In the late 1860s, Charles Darwin proposed that being grossed out could have an evolutionary purpose. Disgust, he wrote, was inborn and involuntary, and it evolved to prevent our ancestors from eating spoiled food that might kill them. Darwin hypothesized that the early humans most prone to revulsion survived to pass on More
For much of 2020, the world pinned its collective post-pandemic plans on a single, glimmering end point: the arrival of an effective COVID-19 vaccine. The resounding refrain of “when I’m vaccinated” has long conjured images of people shedding their masks, hugging their friends, and returning to a semblance of normalcy. More
The committee aims to develop a shared language and concepts for behavioral science research. More
In contrast to the offline world, the online world is largely driven by the logic of the attention economy: Users’ attention is a precious currency, and online environments are designed to capture and steer that attention. Yet users and legislators currently have little say in how these environments are regulated More
After the COVID-19 pandemic tossed the world into chaos, the light at the end of the tunnel was the announcement that major pharmaceutical companies had vaccines in development. Two vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have now been approved for use. As Canada rolls out its vaccination campaign, beginning with More
The challenges of 2020, one of the most surreal years in recent memory, prompted some individuals to make ambitious resolutions. “It is leading some people to think it’s time to say, ‘I see that life can be fragile, I need to re-prioritize what’s important to me.’ ” said John C. More
