Carnival in Trinidad, a Brooklyn Parade, and the Birth of Soca Music
A new book looks at how Brooklyn's West Indian Day parade and its connections to Carnival in Trinidad nurtured the emergence of soca music. Read more ›
How Fish Hear A Summer Mating Call
Dopamine plays a role in helping female plainfin midshipman fish hear the males' mating calls in summer. Read more ›
‘Uncommon, Unhealthy’: The Right Feedback Reduces College Drinking
In psychology, the theory of "deviance regulation" posits that people generally behave in ways that elicit approval from others. Usually that means conforming to certain norms, or acting like everybody else to Read more ›
A Mother, a Masked Intruder, and a Story That Messes With Your Mind
A new novel, "The Need," creates a disturbing portrait of motherhood when a woman overwhelmed by the demands of her day-to-day life encounters a masked intruder in her home who seems to know all of her secrets. Read more ›
Habits May Not Always Be That Habitual
Do habits always lead to autopilot-type behavior, or do we remain goal-oriented when accomplishing a task? Read more ›
A Caveman Walks Into a Bar: Can Evolution Explain Humor?
Evolution explains many human traits. But what about humor? What purpose does that serve? Read more ›
Please Let Me Through: A Poet’s Airport Meditation
A political scientist's poem -- published in The New York Times -- contemplates airports as places filled with anxiety as well as adventure. Read more ›
Refrigeration Contributes to Climate Change. This Material Might Help.
Remember when chlorofluorocarbons were destroying the ozone layer? Refrigeration switched from CFCs to hydrofluorocarbons, but they're bad for climate change. Now a new material is being developed for cooling. Read more ›
Jim Crow North: Institutionalized Racism Outside the South
A new book argues that institutionalized racism was just as pervasive in places like New York as it was in the South. Read more ›