Mind and Behavior

Mind and Behavior

Alexa on a pile of books.
The more social behaviors a voice-user interface exhibits, the more likely people are to trust it, engage with it, and consider it to be competent.
body fat
Scientists at UCLA and Penn argue that malfunctioning fat, not necessarily too much of it, is what makes people metabolically unhealthy.
taboos
According to Sigmund Freud, our revulsion at taboos is an attempt to suppress a part of us that actually wants to do them.
Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad lasted over two years and claimed nearly a million lives. It also inspired writers to record the bleak conditions in which they lived.
Adolf Hitler
Behind the scenes, Hitler had at least three disastrous relationships, including a short-lived marriage.
wordle
Wordle activates both the language and logic parts of our brain and give us a nice boost of dopamine, whether we win or lose.
chess computers
What was once an art form has been drained of color and personality by ruthless algorithms. Can we make chess human again?
Kiev Motherland Monument
Since Ukraine originally meant “borderland,” the territory was already a target for several kingdoms.
syphilis
The most feared sexually transmitted disease (STD) of the last half-millennium was usually named after foreigners, often the French.
alien abductions
From succubi to aliens, stories of abductions or other unsettling encounters have been with us for millennia. What explains them?
California condor
Once numbering just 27 birds, the global population of California condors is now in the hundreds.
ultrasound ocd
OCD and addiction may result in part from improper “reward” pathways in the brain. Ultrasound can disrupt those pathways.
place cells
Your brain is remarkably good at mapping out physical spaces — even if it's an imaginary space like Hogwarts. But how does the brain do it?
personality tests
The first personality tests revolved around assessing people’s reactions to ambiguous and often unsettling images. Today, the gold standard is a barrage of questions.
city syndromes
Stockholm Syndrome is the most famous of 10 psychological disorders named after world cities. Most relate to tourism or hostage-taking.
It is often assumed that AI will become so advanced that the technology will be able to do anything. In reality, there are limits.
Stendhal syndrome
People who visit Florence seem strangely susceptible to Stendhal syndrome, which is blamed on an overwhelming sense of awe.
Ernest Hemingway
The author of classics like "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Sun Also Rises" is known and loved for his simple yet effective writing style. Here’s how to imitate it.
From boosting empathy to improving therapy, virtual reality is poised to change our ideas of the self.
Certain types of dogs seem to be more discerning than others, however.
It started with a 22-year-old woman, named in papers only as Mrs McK.
psychopomps
Death is the great and terrifying unknown, awaiting us all at the end of this life. Giving it a personality makes it easier to gaze upon.
progression bias
We seem to have a "progression bias" that nudges us toward pro-relationship decisions and away from breaking up.
metaverse
The Virtual Metaverse will be for gaming and other short duration uses, while the Augmented Metaverse will revolutionize society.
popular baby names
Humans seemingly have opposing desires to fit in and to be unique. The interplay between these might drive the evolution of fads.
A child showing their drawing to the camera
A professor of educational psychology explains what and what not to do.