A new study shores up the idea that ‘yawn contagion’ can leap the species barrier, but the science remains unsettled.   Every corner of science has its own set of small, but significant proxy wars. A tiny thing — one measurement, one behavior, o…

Contagious yawning is a well-documented phenomenon in humans and has recently attracted much attention from developmental and comparative sciences. The function, development and underlying mechanisms of the phenomenon, however, remain largely unclear. …

Dogs catch contagious yawns just like people, baboons and chimps, which can be used as a measure of empathy. But this is a behavior they learn after they emerge from youngest puppyhood, a new study says. Like people, young dogs show a developmental tre…

More about this programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nlz8j Fossil evidence suggests our ancient ancestors cared for the old and sick.See it on Scoop.it, via Empathy and Compassion

How to use the intricate balance of altruism and self-interest to our collective advantage.   Last week, I journeyed to this year’s PopTech conference, where one of the most compelling talks came from psychologist David DeSteno, director of…