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How Creepy Dolls Like M3GAN Became a Horror Phenomenon
... “Most of the early scary doll movies primarily involved ventriloquist dummies,” says James Kendrick, an associate professor of film and digital media at Baylor University who’s an expert on horror. “The whole concept of a ventriloquist dummy is that it seems to have a life of its own. They move, they talk seemingly of their own accord. Although we know it’s all a performance by the ventriloquist, they’re ready-made to break free of that and become their own entity and have their own malevolent agenda.” ...
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Laughter Really Is Contagious — And That’s Good
My three young daughters like to watch pets doing silly things. Almost daily, they ask to see animal video clips on my phone and are quickly entertained. But once my 7-year-old lets out a belly laugh, the laughter floodgates are opened and her two sisters double over as well. This is just what science would predict. “Laughter is a social phenomenon,” says Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist at University College London who has studied laughter and other human reactions for more than two decades. Scott co-wrote a study showing how the brain responds to the sound of laughter by preparing one’s facial muscles to join in, laying the foundation for laughs to spread from person to person.
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Events Serve as “Stepping Stones” en Route to Retrieved Memories
Research suggests that people use event boundaries as “stepping stones” to scan their memories when attempting to recall certain facts or bits of information.
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Professional Development Opportunity: Psychology & Medicine Wiki Scientists
Participants will improve medical information on Wikipedia with a special focus on pages related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Why Is It So Hard to Resist Temptation?
Why are people so inconsistent? Is there such a thing as character? And did Stephen once have the world’s longest chain of gum wrappers? ...
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Open Call for European Research Council Advanced Grants
The European Research Council (ERC) has issued an open call for applications to its Advanced Grant funding scheme. Established researchers who have a record of significant research achievement over the last 10 years are eligible and encouraged to apply.
