Psychology
The Bystander Effect: Why People Fail to Help in Emergencies
Quick fact
The term 'bystander effect' was coined after the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese, where 38 witnesses reportedly failed to call the police, though later analysis showed fewer directly witnessed the attack.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you collapse on a busy street—would more witnesses mean you get help faster? Surprisingly, the opposite is often true.