Phys Org, Author at Top Charts

Why we’re skeptical of the emotions we see on our screens

If you’ve poured your heart out on social media about a political issue, it might have felt cathartic—but likely was not persuasive, Cornell research finds. Americans are skeptical of emotional comments they see in their […]

Do you see faces in the clouds? Researchers examine pareidolia

Humans are masters of seeing faces in any old thing—a handbag, TV static, toasted white bread. Scientists want to know why. A few years ago, as the category 5 Hurricane Milton bore down on the […]

Natural disasters trigger 69% surge in public protests across Latin America, research finds

When a natural disaster strikes a Latin American community, the damage doesn’t stop at downed power lines and flooded streets. A new study finds that disasters trigger a 69% spike in public protests in affected […]

‘Morale boost’: NASA carries out Moon mission during tough year for science

As the four Artemis astronauts approached a high point of their lunar mission—getting slung around the far side of the moon—NASA staffers crowded into Houston’s famed mission control room Monday for a team photo.This article […]

How an eye physician who translated classical Greek medicine into Arabic helped form Western medical thought

A medieval ophthalmologist who translated Greek works by Galen, Hippocrates, and Plato into Arabic played a pivotal role in shaping Western medical scholarship, according to a study published in the journal Cogent Arts and Humanities.This […]

By age 7, most children quickly spot individuals’ social biases toward social groups, study finds

Most elementary school-aged children have a surprising cognitive ability: they can detect—nearly as well as adults—when someone treats people from one social group differently than another. The study, “Children’s and adults’ detection of social biases,” […]

Analysis finds geometric thinking may come from wandering, not a human-only math module

Debates over how geometry is understood and learned date back at least to the days of Plato, with more recent scholars concluding that only humans possess the foundations of this understanding. However, a new analysis […]

AI reveals hidden connections within legal systems

As governments worldwide explore how artificial intelligence can transform decision-making, a recent study from Sultan Qaboos University demonstrates how AI can uncover hidden connections within legal systems—offering a powerful tool to support smarter lawmaking. Published […]

Alignment during conversations is highly situation-dependent, study finds

When people are talking, they can start to unconsciously mirror each other, for instance, in the words they use, their sentence structures and even hand gestures. This tendency to mirror others can lead to smoother […]

Study points to opportunity for governments to work with public on use of AI

A major new study suggests people’s direct experience with artificial intelligence has little impact on their views about its role in government decision-making—while factual information about the technology can significantly shift public opinion. Professor Yotam […]