Why Randomness Doesn’t Feel Random
Most of us tend to think of randomness as being “well spaced.” Genuinely random distributions seem to contradict our inherent ideas of what randomness should look like.
November 22nd, 2023
perception
November 23rd, 2020
The Divide Between Political Parties Feels Big. Fortunately, It’s Smaller Than We Think.
Misperceptions held by Democrats and Republicans about how the other side views them have troubling consequences for our democracy. Correcting them can help.
October 19th, 2020
How Sight—Not Taste, Smell, or Touch—Became the Sense of the Supermarket
When it comes to buying food, sight has usurped all other senses. What are the consequences of relegating smell, taste, and touch to the sidelines?
November 06th, 2018
What’s in a Name? The Role of Expectations, and Reality, in Our Judgements
When marketers set expectations that are too great (or not great enough) they can run into trouble.
October 27th, 2018
Cam’s Reads: Dismay, Courage, and Sensory Feasts
In the second installment of “Cam’s Reads,” four pieces help us expand beyond our usual behavioral-science buffet.
May 22nd, 2018
Want to Debias Hiring? Change What Hiring Managers Focus On
Research on the “decoy effect” reveals one way bias sneaks into hiring decisions. It also suggests a solution.
April 03rd, 2018
The Real Reason You Shouldn’t Text While Driving
Everyone knows that texting and driving is a terrible idea, but few understand why.
December 11th, 2017
Brag Wisely
Instinct tells us that the lowest points in our lives should be locked away from the judging eyes and ears of others. Yet our failures may be the ticket to success for us and others.
March 27th, 2016
The Comfort of Conspiracy: Finding Meaning in Free Masons, Shadow Governments, and the Illuminati
We feel that we can trust you with an important secret: There is a secret group controlling the highest reaches of government, including the Federal Aviation Administration.
June 24th, 2015
Google’s Psychedelic Art: This Is Your Computer Brain on Drugs
In the past week, a set of trippy images revealed on Google’s research blog brought the complexity of the human visual system—as simulated by an artificial neural network called GoogLeNet, developed by Google software engineers—to widespread attention.
