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The liberating effects of losing control

A study by Tufts University psychologists found that mentally depleted individuals were more direct and authentic in conversation with black interviewers, and perceived as less prejudiced. This suggests that relinquishing power over oneself can lead to more harmonious interactions.

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Kidnapped senior needed IU-patented home security system

A device patented by an Indiana University researcher would have alerted a kidnapped senior's closest friends and family to the crime within moments. The Portal Monitor connects home doorbell sensors to porch cameras, forwarding headshot images to pre-selected contacts via cell phones.

International Journal of Social Robotics debuts at Springer

The International Journal of Social Robotics will cover a broad array of topics related to socially interactive robots, including design philosophies, human-robot interaction, and neurorobotics. The journal aims to provide an overview of the current state of the field and its impact on society.

Egalitarian revolution in the Pleistocene?

A new study published in PLOS ONE suggests that the first egalitarian societies may have appeared tens of thousands of years ago, driven by the social brain hypothesis. The research uses a complex mathematical model and large-scale numerical simulations to explore how alliances can emerge in groups, leading to a phase transition toward...

Study: Facebook profiles can be used to detect narcissism

A University of Georgia study suggests that Facebook profiles can be used to detect narcissism, with individuals displaying self-promoting behavior and having shallow relationships. Untrained observers were also able to accurately identify narcissistic tendencies based on profile characteristics.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Animals adapt their vocal signals to social situations

Studies across various species reveal that animals adjust their vocalizations to suit different social contexts, such as altering call duration and frequency in response to competition. This adaptability enables individuals to communicate effectively and navigate noisy environments.

UNC, Caltech research finds further evidence for genetic contribution to autism

A new study by UNC and Caltech researchers found that some parents of children with autism process face information differently than other parents, suggesting a genetic link. The study analyzed 42 parents of autistic children and found that those who were socially aloof relied more heavily on the mouth to recognize emotions.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Predicting TB outbreaks based on the first 2 cases

Researchers found that if the first two TB patients are diagnosed within three months of each other, especially in urban areas with sub-Saharan African origin, there's a 56% chance of an outbreak. This information can help focus public health resources more efficiently.

Political participation is partially rooted in genetic inheritance

Research by James H. Fowler and colleagues shows that genes influence voter turnout and a range of political activities, with identical twins exhibiting significantly more similar voting behavior than fraternal twins. The findings also suggest that family upbringing has little effect on children's future participatory behavior.

Pre-K students benefit when teachers are supportive

A new study by the Society for Research in Child Development found that high-quality emotional and instructional interactions with teachers are key to children's development in pre-K. The research suggests that supportive teacher-child relationships can improve academic, language, and social skills in young children.

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Biologists are from Mars, chemists are from Venus?

A two-year project at the University of Delaware investigates how scientists bridge disciplinary boundaries, finding that individuals can narrow back to niche specialization. The team also observes differences in culture between academics doing cancer research versus clinicians.

Who's bad? Chimps figure it out by observation

In experiments, chimpanzees showed an ability to recognize and generalize behavioral traits in strangers, forming reputation judgments based on observation. This finding suggests that chimps may possess a system for attributing reputation, a crucial feature of cooperative exchanges.

Online technical support forums build social capital

Researchers found that online P3 communities produce social capital, which strengthens over time and provides a foundation for archived technical assistance and broad social connections. Members develop an extended family-like relationship, sharing moral support and valuable advice.

Children with autism may learn from 'virtual peers'

Researchers at Northwestern University have found that children with high-functioning autism produce more contingent sentences when interacting with virtual peers. This suggests that virtual peers can be a useful tool in helping children with autism develop communication and social skills. The study aims to generalize these skills to m...

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Sniffing out insider threats

Researchers developed a technology to spot insider threats using data mining techniques on email interactions. Individuals with latent interests in sensitive topics or those feeling alienated within the organization are potential threats.

Babies prefer good Samaritans

Babies as young as six months old showed a preference for individuals who help others, while hindering was met with disdain. This early ability to evaluate people suggests that assessing interactions is central to processing the social world.

10 minutes of talking has a mental payoff

A University of Michigan study found that conversing with others for just 10 minutes can improve memory and cognitive function. The research suggests that social interaction is an effective way to boost mental abilities, comparable to traditional mental exercises.

Friends help friends avoid drug use

A USC study found that social network-tailored prevention curricula can significantly reduce substance use among teenagers, with a 15% decrease in high-risk teens. The program's success depends on how peer influence is channeled, with positive influences boosting participation and negative influences hindering it.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Nurtured chimps rake it in

A new study reveals that raising chimpanzees in a human cultural environment enhances their cognitive abilities, particularly in understanding how tools work. The researchers found that enculturated chimpanzees excelled in using rakes to retrieve rewards, demonstrating a deeper understanding of tool functionality.

Scientists propose the kind of chemistry that led to life

Researchers at UCSF develop a model describing how simple chemical interactions can lead to natural selection on a micro scale, potentially explaining how life emerged. The model focuses on enzymes and chemical catalysts, suggesting that simple principles of chemical interactions can give rise to complex arrangements.

The benefits of social contact

Research by University of Virginia psychologist James Coan explores how social contact regulates emotional responses to life's stressors. This study provides insights into the benefits of social connection for overall health and well-being.

DALYs system for 'measuring' disability

The DALYs system, widely used to measure public health interventions' effects, fails to account for the complexities of disability. Critics argue that this approach undervalues the lives of disabled individuals, instead prioritizing those without disabilities.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

MIT's assistive robot adapts to people, new places

Researchers at MIT have developed a humanoid robot called Domo that can adapt to new environments, grasp objects, and interact with humans. The robot learns from its experiences and can perform tasks like putting away dishes, which could help elderly or wheelchair-bound people.

Social computing study to track college students' networking habits

A new study aims to understand how college students network online and interact with each other in virtual communities. The research team, led by Professor Susan Barnes, will develop an undergraduate course on social media to explore the use of software for social interaction.

In young mice, gregariousness seems to reside in the genes

A groundbreaking study found that genetic background influences the extent of young mice's gregariousness, with more socially predisposed animals seeking social interaction. The researchers also identified associations between mouse vocalizations and the nature of their social interactions.

Your mom was wrong: Horseplay is an important part of development

Rough and tumble play in animals has been linked to improved social competence and coordination. The study found that deprivation of peer interaction led to impaired movement coordination and perception of social cues in rats. These findings suggest that horseplay is essential for the development of social skills in humans.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Early hearing tests improve children's recovery from meningitis

A study by Baylor College of Medicine found that early identification and treatment of hearing loss in children with bacterial meningitis can minimize its impact on social interactions. Children suffering from the Streptococcus form of meningitis were more likely to experience hearing loss.

Landscapes and human behavior

Researchers at Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus conducted a landscaping experiment to examine the impact of environmental surroundings on human behavior. The study found that individuals living in areas with lush landscapes preferred more recreational spaces, while those in desert environments barely knew their neighbors.

Lefties have the advantage in adversarial situations

Researchers found that left-handed snails are less frequently attacked by right-handed crabs, leading to increased survival rates. This advantage is likely due to the specialized tooth on the crab's right claw, which is designed for opening shells, making it harder for the crab to access the left-handed snail's shell.

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Online time may foster youngster's social involvement

A Northwestern University researcher found that online communities of young people (10-16) demonstrate high levels of civic involvement, care for their communities, and exhibit unique leadership styles. These leaders prioritize synthesis, social ability, and persuasiveness over traditional traits.

Dartmouth study finds how the brain interprets the intent of others

A Dartmouth study reveals that the brain's parietal cortex plays a crucial role in understanding the goals of other people's actions. This finding has implications for our understanding of human social interactions and may help explain impaired social behaviors in individuals with autism.

Cutting middle management kills productivity

A study from McMaster University suggests that cutting middle managers can actually decrease a company's productivity, as one-on-one social exchanges between bosses and employees are crucial for building trust and loyalty. By investing in reciprocal interactions, employers can boost employee commitment and superior performance.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

When it comes to babies learning language, the eyes have it

Research at the University of Washington reveals that infants as young as 9 months old begin to follow gaze-following behavior, which is crucial for understanding emotions and learning language. By 18 months, babies who mastered this skill earlier understand nearly twice as many words.

'Cybertools' project receives $2 million NSF grant

The Cybertools project, led by Cornell University's Michael W. Macy, aims to develop tools to extract and analyze information from the Internet Archive, a massive collection of web pages. The project will explore the spread of innovation, social norms, and opinion dynamics in evolving networks.

Alone in the aisle

Researchers found that consumers prefer a balance between social interaction and non-interaction, becoming uncomfortable when the experience becomes too intense. The study utilized Social Impact Theory to demonstrate the influence of mere presence on consumer behavior in retail contexts.

Scientists uncover new clues about brain function in human behavior

Researchers identified a brain circuit for social function and its abnormalities in people with Williams Syndrome, who exhibit increased anxiety despite being highly social. The amygdala's response regulation was found to be critical to social behavior, with abnormal processing leading to fearlessness in social interactions.

Obese shoppers more likely to experience discrimination

Research found that obese shoppers face subtle interpersonal discrimination in stores, with professionally dressed obese shoppers experiencing less discrimination than average-weight shoppers. The study suggests that by removing justifications for prejudice, manifestations of interpersonal discrimination can be curbed.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Rhesus monkeys reason about perspectives of others in obtaining food

Researchers at Yale University found that rhesus monkeys only took grapes when they couldn't see the other person looking at them. This suggests that monkeys can reason about the mental states of others, including perception. The study's findings could provide insight into the causes of autism and social interactions.

The blotchier the face, the better the wasp

Researchers found that wasps with broken-up facial patterns signal their quality and status. Those who don't signal honestly receive social sanctions, including harassment from dominant wasps. The study provides conclusive evidence that dishonest visual signals have a social cost in the wasp world.

UF study: Only holders of brainy jobs get paid for emotional toil

A recent University of Florida study found that professionals with high intellectual and emotional demands, such as doctors and lawyers, are typically well-compensated. In contrast, workers in emotionally demanding yet low-intellectual jobs, like waiters and child-care workers, often receive lower pay despite facing significant stress.

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Finding the right formula for a community of chemists

Researchers at the University of Michigan are creating a larger, multidisciplinary community in their chemistry department by organizing conferences, research rotations, and regular social events. This initiative aims to foster collaboration, teamwork, and communication skills among students.

Another fringe benefit for highly paid employees: More fun at work

A new study found that highly paid workers reported more cohesion and solidarity among their colleagues, and were more likely to participate in social activities with co-workers. Highly paid workers tend to have jobs with more freedom and autonomy, leading to richer social lives.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Awards allow researcher to read between the ancient lines

Professor William Johnson seeks to understand ancient reading habits, focusing on the social context rather than individual acts of reading. His research aims to shed light on why the ancients preferred reading aloud and its cultural significance.

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Researchers observe abnormalities in brains of autism patients

A study by scientists at the Medical College of Georgia and others found that autistic patients have significantly smaller minicolumns, a basic organizational unit of brain cells, but more of them than controls. This may be consistent with an existing theory that autistic individuals suffer from overarousal and abnormal behaviors.