Surprising Science

New research suggests that drinking coffee has more to do with your genes than previously thought.

Tools have changed our genes for millions of years. Paleo-people wouldn’t have been possible without them: artificial aids preceded and enabled their bigger brains. And the slings and arrows of […]

By meditating on having compassion for someone in your life, a new study suggests that you can become a more sympathetic person in as little as two weeks. 

It may be that by increasing the already substantial blood-flow to your brain, exercise can help build your IQ and work to keep you safe from neurological conditions that result from old age.

Theoretical physicist, best-selling author, and all around cool guy Michio Kaku returns to Big Think to discuss the science of dreaming, as well as everything Freud got right about our subconscious.

Businesses that stand out on Facebook are in a better position to grow and succeed. John Rampton, in a piece over at Forbes, explains how to optimize your business page for Facebook search.

Favorite sports teams become outlets for fans’ personal frustration. Sometimes this can be seen as a healthy way to channel dissatisfaction. Too often though, this channeling gets ugly.

Some industry prognosticators question whether legalized weed will compete with alcohol for Americans’ tightening recreation budgets.

Sunrise at Lake Laanemaa, Estonia. Photo credit: Heino Ruiso / Wikicommons

The importance of breakfast is treated as axiomatic by much of society, but the myth that it’s the most important meal of the day didn’t even exist 100 years ago.

A two-generation Swedish study found that couples who share work, home, and family responsibilities experience benefits both in the household and in the father’s career. Interestingly though, their children by and large have chosen not to do the same.

Wearable technology is the future, but questions still persist as to where on the body the most popular devices will be worn. According to some prognosticators, temporary tech tattoos will reign supreme.

An alarmingly high number of young people in urban areas have been victims of drug assault. Unfortunately, adequate statistics and records of incidents are neither being sought nor kept.

Life expectancy has hit a new high in the United States: 76.4 for men, 81.4 for women. But it’s important to remember that certain demographics have widely varying expectancies due to several major variables. 

The discovery of the brain’s “GPS,” which netted three scientists the Nobel Prize for Medicine, will allow researchers to study the process by which dementia steals control of the body from the afflicted.

If you’re hoping to wipe low-income fish from your dating pool, Luxy may be the app for you. Swipe right for a peek into his or her Swiss Bank Account.

Data and tech are invading sports arenas at a relentless pace with major emphasis being placed on advanced metrics. On one hand, incorporating new information can help revolutionize a sport. On the other, invasive testing could instigate a conflict between executives and athletes.

Earlier this year, doctors at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine successfully implanted lab-grown vaginas in four patients with underdeveloped sex organs. Now the team is looking to replicate that success with men via lab-grown penises.

Whether it’s berries or mushrooms or any other sort of free-growing food, the most important thing to learn is which types are safe to eat and which ones are better left alone.

Perel, a world-renowned psychologist and relationship expert, defines the division between sexuality and eroticism as similar to the difference between animals and human beings.

There are many misconceptions about the nature of stress. Perhaps most notable among these misconceptions is that stress is always bad for you. In fact, some research suggests that a little stress in one’s life leads to greater health.

The malware — called BadUSB — doesn’t attack devices’ memories, but rather takes advantage of a fundamental structural flaw in how they operate. Everything from USB keyboards to iPad chargers are susceptible.

Spanish firm Opbrid recently introduced designs for the Busbaar V3, an automated vehicle charger capable of powering buses at 650 kW. Three prototypes will be tested in Sweden later this year.

Several scientists share their thoughts on why big athletes sometimes come up short in high-pressure situations. The basic gist: stress causes them to overanalyze.

Deep in the heart of the Karakum Desert, a burning field of natural gas attracts curious tourists who seek to lay eye on a fire that has been burning continuously since 1971.

Authors of a new study believe they’ve found why exercise helps protect from depression.

BriefMe arranges and ranks news headlines in a feed on your smartphone. CEO Max Campion calls the new app “100 percent created for millennials.” Will young people buy in?

Metaphors can be our shortest stories: their compact explanations often shape our view of the truth. But like stories taken out of context, badly mixed metaphors from biology and physics […]

In a textbook example of “any publicity is good publicity,” rival brands that engage in social media banter can each see a boost in their social ROI.

Neuroscientist and best-selling author Sam Harris advocates for a secular form of meditation as a method for making fundamental discoveries about the nature of the mind.