As CNN just noted, Mel Gibson has "opened up" in a recent interview about his less than chivalrous behavior. As most everyone knows, Mel has been caught a few times over the past years spewing racist and sexist epithets (and worse). Unfortunately, such behavior is evidenced by many people. But what makes the case of Mel interesting to us is the fact that he also has many, many people who know him well (e.g., Whoopi Goldberg, Jodie Foster) swear that he is not a racist or sexist. Can these views be squared? Read More...

Tags: Mel Gibson, racisim

Torture, unfortunately, has been a part of human behavior for as far back as we can peer. You need only look to the events in Libya or Abu Ghraib to see its continuing presence. Whether it's used to punish or to warn, its effects are terrible on those who are forced to endure it. And almost all of us would agree that torture is an immoral act. But to classify it as immoral, we first have to agree that an act is, in itself, painful enough to be considered torture. Here, can be surprising levels of disagreement. Is waterboarding torture? Is sleep deprivation torture? How about being forced to endure frigid temperatures? Read More...

Tags: Torture, Compassion

For all his great accomplishments, Barry Bonds is likely to be remembered most for being convicted of obstructing justice. It appears that Bonds, like many baseball heros, succumbed to the use of steroids to enhance performance. But unlike many, Bonds worked really hard to try to convince people he didn't. The question that interests us isn't only how did it come to this, but what does it mean going forward for aspiring athletes? Read More...

Tags: Cheating, Barry Bonds

It’s no surprise that partners who are less interested in alternatives to their current relationship partners turn out to be more satisfied with those relationships. If you don’t think the grass is greener, then you won’t be as interested in hopping the fence. What should come as a bigger surprise are the findings of a group of psychologists at the University of Kentucky and Florida State suggesting how one might react to a partner whose eyes are wandering: let them ogle.
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"We are left isolated" Katsunobu Sakurai, mayor of the Japanese city of Minamisoma, said with face drawn and voice strained, as he recorded a video pleading for assistance. His city, like many in Northern Japan, was devastated by the earthquake, leaving citizens with little food and medicine and, due to radiation warnings, little option but to remain indoors. It was a dire situation with little hope for the arrival of aid anytime soon. With nothing to loose, the mayor's plea was posted on YouTube, and has since become one of the fastest spreading and viewed clips (see NYT coverage here). People from all over suddenly began sending aid and Minamisoma, though still reeling from multiple tragedies, suddenly became the beneficiary of kindness. What happened? Read More...

There has been some internet chatter recently about the determinants of happiness and well-being, reminding me of blogosphere responses to a paper in last month’s issue of Psychological Science. As a new parent, this study was of particular interest.
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Tags: happiness, Parenthood