Reading Fiction Can Make You Kinder And More Accepting

A large heart is cut out of a pink border. Within the heart, there are four heraldic banners depicting houses from the Harry Potter series. From left to right: a badger, a snake, a lion, and a bird.

Though reading fiction is broadly understood to be something people do to escape from the “real world,” studies have shown that it can foster benevolent social behaviors — and there might be an evolutionary reason for this.

How Visible Light Affects the Human Body

The upper-left quadrant of a Shelly Suh's face. Her eye, eyebrow, and a lock of her hair are visible.

All life evolved under the sun — so it makes sense that the planet’s 24-hour light regime is deeply connected to human health. But how much does visible light affect our body’s functionality?

Can Virtual Reality Help You Get Over Your Fear?

A patient "walks the plank" while wearing a virtual reality set that simulates being high above the ground

Scared of spiders? Fear of heights? New research is finding that Virtual Reality could help patients overcome these fears. It works by stimulating part of the brain and exposing patients to the fear in a safe setting.

The psychology behind the #ToiletPaperApocalypse

A roll of toilet paper hangs on the bathroom holder.

If you’ve visited the grocery store in the past week, you’ve probably seen people flocking to the toilet paper aisle. Toilet paper is flying off the shelves as people prepare for the worst of Coronavirus (COVID-19). “Walmart looked like it was ransacked,” said Miranda Ossio-Marin, a student at the University of Nevada, Reno. “Traveling to […]