Stories by Nathan Collins

Monkeys Can Think about Thinking, Too

Macaques join the exclusive group of animals who show metacognition—thinking about their own thoughts

Astrochemists Detect Chiral Molecules in Interstellar Space for the First Time

Could mirror molecules in space help explain why life prefers molecules with a single-handedness?

Distraction Is Good for Learning, Sometimes

Study in a noisy room if you have to take a test or perform in a distracting environment

Practice Doesn't Always Make Perfect

Science does not bear out the popular idea that nearly anyone can succeed with enough practice

Tiny Lights Could Illuminate Brain Activity

Depression Makes Time Estimates More Accurate

Depressed people gauge time more accurately

One Brain Area Processes Time, Space and Social Relationships

Physical and emotional distance overlap in the brain

Eye-Tracking Software That Detects Mental States

The technology could help keep drowsy drivers awake

Friction Makes Cornstarch and Water into Bizarre "Oobleck"

Friction between tiny particles explains the bizarre properties of cornstarch in fluid

Speedy Stars Escaping the Milky Way Could Probe Dark Matter

Stars racing out of the galaxy could offer clues about dark matter

Happy People Steal More

Is NASA Too Worried about Contaminating Mars?

It's time to relax constraints on Mars exploration, researchers argue

I Really Like You

Learning to like somebody may be as easy as saying the words

Can I Help You? Solving a Problem Is Easier When It Belongs to Someone Else

What Are You Looking At? Conservatives May Be Less Sensitive to Certain Social Cues

Conservatives may be less sensitive to certain social cues

Polyglots Might Have Multiple Personalities

People take on different character traits depending on which language they are using

Accent Trumps Appearance

The brain pays more attention to language when we gauge someone's background

A New Mom's Changing Brain

Certain areas grow bigger as a mother bonds with her infant