The Takoma Park, Maryland, mayor’s order that people not clap during a public meeting led to insults and even a poll.

The highlight of my day — every day — is opening my window and yelling at the sky. By Amanda Hess Every night at 7, my Brooklyn neighborhood comes to life with the calculated whimsy of a cuckoo clock.

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 — ...