The New York Times: Here at The Upshot, we love charts. And I have a chart to explain why. But first, some background. In a study recently published in the journal “Public Understanding of Science,” two Cornell researchers, Brian Wansinkand Aner Tal, ran a small online survey to assess whether alternative descriptions of the same information were more More
Pacific Standard: Last March, during the enormous South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! sent a camera crew out into the streets to catch hipsters bluffing. “People who go to music festivals pride themselves on knowing who the next acts are,” Kimmel said to More
To submit a new book, email apsobserver@psychologicalscience.org. Neurobiology of Social Behavior: Toward an Understanding of the Prosocial and Antisocial Brain by Michael Numan; Academic Press, July 22, 2014. The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload by Daniel J. Levitin; Dutton Adult, August 19, 2014. Mindwise: How More
Scientific American: Humans are curious creatures, and our curiosity drives a search for explanations. So while this search may fit squarely in the realm of science, it is hardly confined to the pursuits of scientists and intellectuals. Even preschoolers ask why, and indeed may do so to the exasperation of More
Mother Jones: “Its Islam over everything.” So read the Twitter bio of Douglas McAuthur McCain—or, as he reportedly called himself, “Duale Khalid”—the San Diego man who is apparently the first American to be killed while fighting for ISIS. According to NBC News, McCain grew up in Minnesota, was a basketball player, and wanted to be a More
The Huffington Post: We can all agree that being fake is a negative thing — no one wants to feel like they’re being played by someone who is just acting, nor does anyone want to be known as someone who doesn’t live true to themselves. But what makes a person trulygenuine More
