Social Sciences

High temperatures have long been empirically linked to violence, conflict, and aggression at the societal level—a troubling pattern in a warming world. Alessandra Cassar and colleagues sought to explore the effect of high heat on […]

Does modernization—economic growth, technological advancement, globalization, increased education, and urbanization—reduce cultural differences? Conventional wisdom suggests that as nations get richer and more educated, a globalized, modern culture emerges featuring low birth rates, high divorce rates, […]

When choosing an education or job, your choice is not only based on skills and opportunities. Your personality plays a notable role, too—and according to new research, certain traits can cause you to disregard certain […]

Teenagers who use social media more frequently may show slightly higher empathy, according to a new meta-analysis by researchers at Georgia State University. The study, a systematic review published in the Journal of Adolescence, analyzed […]

Choosing a Tinder profile picture may feel like a free, personal and creative act. But how true is that? A new study from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) shows that, far from being unique, […]

Coan says practicing kindness, be it big or small, is a one-two punch for your health and for those around you. That includes “weak ties,” the casual, micro-relationships people form. “People often deride small talk […]

What if there were a way to create accurate replicas of ancient and historical instruments that could be played and heard?In late 2024, senior MIT postdoc Benjamin Sabatini wrote MIT Professor Eran Egozy to ask […]

A new report from the University of East Anglia (UEA) warns that the potential reputational damage of charities using AI-generated images in their campaigns is more complex than many organizations realize. It comes as humanitarian […]

To address persistent concerns about harassment, boundary violation and user safety in digital dating spaces, a research team led by the University of Waterloo has launched an interactive Safety Map to coincide with International Women’s […]

Think about the last time you told a story to a friend. You probably adjusted it halfway through. You saw their eyebrows lift. You noticed them lean in, or glance away. You clarified a detail. […]