We Indulged Our Child During COVID Lockdown. Did That Change Him?
During the lockdown phase of the COVID pandemic, we indulged our toddler son. Years later, we wonder if his current behavior is normal or a result of that early isolation
‘Phantom Costs’ Explain Why Some Deals Seem Too Good to Be True
Fear of hidden costs pushes us to avoid “free money” or suspiciously good offers
Not Everyone Has an Inner Voice Streaming Through Their Head
The extent to which people experience “inner speech” varies greatly, and the differences matter for performing certain cognitive tasks
From Diagnosing Brain Disorders to Cognitive Enhancement, 100 Years of EEG Have Transformed Neuroscience
The EEG has shaped researchers’ understanding of cognition for everything from perception to memory
Summertime Sadness Could Be a Type of Seasonal Affective Disorder
Heat and mood are closely linked, which may explain summertime depression—and how to treat it
Is a Drug Even Needed to Induce a Psychedelic Experience?
A Stanford anesthesiologist deconstructs the component parts of what it means to undergo a psychedelic trip
Why the Mystery of Consciousness Is Deeper Than We Thought
Despite great progress, we lack even the beginning of an explanation of how the brain produces our inner world of colors, sounds, smells and tastes. A thought experiment with “pain-pleasure” zombies illustrates that the mystery is deeper than we thought
Pupil Dilation Reveals Better Working Memory
People whose eyes dilated more performed better on tests of working memory
Societies with Little Money Are among the Happiest on Earth
Wealth and well-being go together in many studies, but certain communities complicate this link
Life Experiences May Shape the Activity of the Brain’s Cellular Powerhouses
Mitochondria appear to ratchet up their activity when life is going well and tamp it down during hard times
Advanced Meditation Alters Consciousness and Our Basic Sense of Self
An emerging science of advanced meditation could transform mental health and our understanding of consciousness
‘There Are No Such Things as Gendered Emotions
We still expect children to express emotions in gendered ways. It’s harmful and needs to stop