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The amygdala is a part of the brain that plays a key role in processing emotions. How does the amygdala function differently in a psychopath’s brain from that of a normal person?

So, here’s something you should know about me: I really don’t care for racists. A few years ago, a simpering neo-Nazi named Kevin Alfred Strom wrote to me, having somehow […]

In a move that reflects the increasing popularity of large open online courses, the company is offering free lessons…on how to use Google.

Dear Lover or Mistress: Let’s face it.  No one’s making chicken soup for your cheating soul. You’re not well-liked. If you’re a public figure and you get caught, pundits will […]

Here’s my personal list of things that are over-rated.  And, of under-rated things that aren’t supposed to make me happy, but do. What’s on your list? SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTIES. I […]

Data from a 32 year study conducted in New Zealand examined the social academic and relationship development of participants from childhood to adulthood.

One piece of evidence among many that we live in a decadent time (decadence ain’t all bad, but…) is that patriotism has become so controversial.  I’m going to avoid the […]

In some crucial areas of human cognition, we don’t know and we can’t fully trust ourselves. On the bright side, Daniel Kahneman’s work shows that the kinds of errors we tend to make are extremely predictable.   

In the umpteenth example of the Onion-ification of reality—the collapse between real life and parody–Jezebel gives us this item on a University of Chicago neuroscientist who was attending a professional […]

Conservatives are more likely to be married and to subscribe to religion. On the other hand, they may also be less attentive to the world’s injustices and believe in free-market bliss.

A year ago Mike Konczal noticed something stunning about the stories on the We Are the 99% Tumblr: The people in them don’t sound like late 20th century consumers who […]

Back in July, I wrote about how the Secular Student Alliance’s website had been targeted by denial-of-service attacks. In that post, I called on Christians and other theists to donate […]

In an op-ed in the New York Times last week, Arthur C. Brooks tried to account for data showing that conservatives tend to be happier than liberals. Brooks began by […]

I’ve written some overarching thoughts about last week’s presidential election, but I wanted to dwell on one of its more fascinating aspects: the extent to which the Republican party was […]

Psychologists have observed that silver medalists tend to be less content with their achievements than do bronze medalists, who are happy just to make it to the podium.

Since 1963 (more or less), the sophisticated wisdom has been on the side of easygoing sexual satisfaction.  Sex can and should be for pleasure detached from various repressive relational concerns.  […]

[Author’s Note: I’m reposting some old favorites while I’m away on vacation this week. This post was originally from October 2007.] I recently received an e-mail which asked me if […]

What’s the Big Idea? Forget coffee and crosswords. If you want to supercharge your brain, you have to change your lifestyle. But only a few things about it. Here, we lay […]

            If you look east from most places in Seattle, you can see majestic Mt. Rainier looming tall and snow covered 80 miles to the west. Mt. Rainier is not […]

            This blog often talks about risks that we fret over too much. Time to talk about one we worry about too little; the air we breath…indoors. For a number […]

One unforgettable day in New York City, over ten years ago, I was crossing Park Avenue on my way to give a lecture when a Yellow Cab that had decided […]

I’ve just discovered a wonderful, Onion-worthy site for much-needed if wicked comic relief. Although I’m sorry to report that it’s not a parody site but one compiled from the real […]

The neuroscience of creativity is flourishing. But will the popularity of this subject lead to better, or sloppier science?

We pay special attention to the history of an object – where it has been, who created it, what touched it – because object’s history is what really matters when it comes to its value.

A fascinating study that is monumental in its research scope and ambitions is published in the fall American Political Science Review, the flagship scholarly journal for the discipline.  Researchers S. […]

I was laughing myself silly over the Mitt Romney’s “Whole Binders Full of Women” comment last night in the presidential debate—and it’s a strange world where an off the cuff […]

In some crucial areas of human cognition, we don’t know and we can’t fully trust ourselves. On the bright side, Daniel Kahneman’s work shows that the kinds of errors we […]

New research out of Cambridge University in the U.K. finds that husbands who do households chores are happier and experience greater wellbeing. This finding surprised the researchers, who hypothesized that […]

All of the ways we currently measure happiness are filled with errors, says University of Illinois professor Deirdre McCloskey, who argues today’s society is not especially consumerist. 

According to Walter Mosley, the desire to be famous is more pronounced in young people today because of the way the media portrays success. It doesn’t make for a good career strategy.