Do you feel the urge to yawn almost immediately after seeing someone else do it?  You're not alone.  As it turns out, though, yawning is far from the only behavior we can deem contagious.  A study published recently in the Journal of Ethology made a startling finding: The same psychological process that makes yawns contagious also influences people to check their smartphones. People have a need to follow the norms imposed on them by others. No one wishes to be the lone outsider who defies social norms.  In turn, it prompts them to mirror as closely as possible the actions of those in their orbit. This is known as the chameleon effect. As another example, you've probably noticed how people tend pick up each others’ gestures or mood during a conversation. I suppose these findings shouldn't strike us as a total surprise. After all, people seem to LIVE on their phones. Whether they're walking to school, in the bathroom, watching a game, eating dinner, or, most frighteni...

Utah state senator Todd Weiler wants Utah to declare pornography a public health crisis. He's introduced new legislation that calls for education, prevention, research, and policy change at the community and societal level in order to tackle what he says is a pornography epidemic that is hurting people in Utah and throughout the U.S. Utah has one of the nation’s highest rates of porn use. Weiler insists that this isn't a veiled attempt at foisting his conservative beliefs on people. He says he simply wishes to raise awareness of the many perils of pornography. In addition to being highly addictive, Weiler asserts it undermines families, strains relationships, and plays a key role in many divorces in Utah. But some people feel pornography isn't as damaging as Weiler is making it out to be. In fact, they say porn is a healthy outlet that can actually infuse excitement into marriages, particularly those that have hit a dry patch in the intimacy department. I think Weiler...