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The Elderly React Slowly Because They Want to Be Right

Recent studies have found that the elderly may respond more slowly to specific tasks, but not because their cognitive skills are slower. Christie Nicholson reports

In the Year 9595

Why the singularity is not near, but hope springs eternal

The Hidden Logic of Deception

Prominent biologist Robert Trivers probes the deep origins of deceit and offers a solution to the Darwinian paradox of self-deception

Can't Carry a Tune? Work Out Your Vocal Muscles

Poor muscle control, not aural perception, underlies most cases of bad singing

Toddlers Don't Monitor Their Own Speech

Adults and children hear their own voice and use it as feedback to monitor their speech, but it seems that young toddlers do not. Christie Nicholson reports

Forgetting is Key to a Healthy Mind

Letting go of memories supports a sound state of mind, a sharp intellect--and superior recall

Time to Forget

A Quirk of Speech May Become a New Vocal Style

What used to be thought of as a symptom of a speech disorder might now be a hot trend in vocal style among rock stars and young women. Christie Nicholson reports

10 Novels That Will Sharpen Your Mind [Interactive]

And boost your social skills to boot

Bad Smells Impair Learning

Our senses have difficulty parsing stimuli linked to a negative event

Is Free Will an Illusion?

Don't trust your instincts about free will or consciousness, experimental philosophers say

How Seniors Can Get a Cognitive Boost

Research shows that older people can make better decisions if they rely more on their emotions

Gossip Shapes What We See

Having a bad reputation gets you noticed

Photos with Strange or Funny Details Deemed Most Memorable

The brain looks for more than beauty when evaluating snapshots

Which Nations Conform Most?

An account of Stanley Milgram's experiments from 1962, in which Norwegians and Frenchmen were separately subjected to synthetic group pressure

The Whale Song Project (Whale FM)

Help marine researchers answer key questions about how whales communicate

Why Some People Say "Sorry" Before Others

Certain character traits influence people's willingness to apologize

Readers Respond to "The Sunny Side of Smut"--and More

Letters to the Editor about the July/August 2011 issue of Scientific American Mind

On the Trail of the Orchid Child

One genetic variant leads to the best and worst outcomes in kids

How Partners Prevent Addiction

Prairie voles in monogamous relationships respond less to drugs