The Bitter Potion by Adriaen Brouwer, ca. 1636 - 1638

Is Disgust Related to Morality?

The disgust response acts as a behavioral immune system, protecting us from disease, but produces strong reactions to perceived out-groups.
A young woman with a Chiquita sticker on her forehead above the title Bananas

Smoking Banana Peels to Get High Was Briefly a Thing

But it didn't work. The rumor, spread by the underground press in 1967, probably led to many disappointed hippies.
A person undergoing a lie detector test

The Truth about Lying

You can’t spot a liar just by looking, but psychologists are zeroing in on methods that might actually work.
Depressed teen girl in black clothes playing guitar sitting on bed in her room.

Why Do We Listen to Sad Music?

Scientists investigate the emotional and physical effects of sad music, in an ongoing quest to explain the "paradox of pleasurable sadness."
Photograph: Pro-Trump protesters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC

Source: Getty

Was the Capitol Attack Part of a New Wave of Terrorism?

A political scientist suggests that the right-wing violence of recent years might be a new current in a longer history.
A man displays a Ku Klux Klan cross tattooed onto his arm

How White Supremacy Is Like a Drug

Four researchers found that identifying with a hate group can produce pleasurable sensations in the brain.
A collection of rare beer cans

An Archeologist’s Guide to Beer Cans

Here's how to figure out how long it's been since someone left their empties around, only to be dug up later.
Print shows men and women riding bicycles and tricycles to a fair, 1819

Are Cyclists Reckless Lawbreakers?

Three researchers investigate whether bicyclists deserve their negative reputation.
Dr. Emile Coue, 1923

The Self-Help Mantra That Got Better and Better

Every day, in every way, the pop psychology of Emile Coué conquered 1920s Britain.
Morgan Jerkins

Morgan Jerkins: Exploring the Multitudes within American Blackness

In her new book, Wandering in Strange Lands, Morgan Jerkins takes a deeply personal look at the effects of the Great Migration.