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When Charitable Acts Are ‘Tainted’ by Personal Gain
We tend to perceive a person’s charitable efforts as less moral if the do-gooder reaps a reward from the effort, according to new research. This phenomenon — which researchers call the “tainted-altruism effect” — suggests
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The Experience of Awe in Nature Leads to Religious Beliefs
Big Think: It has been said that there are no atheists in foxholes. The fear of death will make even the most hardened skeptic a believer. According to a new study published in the journal
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Yes, Your Toddler Really Is Smarter Than A 5-Year-Old
NPR: Parents, does your 18-month-old seem wise beyond her years? Science says you’re not fooling yourself. Very small children can reason abstractly, researchers say, and are able to infer the relationships between objects that elude
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Why There Are No Atheists at the Grand Canyon
TIME: Any fool can feel religious around the holidays. When the entire Judeo-Christian world is lit up — literally — with celebrations of faith, family and love, you’ve got to be awfully short of wonder
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Experiencing Awe Increases Belief in the Supernatural
Awe-inspiring moments — like the sight of the Grand Canyon or the Aurora Borealis — might increase our tendency to believe in God and the supernatural, according to new research. The new findings — published
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Science Asks: Who’s More Pig-Headed, Dems or Republicans?
TIME: Forget the ancient Greeks’ advice. In this political climate, it’s more like “nothing in moderation, everything in excess.” Frank Bruni’s column in Monday’s New York Times highlights some of the cable-TV hyperbole that seems
