Cats first finagled their way into human hearts and homes thousands of years ago – here's how

Natural selection changed just 13 genes to separate your Felix and Fluffy from their African wildcat ancestor.

Jonathan Losos, William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis • conversation
Aug. 3, 2023 ~10 min

How swarming animals can help humans and AI make better decisions

Research into swarming in nature is transforming healthcare, gambling and the military.

Samuel Johnson, DPhil Candidate in Mathematical Biology, University of Oxford • conversation
Aug. 2, 2023 ~8 min


Is there a way to stop Biden’s dog from biting people?

Reports surface of aggressive behavior but canine expert says there may be understandable reasons.

Anna Lamb • harvard
July 26, 2023 ~4 min

Laughter can communicate a lot more than good humor – people use it to smooth social interactions

Laughter is so fundamental that animals like chimps, rats and dogs share the ability with humans. But in people it serves more serious social functions than just letting others know you’re having fun.

Adrienne Wood, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia • conversation
July 25, 2023 ~8 min

Just in time for back-to-school shopping: How retailers can alter customer behavior to encourage more sustainable returns

Returns cost companies billions of dollars in lost sales. They also generate emissions and packaging waste. Two logistics experts offer some tips from psychology for more sustainable returns.

Robert Overstreet, Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management, Iowa State University • conversation
July 19, 2023 ~9 min

Dog bites increase as the temps rise, study finds

Science has shown that violence among monkeys, rats, and mice increases when the weather is warm. Now it seems we can add dogs to the list.

Alvin Powell • harvard
July 12, 2023 ~6 min

Why big changes early in life can help later on

Study shows moving can help foster a more robust social network, by strengthening “long ties” with others.

Peter Dizikes | MIT News Office • mit
July 12, 2023 ~8 min

A trauma-focused therapy is helping Ukrainian children besieged by war – a clinical psychologist explains how it could bring resilience to kids around the world

No matter their age, gender, ethnicity or locale, kids undergoing this therapy can make real progress in recovering from the most devastating traumas.

Zlatina Kostova, Child psychologist and director of training at Lifeline for Kids, UMass Chan Medical School • conversation
June 27, 2023 ~10 min


MIT engineering students take on the heat of Miami

A collaboration between MIT and Miami-Dade County has students working with city planning officials to understand why people wait patiently for a bus — and why they bail.

Jane Halpern | Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science • mit
June 23, 2023 ~13 min

Study: Microtargeting works, just not the way people think

In politics, tailored ads make sense, but with real limits to the tailoring.

Peter Dizikes | MIT News Office • mit
June 21, 2023 ~7 min

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