Society & Psychology

April 13, 2026

Carry-on, Carry-all: The psychology of overpacking, spring cleaning, & sentimental value

By Roxanna Reid

Advice for the overly-sentimental to embrace spring as a season of movement, reflection, and renewal — or just to practice packing light.

January 30, 2026

Upside Down physics – The science behind “Stranger Things”

By Aria Khaitan

Foundations in science and physics exist at the very core of the Netflix's hit show “Stranger Things," demonstrating to audiences for over a decade that our universe may be "stranger" than we care to admit. That is, if...

July 31, 2025

Simply Stated: 4 psychologist-approved methods to savor your summer

By Roxanna Reid

Summer is a season of competing priorities: a narrow window to rest, recharge, and hustle, resulting in feelings of perpetual business and "time pressure" that make the months feel even faster. But by understanding the n...

March 16, 2025

The power of reminiscing: Nicole Albada highlights the value of ‘remember when’ for memory retention

By Jessica Arocho

On Feb. 26, Nicole Albada delivered a lecture on “Personal Memories and Successful Aging” as part of the Aging and Longevity Lecture Series at the Direct Relief facility in Goleta.

February 20, 2025

SBIFF 2025: “Walk with Me” navigates Alzheimer’s disease

By Isabella Barragan

Among the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s lineup of feature films was “Walk With Me,” a film covering the lived experience of people with neurodegenerative diseases as well as their loved ones who ...

January 16, 2025

This May Help: Maintaining agency and preserving mental well-being amidst political uncertainty

By Roxanna Reid

For professor Erin Khuê Ninh, this collective emotional response to political inequities was heightened by the recent election and became the decisive catalyst for launching This May Help.

November 14, 2024

Simply Stated: Are electronic forms of note-taking really superior?

By Yumiko Florando

After a day spent cramming material for a class you know you went to but cannot seem to recall anything from, you may be left wondering: are electronic forms of note-taking really the most effective way to retain and com...

November 5, 2024

Simply Stated: Can AI predict politics? Investigating the mathematics of election forecasting

By Roxanna Reid

Despite the overwhelming surplus of election predictions, many voters remain skeptical about whether it’s even possible to interpret the current political landscape through a scientific perspective. Thanks to three mat...

May 23, 2024

UCSB hosts collegiate California Workshop on Evolutionary Social Science

By Isabelle Kang

UC Santa Barbara hosted the annual California Workshop on Evolutionary Social Science for the first time since 2018 from May 3-5. 

February 22, 2024

UCSB study finds perceived discrimination against bisexual people linked to relative social status

By Emma Holm-Olsen

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have found that, while often experiencing more discrimination than other sexual orientation minority groups, people who identify as bisexual are rarely considered to have been victims of s...

February 17, 2024

Love advice from UCSB Human Sexuality professors

By Lauryn Cummins

UC Santa Barbara sociology professors Janice Baldwin and John Baldwin’s love story began in an unexpected twist of fate — a blind date, or as they fondly recall it, a "fixed-up blind date."

January 25, 2024

Finding Focus: UCSB researchers develop customizable app to strengthen attention skills and minimize mind wandering

By Olivia Gil de Bernabe

In an age where our attention is considered a new currency, a constant barrage of distractions make focusing on what’s important to us an endless challenge. Finding Focus, a new mobile app developed by a collaborative ...

December 23, 2023

Simply Stated: Why do holiday lights make us happy?

By Isabelle Kang

A walk around Isla Vista during the month of December reveals the community glowing under holiday lights and decorations. From the shining Christmas tree on Embarcadero del Norte and Pardall Road to the cozy string light...

November 30, 2023

Simply Stated: Do we really have free will?

By Cassie Cruz, Cassandra Cavallo

When you decided to read the Science & Tech section of the Daily Nexus today, was it really a choice? Or is this action, and every action you have ever taken, predetermined? Hard determinists would say you never had ...

August 26, 2023

Simply Stated: Curious about curiosity? Why do we seek answers?

By Olivia Gil de Bernabe

Curiosity, the trait concerning an individual’s propensity to seek new information, is highly variable. How does it shape the lifelong journey of learning? Is it university students' best learning ally?

May 11, 2023

I feel, therefore I am: Leading neuroscientist António Damásio speaks on human consciousness

By Olivia Gil de Bernabe

“I think, therefore I am.” Many of us are familiar with the Cartesian notion of the thinking nature of consciousness. René Descartes, it turns out, was wrong. That's according to António Damásio, a leading neuros...