Shankar Vedantam

Social scientists recently analyzed the effects of removing Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank. They found it markedly reduced anti-Israel sentiment, and actual acts of violence against Israel.

As the country grapples with a growing outbreak of measles, we delve into what works and what doesn't — and what might get people to vaccinate their kids.

Researchers asked this question: Is a company better off spending big money for a Super Bowl ad or buying several spots for that same amount of money at a less expensive time of the year?

Research finds the systematic elimination of losing coaches by NFL teams generally leads to weaker performance among those teams in the following few years.

Martin Luther King Day honors a great African-American leader — so you might think it's a day many Americans would also honor prominent African-Americans in our lives today. But you'd be wrong.

Falling gasoline prices are a benefit to motorists — but those lower prices come with a hidden cost: increased traffic fatalities.

If generosity makes us happy, and lots of research suggests that it does, why do many of us find it difficult to be generous?

There has been a spate of interest recently in criminal behavior among NFL athletes. Research examines the performance of athletes charged with wrongdoing, and raises questions about NFL policy.

Researchers are studying how nations and individuals react when they given information that members of their own group have harmed other people, such as through torture. It takes some nimble thinking.

An experiment in Chicago randomly assigned train and bus riders to either talk to the stranger next to them or commute quietly. The result? Even for introverts, silence leaves you sadder.

New research into the nature of intractable political conflicts might shed some light on how to address the perennial arguments that break out across Thanksgiving tables.

Research indicates the rise and fall of real estate prices seems to shape the decision among homeowners on whether to have children.

Dr. Martin Salia died at a hospital in Omaha, Neb., after being evacuated from Sierra Leone, where he worked as a surgeon in several hospitals. Mourners gathered at a hospital where he worked.

One challenge in evaluating the effectiveness of different medical procedures, is that patients behave differently after different procedures. Is this true for patients getting heart surgery?

Data from the Mothers Pension Program, launched at the turn of the 20th century, finds benefits on education, income and longevity. It's the first to document benefits over the span of a century.

Donations to fight Ebola are lower than expected. One psychologist thinks the reason may be the impact of hopelessness. A really big problem makes people less likely to give.

New research suggests umpires are hesitant to make calls that change the course of the game, especially in games with high stakes.

The idea of a "trophy wife" is common in popular culture: Attractive young women trade beauty for status by "marrying up" and finding wealthy husbands.

To test subtle biases, researchers sent state legislators identical emails about voting requirements. Some emails came from a man with a "Latino" name, and others from an "Anglo" name.

New research in Chicago finds that homicide victims are concentrated among a tiny network. Tracing that network might lead to public health measures to protect would-be victims.