Stories by Michael Platt

Michael Platt is the James S. Riepe Penn Integrates Knowledge University professor of neuroscience, marketing, and psychology and Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. He studies decision making and social interaction using tools from neuroscience, psychology, economics and anthropology.

Behavior & Society

What Your Facebook Network Reveals about How You Use Your Brain

If your friends mostly know each other only indirectly, through you, you're likely to be a better problem solver and to be more successful overall

July 9, 2018 — Emily Falk and Michael Platt

Cognition

What Monkeys Can Teach Us about Advertising

Our evolutionary cousins are exquisitely attuned to signals about sex and social status—the same signals that many successful ads rely on

March 15, 2018 — Michael Platt

Decision Making in the Brain: Eavesdropping on Neurons

The interactions of neurons reveal that connections are critical in how we decide

August 5, 2008 — John Pearson and Michael Platt