Social Sciences

Men smoke pipes and drink on the London streets. Booth's police notebooks reveal the everyday habits of Londoners.

Explore the Seedy Reality of a London Long Gone

Charles Booth explored the poorest parts of England’s capital—and changed the way social scientists think about the world

The Nobel Prize, named after the repentant creator of dynamite, has been awarded nearly every year since 1901.

What Does It Take to Win a Nobel Prize? Four Winners, in Their Own Words

Some answers: Messiness, ignorance and puzzles

Conforming to masculine norms can leave men isolated and unable to cope with the stresses of life.

Sexism Sucks for Everybody, Science Confirms

Adhering to masculine norms can be toxic for men, not to mention everybody else

Why do some people seem able to lie without feeling bad?

How White Lies Snowball Into Full-On Deception

Using brain scans, researchers find evidence that bad feelings associated with lying lessen over time

By looking back at historic polls, we can find some surprising relevance to today's politics

Inside the Alluring Power of Public Opinion Polls From Elections Past

A digital-savvy historian discusses his popular @HistOpinion Twitter account

“I’m not drunk, YOU’RE drunk”

People Feel More Tipsy if Their Friends Are Already Drunk

Understanding perceived levels of intoxication could help cities combat disorderly conduct

The low wages in the neighborhoods around Hull House can be seen in these maps, which illustrate income based on household. Each square shows an apartment building, and incomes are shown on the legend below. Black squares earned just $5 a week or less.

These Early Infographics Illustrated the Plight of America’s Poor

Florence Kelley used hard numbers to effect change

Josh Chase, an archeologist for the Bureau of Land Management and a former wildland firefighter, found that controlled burns can be a way to expose long-hidden Native American artifacts.

Why Archaeologists Are Intentionally Setting Early American Sites on Fire

Archaeologists, who typically consider fire to be a destructive force, are now finding that it can be useful as tool of discovery

How sleepy you are may depend on a number of factors, including age and where in the world you live.

Smartphone Study Uncovers Why So Much of the World is Short on Sleep

Age, gender and nationality impact how much we sleep, and social pressures rob many of needed rest

Friends or strangers? Listeners may be able to tell just from the sound of the pair’s laughter.

Who's Laughing Now? Listeners Can Tell if Laughers are Friends or Not

We laugh differently with friends, and the reasons may lie deep in our social evolution

The Right Body Language Can Boost Odds of Online Dating Success

Potential partners size you up in seconds, and the way you sit or stand matters

Zodiac woodcut

How Are Horoscopes Still a Thing?

No, there’s no science behind an astrologer’s prediction for 2016, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be accurate

This Haunted House is Actually a Lab for Studying Fear

Get scared for science

The wandering pond snail may be small, but it is giving scientists insights into a rather lofty question: Why do we have personality?

What Extroverts and Introverts Can Learn From Snails

Genes may change a snail’s “personality” and the thickness of its skin (or rather, its shell)

Japanese Universities Are Shuttering Social Sciences and Humanities Departments

Just how valuable is that degree in literature?

This is your brain on science.

"Hidden Brain" Podcast Will Make You Think Twice About Your Unconscious Mind

In the new NPR program, correspondent Shankar Vedantam connects rigorous science with people's everyday experiences

Learning the value of sharing.

Want a Satisfying Sex Life? Try Being a Better Parent

Data suggest that splitting childcare duties often produces happier, more sexually satisfied couples

The Bay Area sees stark geographical divides between the rich and the poor

These Maps Help Explain the Numerous, Complicated Factors Behind Income Inequality

Education, housing costs and even internet access are all a part of the difficult public policy matter

Roses mark a window filled with bullet holes after a shooting spree in Denmark.

Shootings and Mass Murders Seem to Be Contagious

Data spanning decades shows how high-profile events can cause outbreaks of similar killings that mirror the spread of disease

The Daily Tribune often traded content with other papers in purple (lines represent shared text).

There Were Listicles That Went Viral Long Before There Was an Internet

Digital scholars are zeroing in on stories that were trending way back in the 19th century

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