Often, you’ll hear people say that you should “trust your instincts” when making decisions. But are first instincts always the best?

Psychological research has shown many times that no, they are often no better – any in many...

Only an obituary as messy as an autopsy could honor the passing of Wes Craven, the slasher-film maven who recently died at age 76. Blood flows generously in Craven’s films, which tread a delicate...

Many people use drugs, but not everyone becomes addicted. Why? Part of the reason comes down to how you take a drug. Are you smoking, injecting, snorting or swallowing it? That dictates how much drug gets...

Many parents and...

Several colleagues have asked if I see any similarities between Jonathan Pollard, a US Navy Field Operational Intelligence Office employee who’ll be released from an American prison November 21 after serving 30 years for giving Israel classified...

Oliver Sacks achieved global public renown because his writings melded two particular traits that cut across his dual role as doctor and writer: his focus on single patients rather than large populations and his profound empathy.

These uncommon...

The excitement about a potentially rain-bearing El Niño is building, and hopes for a swift end to California’s ongoing drought are multiplying. At the same time, many of us who have...

Reformers in the Progressive Era (from the 1890s to 1920s) depicted homework as a “sin” that deprived children of their playtime. Many critics voice similar concerns today.

Yet there are many parents who feel that from early on, children need to do...

On August 1, hitchBOT, a robot that had successfully hitchhiked more than 10,000 km (6,213 miles) across Canada and northern Europe, was destroyed by unknown vandals in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood.

For a week, the robot’s violent decapitation...

From “lol” to “brb,” the internet and text messaging gave rise to a unique form of short form language – “textspeak” – in which almost all of us are well-versed.

But long...