Winter blues? Depressed people report seeing the world as “dim, and lacking in color”. Is this a nice figure of speech, or a real perceptual shift? We investigated this question, particularly relevant now that the days are getting shorter and shorter… Roy de Kleijn • September 30, 2013
Plagiarism please! The current practice of avoiding academic plagiarism costs millions of dollars per year. By allowing scholars to plagiarize, these costs can be reduced substantially and more scientific progress can be made. Pascal Haazebroek • September 25, 2013
Adolescents in love: What makes a first love special? “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” ― William Shakespeare. Although probably not as intense as Romeo and Juliet’s, most people will remember their own first love. What makes a first love so special? Barbara Braams • September 11, 2013
When girl meets boy in utero: The twin testosterone transfer (TTT) hypothesis Female fetuses gestated together with a male co-twin are thought to be ‘masculinized’ in their development. Is this really the case? And how does it work? Jiska Peper • August 05, 2013
Why aren’t robots doing my laundry yet? We are still waiting for robots that make our everyday life easier by doing the dishes and cleaning our homes. Of course, we have machines such as Roombas that can vacuum, sort of, but why do we still have to bother doing all those boring things ourselves? Roy de Kleijn • July 16, 2013
Decision making in the game of life Recent research has revealed a causal link between serotonin levels and people’s ‘sense of fairness’. A fascinating discovery because serotonin levels are in part dependent on what we eat. So, can you eat yourself toward a fairer world? Jonathan Barnhoorn • July 08, 2013
Digital surveillance programs - safeguards or spies? Do we perceive states that read our emails, web chats, and other (digital) communications as safeguards or as spies? Research indicates that these attitudes are largely influenced by how news reports about these controversial issues are framed. Gerdien de Vries • June 18, 2013
The compensatory effects of food The economic crisis has resulted in many budget cuts in health care and general care programs. The population as a whole is aging, and yet we desire to stay independent as long as possible. How can we retain the cognitive abilities supporting independence? Laura Steenbergen • June 10, 2013
Can thinking of a professor really make you smarter? Diederik Stapel's fraudulent practice has highlighted the importance of replication in psychology. Does the famous study of Ap Dijksterhuis, which shows that thinking of professors improves test scores, survive a replication attempt? Sabine Peters • June 06, 2013
