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A Moral Gene?
Scientific American: Morality is often considered to be the domain of philosophers, not biologists. But scientists have often wondered what role our genomes play in directing our moral compass. Today, a paper was published in the open access journal PLoS One which found moral decision making was influenced by different forms of a single gene. Picture yourself standing at branching train tracks with a unstoppable train barreling towards you. On one side, an evil villain has tied five people, while on the other, he has tied only one. You’ve got the switch in your hands which chooses which track the train goes down.
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Reading faces an imperfect science
The Vancouver Sun: Millions of dollars may be being misspent on threat-detection methods that rely on facial expression recognition, according to a report this month by a noted Canadian researcher. In the October issue of the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, Lisa Feldman Barrett rebuts the notion of there being six to 10 biologically basic emotions that are encoded - and easily interpreted - on people's faces.
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“The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined” by Steven Pinker
CBS News: Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book? Steven Pinker: I believe there is such a thing as human nature--that the mind is not a blank slate, and that we don't get all our emotions and drives from culture, parents, and socialization. But the very idea of human nature raises a fear in many people: if we're "killer apes" with "genes for aggression" and a "violent brain," would that mean that we are doomed to perpetual war and mayhem, and shouldn't even bother trying to make the world a better place? But I knew that this fear made no sense for two reasons.
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What is the key to achieving greatness?
Yahoo Singapore: What makes one great? Is it intelligence alone or does it also include sustained practice? Working memory capacity - closely related to general intelligence - may sometimes be the deciding factor between good and great, according to a Michigan State University study. Practice is equally important - if not more - than intelligence in making people stand out, associate professor in psychology Zach Hambrick said. Imagine where Bill Gates would be if he hadn't honed his programming skills, but then Hambrick disagrees with the notion that intelligence plays no role in determining excellence, reports the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science.
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Happy Kids a Product of Genes, Parenting, Study Finds
U.S. News & World Report: As scientists continue to tease out the impact of nature versus nurture, it appears that kids unlucky enough to get a "downer" personality gene can end up with sunnier outlooks when they're parented in a warm, positive manner. A new study on nearly 1,900 children aged 9 through 15 with a gene variation predisposing them to lower serotonin levels in the brain -- which can lead to a gloomier disposition -- suggests the youths were more likely to maintain happier emotions when exposed to positive parenting.
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Longitudinal Impacts of 3-D Spatial Training Among Gifted STEM Undergraduates
In case you missed it, the cameras were rolling at the APS 23rd Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Watch APSSC Award Winner David I. Miller from the University of California, Berkeley present his research on “Longitudinal Impacts of 3-D Spatial Training Among Gifted Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Undergraduates.” David I. Miller University of California, Berkeley Diane F. Halpern Claremont McKenna College According to Miller’s presentation, twelve hours of spatial training improved gifted students’ performance in a physics class by approximately one-third of a letter grade. The improvement was particularly pronounced in male students.
