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Memories Weaken Without Reinforcement, Study Finds
The New York Times: What happens to forgotten memories — old computer passwords, friends’ previous phone numbers? Scientists have long held two different theories. One is that memories do not diminish but simply get overshadowed by new memories. The other is that older memories become weaker, that pulling to mind new passwords or phone numbers degrades old recollections so they do not interfere. The difference could be significant. If old memories stay strong and are merely papered over by new ones, they may be easier to recover. That could be positive for someone trying to remember an acquaintance’s name, but difficult for someone trying to lessen memories of abuse.
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Your Friends Are More Extroverted Than You Are
New York Magazine: Maybe you've heard of the friendship paradox, the somewhat mind-bending idea that most of your friends probably have more friends than you do. A new study inPsychological Science builds on that concept, adding a psychological dimension to the paradox — not only are your friends likely to be more popular than you are, they're probably more extroverted, too, argue Daniel C. Feiler and Adam M. Kleinbaum, both of Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business. Read the whole story: New York Magazine
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The Ethical Calculus of the Tax Cheat
Researchers propose that people behave immorally only to a certain extent so that they can profit from their misconduct but still feel moral.
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Art for the Knowing Nose
The New York Times: Peter De Cupere’s “Tree Virus” sculpture wasn’t much to look at: a dead, black tree rooted in a craggy white ball suspended over a dirt pit, all of it covered by a plastic igloo. Built on a college campus in the Netherlands in 2008, the whole thing might have been leftover scenery from a Tim Burton film if it weren’t for the outrageous smell. Inside the igloo, a heady mix of peppermint and black pepper saturated the air. It flooded the nose and stung the eyes. Most visitors cried; many ran away. Others seemed to enjoy it, laughing through the tears. ... Smell has an unfair advantage over the other senses when it comes to eliciting a response, researchers say.
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New psychology study shows ‘extroversion bias’ distorts our view of friends
The Sydney Morning Herald: When it comes to popularity, most of us would rather be Glinda than Elphaba. "It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed," the desired but ditzy witch sings in the musical Wicked. "So it's very shrewd to be very, very popular - like me!" Yet so often people feel that those around them have more friends than they do. The "friendship paradox", as the phenomenon has been labelled, is based on the fact that we are more likely to be friends with someone who has lots of friends than someone who has few. A new study has found the paradox is not just mathematical, but borne out in the social lives of everyday people.
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A Shakespeare Play You’ve Never Heard Of
Pacific Standard: “What’s in a name?” William Shakespeare asks in Romeo and Juliet. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." By that logic, it matters little whose name is attached to the play Double Falsehood, which was published in 1728 and is practically unknown today. If it’s a well-written, compelling work, it should get produced no matter who wrote it. In reality, however, we’re uniquely drawn to plays thought to be authored by the Bard of Avon. If he is, as many assert, the greatest writer in the English language, anything he penned is automatically of interest. Read the whole story: Pacific Standard
