Does it Pay to be Nice?

CrowdScience listener Nyok, in South Sudan, is right-handed and has always felt very creative. He's also noticed that left-handed people seem to be more logical. He's wondering if this has anything to do with the idea that different sides of your brain can be dominant for differe ...  Show more

CrowdScience listener Lauren from Belgium has near-complete hearing loss in one ear, because all the sensory hair cells in her inner ear have died. This got her thinking about how complicated the human ear is and whether there are other animals with simpler ears, in particular in ...  Show more

No matter who you are, inevitably there is someone telling you to “be nicer” or “stop being so nice”. Girlbosses preach that nice girls don't get the corner office, and yet Instagram slogans plead to "be nice." But what is niceness? Is it a virtue? A defense mechanism? A personal ...  Show more

No matter who you are, inevitably there is someone telling you to “be nicer” or “stop being so nice”. Girlbosses preach that nice girls don't get the corner office, and yet Instagram slogans plead to "be nice." But what is niceness? Is it a virtue? A defense mechanism? A personal ...  Show more

What is the stronger motivator – reward or punishment? In other words, does hurt more to lose something than it feels good to gain something? We start this episode t with a look at some interesting research into this. ( https://source.wustl.edu/2015/05/carrot-or-stick-punishments- ...  Show more