Animals living in groups, such as the very social homo sapiens and certain other primates such as chimpanzees, must find ways to get along. We all know that this “getting along” is a relatively flawed and halting proposition. But still,there … Continue reading →
I’m taking a break from writing about research on the personality traits of liberals vs. conservatives. I need a rest after this magnum opus, although one of these days I may take one more swipe at the topic. No, this … Continue reading →
I want to say more about that Psychology Today article on fearful conservatives vs. rational liberals, the one the Sanity Squad discussed in its latest podcast. But oh, where to begin, where to begin? I’ll start by disclosing my personal … Continue reading →
When I was in junior high school there was a huge poster of the Periodic Table of the Elements that hung in the science classroom in front of a little-used blackboard spanning the right side of the room, next to … Continue reading →
While researching my recent series on questioning authority, I got the idea to write a post about the seminal Milgram experiments on obedience to authority. When I was a psych major back in college, part of our learning experience involved—as … Continue reading →
Ever since Koko the gorilla learned a rudimentary form of sign language years ago, our concept of animal consciousness has expanded. Putting aside for a moment the debate over whether animal communication can ever constitute actual language itself–whatever you call … Continue reading →
I lived in Los Angeles for a year in the 70s, and I still have a bunch of friends and relatives there that I visit there periodically. So when I read in the NY Times about the recent spate of … Continue reading →
It’s a well-documented fact that Afro-Americans in this country suffer disproportionately from cardiovascular illness, and that when they do they are often less responsive to medication and other standard treatments. There have been many studies that attempt to determine why … Continue reading →
As this article appearing in today’s NY Times itself mentions, the theory isn’t very PC. I see some possible flaws in the reasoning–at least as it’s described in the article. Of course I’m no scientist (obligatory disclaimer), but I do … Continue reading →
There’s a new drug for a syndrome that isn’t actually new, but that’s gotten a new name. The drug is Neurodex, and the syndrome is now known as pseudobulbar effect, or PDA. The unsettling and positively creepy-sounding symptoms are as … Continue reading →
Today a gloomy story in the Globe caught my eye, indicating that a disfiguring lobster shell disease may be heading northward. This isn’t good news at all. New England lobstering is a lucrative and important industry, with its own rather … Continue reading →
To my intense relief, some scientists–even some female scientists–are bravely defying the PC police and stating the obvious, which is that Larry Summers’ controversial remarks merely reflected the current state of scientific knowledge in the field. The Enlightment lives to … Continue reading →