January 5, 2012

Editor s Selections: Myths, Shoulders, Risks, Resolutions, And Math

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Part of my online life includes editorial duties at ResearchBlogging.org, where I serve as the Social Sciences Editor. Each Thursday, I pick notable posts on research in anthropology, philosophy, social science, and research to share on the ResearchBlogging.org News site. To help highlight this writing, I also share my selections here on AiP.

Happy New Year! Bloggers have started with a bang—there was much to choose from:

At Genealogy of Religion, Cris Campbell probes how myths might help condition the collective, which is a question with no easy answer in sight. But Campbell treats readers to a neat mythology map showing thematic and geographic similarities.
If you’ve ever injured your shoulder, then you have a sense for how important the joint really is. At Lawn Chair Anthropology, Zachary Cofran traces the evolution of the shoulder from A. africanus to present day.
Over at Inkfish, Elizabeth Preston questions why we are a risk-averse species by pointing out that some of our closest genetic relatives will take the bigger reward even in the face of a bigger risk.
Did you make a New Year’s resolution? Did you break it already? Dr. Stu discusses whether these types of commitments are designed to fail.
And finally, at A Hippo on Campus, Andrew Watt attacks an old stereotype with neuroscience, and the hope that it will help girls face math with more confidence.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

I’ll be back next week with more from anthropology, philosophy, and research.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American