Hand clapping is ubiquitous behavior for humans across time and cultures, serving many different purposes: to signify approval with applause, for instance, or to keep time to music. Acousticians often ...

Researchers elucidate the complex physical mechanisms and fluid dynamics involved in a handclap, with potential applications in bioacoustics and personal identification, whereby a handclap could be ...

In a scene toward the end of the 2006 film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," a character claps and sends a shock wave that knocks out an opposing army. Sunny Jung, professor of biological and environmental ...

What makes us clap more for some performances than others? You'd think it's obvious: The better the show, the more applause. Think again. Guest host Linda Wertheimer explores how and why applause ...

How do you decide when to start clapping after a virtuoso performance? And when do you stop? Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. New ...

Meditate on this Zen Buddhist koan (a paradox used to train Zen Buddhist monks) long enough, promises neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin at the start of his book, and the origins of mind, and perhaps ...

How do you decide when to start clapping after a virtuoso performance? And when do you stop? New research finds the answer lies in what other people around you are doing. The louder the applause — ...