brain
10,000 years of branding explained in 6 minutes
Branding isn’t buzz — we’ve been doing it for thousands of years.
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6 min
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Why you should want to suffer — just a little bit
There are two kinds of suffering. One is pure pain. The other makes life worth living.
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6 min
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Why are people sexually attracted to cartoons? Evolution.
Nikolaas Tinbergen's concept of "supernormal stimulus" explains why humans are attracted to a heightened version of reality.
Schools ignore genetics—and that’s actually a bad thing
Almost all our school improvements fail. Here’s why.
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Are goals necessary? A habit scientist answers.
The US reduced smoking rates from 50% to 15% with a simple habit hack.
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4 min
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How do elite performers automate their habits?
Practice doesn’t actually make perfect. Here’s the willpower equation necessary for elite athletes and musicians.
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4 min
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Hit peak performance with the power of habit
There’s a psychological reason you haven’t created healthier habits in your life.
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What to do if your inner voice is cruel
Half our day is spent not living in the moment. Here’s how to change that.
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7 min
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The secret habits that control your life
Habit-forming rituals are subconsciously controlling your life. Here’s how to master them.
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Where science fails, according to a physicist
Why are we here? What is everything made of? This theoretical physicist says science isn’t the right way to answer these questions.
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6 min
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The joy of being wrong
Arguments on social media are notorious. Can practicing intellectual humility make us smarter and happier? Science says yes.
Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators
Psychologist Daniel Goleman shares what he learned by studying the brain waves of Olympic-level meditators, and his findings are unprecedented.
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4 min
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There are 8 classes of intelligence. Which are you?
IQ tests only measure two of the eight intelligences. Howard Gardner explains them all.
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9 min
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3 great untruths to stop telling kids—and ourselves
These psychological principles can unlock your resiliency.
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6 min
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Feel first, think second: is our brain really cut out for the modern world?
Are you in love? Trust your mother over your brain.
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LSD hallucinations are due to abnormal brain communication
Scientists use tripping rats to show that LSD disrupts communication between two key brain regions.
How psychiatric ideas about trauma evolved after World War I
From "shell shock" to "combat fatigue," the wars of the past century have violently illuminated the power trauma can wield over the mind and body.
Is reality real? These neuroscientists don’t think so.
Reality is more distorted than we think.
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Theory of canine mind: can dogs understand human intent?
When you unintentionally step on a dog's tail, does it know that it was an accident?
Science in the court: how neuroimaging can improve the “reasonable person” standard
For nearly two centuries, courts have relied on the subjective "reasonable person standard" to solve legal disputes. Now, science can help.
As we listen to melodies, our brain guesses what’s next
The way we imagine and listen to melodies sheds light on imagination.
The strange case of the dead-but-not-dead Tibetan monks
For some reason, the bodies of deceased monks stay "fresh" for a long time.
Gamification: can video games change our money habits?
Fintech companies are using elements of video games to make personal finance more fun. But does it work, and what are the risks?
Bad at math? Blame your neurotransmitters
A new brain imaging study explored how different levels of the brain's excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are linked to math abilities.
Making memories actually involves breaking our DNA, study shows
Brain cells snap strands of DNA in many more places and cell types than researchers previously thought.
The neuroscience of branding
A new episode of "Your Brain on Money" illuminates the strange world of consumer behavior and explores how brands can wreak havoc on our ability to make rational decisions.
Can quantum physics explain consciousness?
A theoretical physicist returns to Penrose and Hameroff's theory of "quantum consciousness."
Does the term “neurodiversity” do more harm than good?
Attempts to normalize abnormal development could prevent individuals in need of help from seeking it.
Why are octopuses so intelligent?
The opening of jars, while impressive and often used to illustrate octopus intelligence, is not their most remarkable ability.