September 14, 2010

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Editor’s Selections: Follow the leader, Psychological Relativity, Right-Brained Nonsense, and the Science of Fatherhood

Here are my Research Blogging Editor’s Selections for this week. “The relationship between leaders and followers reflects a social contract wherein followers trust leaders to make decisions that benefit the group and leaders agree to pursue actions that are in the group’s best interests.

By Jason G. Goldman

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

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.

Here are my Research Blogging Editor's Selections for this week.

  • "The relationship between leaders and followers reflects a social contract wherein followers trust leaders to make decisions that benefit the group and leaders agree to pursue actions that are in the group's best interests. The prevalence of leadership throughout history and across species suggests that leadership provides a stable strategy for effective group functioning." But what happens, Dr. Shock wonders, when leaders sacrifice group galls for the sake of self-interest?

  • Albert Einstein once (allegedly) mused, "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute." At Psychothalamus, Jose asks: Why does Time Slow to a Crawl when we Engage in Laborous Tasks?

  • Over at The Quantum Lobe Chronicles, William Lu offers, "The next time your hipster artist friends tell you they're more "right brain" than anything else you can politely correct them by explaining..." the neuroscience of creativity and insight.

  • Finally, is it just me or are there more "science of fatherhood" posts than usual, lately? Mom and Pop Parenting: Determinism Strikes Again. Emily Anthes of Wonderland, one of the new PLoGsters, warns: "It's far too early to say that gender differences in parenting are all due to some wily little peptide."

Jason G. Goldman is a science journalist based in Los Angeles. He has written about animal behavior, wildlife biology, conservation, and ecology for Scientific American, Los Angeles magazine, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the BBC, Conservation magazine, and elsewhere. He contributes to Scientific American's "60-Second Science" podcast, and is co-editor of Science Blogging: The Essential Guide (Yale University Press). He enjoys sharing his wildlife knowledge on television and on the radio, and often speaks to the public about wildlife and science communication.

More by Jason G. Goldman

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

Subscribe