-
Dial P for Privacy: The Phone Booth Is Back
For much of the 20th century, the phone booth was a steadfast and essential installation of modern life, from bustling cities to tumbleweed-strewn desert gas stations. Tippi Hedren was attacked in one in “The Birds,” Clark Kent frequently changed to Superman in one and Bill & Ted used one to time-travel on their excellent adventure. In “The Matrix,” a phone booth was a portal — an exit device from the digital realm.
-
Vous vous sentez plus jeune que votre âge? C’est un signe positif (Do you feel younger than your age? This is a positive sign)
On connaissait les températures ressenties, voilà maintenant l’âge ressenti, celui que l’on a l’impression d’avoir. L’idée n’est pas nouvelle mais les chercheurs s’intéressent de plus en plus à cet âge subjectif, car il serait un bon indice de longévité réussie. Vous n’avez pas l’impression d’avoir votre âge? Vous n’êtes pas seuls. C’est même le cas de la majorité des gens de votre âge. Mais à partir de quel âge se sent-on vieux? La réponse dépend de l’âge… que l’on a!
-
Lisa Feldman Barrett: Can We Really Tell How Other People Are Feeling?
Identifying basic emotions in others — like fear, sadness or anger — seems instinctive, but psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett says we're doing more guesswork than we think. Lisa Feldman Barrett is Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She has studied emotion in the brain for over 25 years, and her most recent book is called How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life Of The Brain.
-
Bet on the champion’s rival
Analysis of decades of data from college basketball and the major sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) reveal that a team is more likely to have better playoff success if its archrival did better in the playoffs in the previous year — and especially if it won the championship. This was the case even when controlling for how the team and its rival performed in other years and, in the case of college basketball, the team’s seed going into the NCAA tournament.
-
Daniel Kahneman On Misery, Memory, And Our Understanding Of The Mind
Economic theory rests on a simple notion about humans: people are rational. They seek out the best information. They measure costs and benefits, and maximize pleasure and profit. This idea of the rational economic actor has been around for centuries. But about 50 years ago, two psychologists shattered these assumptions. They showed that people routinely walk away from good money. And they explained why, once we get in a hole, we often keep digging. The methods of these psychologists were as unusual as their insights. Instead of writing complex theorems, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky spent hours together...talking. They came up with playful thought experiments. They laughed a lot.
-
Politeness can sometimes hurt more than it helps
Ryan — a brilliant, enthusiastic young scientist — spent a two-year layover in my neuroscience laboratory between his undergrad studies in Vancouver, B.C., and graduate school on the East Coast. On his last day in California, we sat over drinks, reflecting on his plans for the future. I offered some parting advice and then asked the question I pose to everyone who graduates from my lab: “What could I have done better?” He hesitated, then replied, “You’re too nice.” This was startling, especially coming from a Canadian. (I’ve omitted Ryan’s last name to protect his privacy.) “Nice” might count as faint praise, but is it really an insult? I asked him to elaborate.
