Human Behavior

Human Behavior covers a variety of mysterious, engaging topics. Learn about how why humans behave the way they do and more.

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Being stuck in the middle seat on a long flight — or any flight — stinks. But does that entitle the middle-seater to the armrests? We asked an etiquette expert.

By Julia Layton

Living in racially hostile societies has been connected to the circulatory and cardiac health of both blacks and white.

By Jesslyn Shields

Just jump already! Your backup plan may be getting in the way of you achieving your dream.

By John Donovan

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Urine for a shock when you learn how much pee is in the average public pool. Even Olympic swimmers admit to peeing in the pool -- just like you and me.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

We blink our eyes so often, yet we usually don’t perceive that the world has gone dark, if only for a microsecond. Why is that?

By Yves Jeffcoat

For difficult questions (Brexit, anyone?), large numbers don’t make for better decisions, says this researcher. But why?

By Dave Roos

A writer test-drives advice on running her life according to her biological body clock with some surprising results.

By Alia Hoyt

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The key to a losing weight, winning an argument or anything else depends on knowing if you're a bear, lion, dolphin or wolf, says author of upcoming book.

By Alia Hoyt

Who hasn't wanted to get away from it all? For British designer Thomas Thwaites, that break entailed turning himself into a goat.

By Kate Kershner

An update to a famous study shows that employers may not discriminate as much as before — with one important caveat.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

Whither the Good Samaritan? A new study finds the chance of receiving a stranger's aid in a public medical emergency is close to zero — and worse if you're black or poor.

By Jesslyn Shields

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Researchers found that many white adoptive parents thought African-American children were "too different" for them though they'd consider children of other races.

By Nichole Bazemore

We sat down with magician Brian Brushwood to learn how con artists and hackers can fool their targets with something as simple as a conversation.

By Jonathan Strickland

Or hey, maybe you'd love to see your favorite football team win the Super Bowl for 13 consecutive years? Yep, those are the crazy odds we're talking about.

By John Donovan

And not just any artist, but post-impressionist superstar Vincent Van Gogh. All for just $10.

By Allison Loudermilk

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With 20 percent of U.S. women born after 1970 not having children, the question of who will provide elder care is becoming more urgent.

By Dave Roos

The Martian day lasts longer than ours, which means that people whose circadian rhythms are out of sync with our planet may do better colonizing our red neighbor.

By Patrick J. Kiger

And you probably don't even realize you're doing it.

By John Donovan

And the U.S. isn't the only country where this gender gap is closing.

By Julia Layton

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Researchers discover five different types of procrastinators, including "well-adjusted."

By Alia Hoyt

If you've ever met someone who obsessively kept track of every perceived wrong committed against them, then you've met one. The problem is when they turn violent.

By Julia Layton

A new website will do the dirty work for you via Snapchat, text, letter or awkward phone call.

By Alia Hoyt

Audio description is kind of like that friend who whispers key plot points to you during the movie when you miss them. It's pretty handy for blind film buffs.

By Julia Layton

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Science should be clean, simple, and just the facts, right? Unfortunately these traits of imperfect humans make perfect science tough to accomplish.

By Patrick J. Kiger

It's no rinky-dink Mickey Mouse clock. The body clock is a strange and wonderful thing, calibrated to reflect a variety of biological rhythms that you may not have known are beating inside your body. And scientists are still not sure why it exists.

By Chris Opfer