalities
Mind & BrainApril 24, 2009
Are Very Young Children Stuck in the Perpetual Present?
Psychologists examine how the self becomes a "character" extended in time
Mind & BrainApril 10, 2009
Intoxicating Studies: The Effects of Alcohol on Social Behavior
Psychologists examine how drinking motivates philosophizing, dating, vandalizing, and more
Mind & BrainMarch 26, 2009
Religious Ideas Burrow into Brains
Cognitive scientists explain how supernatural concepts migrate between minds
Mind & BrainMarch 19, 2009
Creationism Feels Right, but That Doesn’t Make it So
Psychological researchers suggest that evolutionary thinking is unnatural
Mind & BrainMarch 12, 2009
How the Mind Works (in a Cemetery)
People are more intolerant of outsiders when reminded of their mortality
Mind & BrainFebruary 23, 2009
There's Something Queer about That Face
Without being aware of it, most people can accurately identify gay men by face alone