Behavior
People Literally Don’t Know When to Shut Up—or Keep Talking—Science Confirms
We are really bad at navigating a key transition point during one of the most basic social interactions
Cognition3942 articles archived since 1845
Cognition
Are Dolphins Right-Handed or Left-Handed?
That is a trick question because dolphins obviously don’t have hands. But studying whether they have “handedness” led to identifying a quirk of human perception
Neuroscience
People Answer Scientists’ Queries in Real Time while Dreaming
Researchers demonstrate that during REM sleep, people can hear—and respond to—simple questions such as “What is eight minus six?”
Cognition
Masks Can Be Detrimental to Babies’ Speech and Language Development
The good news is that parents can take action to compensate
Cognition
How the Brain Responds to Beauty
Scientists search for the neural basis of an enigmatic experience
Cognition
When Our Gaze Is a Physical Force
Research documents a strange illusion
Cognition
Ravens Measure Up to Great Apes on Intelligence
Juvenile ravens performed just as well as chimps and orangutans in a battery of intelligence tests—except for assays of spatial skills. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Neuroscience
Brain Sides Are Both Busy in New Language Learning
A study of adults learning a new language found that speaking primarily activated regions in the left side of the brain, but reading and listening comprehension were much more variable
Cognition
Young Ravens Rival Adult Chimps in a Big Test of General Intelligence
At just four months of age, the birds performed equally well as great apes on understanding numbers, following cues and many more tasks
Cognition
Take This Quiz to See if You Are a Face “Super-Recognizer”
Many with this skill have a feeling they are special. A freely available test helps them confirm their intuitions
Behavior
Are Toxic Political Conversations Changing How We Feel about Objective Truth?
As political polarization grows, the arguments we have with one another may be shifting our understanding of truth itself
Chemistry
Do Wine over Those Brussels Sprouts
Taking a swig of red wine before eating Brussels sprouts appears to moderate Brussels sprouts' polarizing flavor. Christopher Intagliata reports
Evolution
Zebra Coloration Messes With Fly Eyes
Horseflies misjudge landings on zebra patterns, compared with solid gray or black surfaces, which provides evidence for why evolution came up with the black-and-white pattern.
Cognition
Hypnosis Experts Cast Doubt on Famous Psychological Experiments
Suggestibility may explain why people “feel” vicarious pain or sensation in a fake hand
Cognition
Magic Is (Literally) for the Birds
What conjuring techniques can reveal about animal cognition
Neuroscience
Our Brain Is Better at Remembering Where to Find Brownies Than Cherry Tomatoes
Humans’ spatial recall makes mental notes about the location of high-calorie foods
Behavior
How COVID-19 is Changing the English Language
From ‘social distancing’ to ‘self-quarantining,’ the pandemic is leaving a lasting impact on the English lexicon
Cognition
Does ‘Brain Training’ Actually Work?
An online citizen science project is recruiting 30,000 volunteers to assess whether exercises to improve memory and attention are valid—and if so, for whom
Cognition
How to Be a Mystical Skeptic
Psychologist Susan Blackmore stays grounded in science while exploring the outer reaches of consciousness.
Cognition
How Do I Know I’m Not the Only Conscious Being in the Universe?
The solipsism problem, also called the problem of other minds, lurks at the heart of science, philosophy, religion, the arts and the human condition
