Social psychology

The official ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Illustration: depositphotos.com

What does the World Cup do to our brains?

Prof. Simone Shamai-Zuri from the University of Haifa explains why a goal for the national team feels like a personal victory, how “joy for the team” is created against the opponent, and why watching football together turns us into an emotional team for a moment.

The new threat – blackmailers in the service of Russia to sway the election

From tearful posts with babies and wounded soldiers to attempts to undermine elections – this is how Russian and Chinese influence operators use fake AI-generated images to identify the innocent and target them with dangerous messages
A drone allegedly engineers a hurricane and even arranges its clouds in a spiral. Climate crisis deniers believe that it is not greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the storms to get stronger, but rather the administration that wants Trump to lose the election. The image was prepared using DALEE and is not a scientific image.

Why do people believe in man-made hurricanes? Two conspiracy theorist psychologists explain

As Hurricane Milton battered the coast of Florida, conspiracy theories abounded, claiming that the forces controlling the weather were orchestrating the destruction. The researchers explain why people cling to these beliefs in the face of increasing natural disasters.
feelings of others. Image prepared using DALEE for illustration only. It should not be seen as a scientific picture

feelings of others

A study found that people who were exposed to emotional images reacted according to the reactions of others and judged harshly those who did not react like everyone else
dispute resolution. Credit: The Science website via DALEE

Intractable conflict - is there such a thing?

Disputes and conflicts that seem insoluble are not strangers to us, certainly in a challenging time like the one we are experiencing during the Iron Swords War. But is there still a way that will allow us to see the light