Features

• Left Out

  The world is designed for right-handed people. Why does a tenth of the population prefer the left?

  Detlef B. Linke and Sabine Kersebaum   | December 1, 2005  |

• Picture Imperfect

  Like a flawed painting, our self-image suffers from poor perspective: we consistently overestimate our skills and overlook our flaws

  David Dunning, Chip Heath and Jerry M. Suls   | December 1, 2005  |

• Brian Wilson: A Cork on the Ocean

  The rise and fall of the Beach Boys leader shows how crucial the brain's executive function is to creativity

  Brian Levine   | December 1, 2005  |

• Exploding the Self-Esteem Myth

  Boosting people's sense of self-worth has become a national preoccupation. Yet surprisingly, research shows that such efforts do little to improve academic performance or prevent troublesome behavior

  Roy F. Baumeister, Jennifer D. Campbell, Joachim I. Krueger and Kathleen D. Vohs   | December 1, 2005  |

• Likely Story

  Myths persist in modern culture because of the brain's biological need to impose order on the world

  Klaus Manhart   | December 1, 2005  |

• Personality Crash

  The collision damaged his forebrain. Surgeons saved it. But they never checked his pituitary, and he is no longer the man he was

  Felicitas Witte   | December 1, 2005  |

• Can We Cure Fear?

  We naturally view any risk we witness as a personal threat--even when it is on the opposite side of the globe and we see it only on TV. Is popping a pill the answer?

  Marc Siegel   | December 1, 2005  | 2

• The Promise of eTherapy

  Videoconferencing, Web sites and other electronic media offer faster, cheaper care--without the stigma of parking in front of the shrink's office

  Beryl Lieff Benderly   | December 1, 2005  | 2

• Control Your Anger

  Should you regulate your emotional reactions or let them rip?

  Iris Mauss   | December 1, 2005  |

• Erasing Memories

  Long-term memories, particularly bad ones, could be dissolved if certain drugs are administered at just the right moment during recall

  R. Douglas Fields   | December 1, 2005  |