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Humility: A Quiet, Underappreciated Strength

Humility doesn’t top the list of popular virtues these days, but if you’re ever in need of help, a humble friend is more likely to be there for you than a prideful one, new research suggests.

Human Kindness Genes Withstand Threats and Fear

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People who are hard-wired to show empathy and kindness do so even in the face of a threatening or untrustworthy world.

Rats Show Empathy and Free Their Trapped Companions

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Rats may not be, well, such rats after all. In the first study of its kind, researchers show that rats engage in empathy-driven behavior, helping to free a trapped cagemate for no reward other than relieving its fellow rat’s distress. Rats chose to help each other out of traps, even when a stash of delicious [...]

Why a Bad Reputation Gets You Noticed

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Having a bad reputation may not be desirable, but it does make you more likely to be seen — literally. A new study finds that, all other things being equal, people are more likely to pay attention to faces that have been associated with negative gossip than those with neutral or positive associations.

Learning from the Japanese Example — What Makes a Hero?

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As Japan faces fallout from this week’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunamis, hundreds of workers and soldiers are trying at great personal risk to cool damaged nuclear reactors and prevent further spread of radioactive chemicals. But what drives people to such self-sacrifice?

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An Evolutionary Explanation for Altruism: Girls Find It Sexy

Marie Killen

One of the big unsolved mysteries in evolutionary theory is why creatures are altruistic. Selflessness doesn’t seem to be one of those qualities that ensure survival of a bloodline, since, by definition, it means acting against oneself.