Seat belts and smoking rates show people eventually adopt healthy behaviors – but it can take time we don't have during a pandemic
Public health recommendations have always been a hard sell. Resistance to new behaviors – like the mask-wearing and social distancing advised during the COVID-19 pandemic – is part of human nature.
Dec. 29, 2020 • ~7 min
public-health covid-19 coronavirus smoking pandemic science statins life-expectancy human-behavior health-behaviors ideology immunization medical-advice
Prehistoric human footprints reveal a rare snapshot of ancient human group behavior
The footprints of over 20 different prehistoric people, pressed into volcanic ash thousands of years ago in Tanzania, show possible evidence for sexual division of labor in this ancient community.
May 14, 2020 • ~8 min
anthropology human-evolution archaeology paleontology human-behavior behavior tanzania paleoanthropology hominins prehistory
Your brain evolved to hoard supplies and shame others for doing the same
Faced with uncertain and anxious times, brains send out instructions to start stockpiling supplies – whether you're a person facing a pandemic, or a rodent prepping for a long winter.
March 27, 2020 • ~7 min
brain neuroscience psychology stress human-behavior shopping public-shaming animal-behavior shame tragedy-of-the-commons hoarding stockpiling
Americans disagree on how risky the coronavirus is, but most are changing their behavior anyway
Using a survey taken from March 10 – March 16, social scientists tried to untangle the complicated connection between feelings of vulnerability and behavior change in response to the coronavirus.
March 26, 2020 • ~7 min
covid-19 coronavirus risk social-psychology communication altruism surveys human-behavior
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