Surprising Science — March 22, 2012

Michael Gazzaniga: The Criminal Mind

Michael Gazzaniga is in charge of a MacArthur foundation project that explores using brain science to determine people’s legal culpability. Most of his work is against determinism — the popular idea (even among neuroscientists) that a) recent brain science shows that there is no free will and b) therefore people aren’t responsible for their actions.

Gazzaniga’s latest book is Who’s in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain.

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Neuropsych

25 years since Columbine: We’re closer to decoding mass-shooter psychology

Public mass shooters almost always have worldviews shaped by the "3 Rs": rage, resentment, and revenge.

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Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: “Is there anything wrong with trauma dumping?”

When does "oversharing" become an issue?

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Leadership

Adam Grant on how to identify and develop high-potential leaders

The ability to toggle between abstract and concrete thinking is a key differentiator of high-potential leaders.

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Business

Want true success? Be more philosophical about “good” and “bad” failure.

Bob Dylan gave us the paradoxical gem "there's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all." He had a point.

Starts With A Bang

The idea that matter is mostly empty space is mostly wrong

Practically all of the matter we see and interact with is made of atoms, which are mostly empty space. Then why is reality so... solid?

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