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People Differ Widely in Their Understanding of Even a Simple Concept Such as the Word ‘Penguin’
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “penguin” as “any of various erect short-legged flightless aquatic birds (family Spheniscidae) of the southern hemisphere.” That description seems simple enough, but definitions are not what people have in
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Conspiracy Theorists May Not Always Think Rationally, but They Don’t Generally Believe Contradictory Claims
Regardless of the popular conspiracy theory, most of its believers stick to their guns — and do not subscribe to contradictory theories as well.
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The Reason Food off Someone Else’s Plate Always Seems to Taste Better, According to Science
“Can I try that?” “Are you going to eat that?” Part of the appeal in eating out is in not having to spend the time or effort preparing food or cleaning up after yourself. But
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Play Piano for Brain Health — Because It’s Not Too Late To Learn and It Slows Cognitive Decline
Learning new skills as an adult can be difficult. We’ve established our habits and routines. Old dogs, new tricks, et cetera. As a child, your day was planned out, and you didn’t have as many
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The Difference Between Speaking and Thinking
Language is commonly understood as the instrument of thought. People “talk it out” and “speak their mind,” follow “trains of thought” or “streams of consciousness.” Some of the pinnacles of human creation—music, geometry, computer programming—are
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The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are
This past thanksgiving, I asked my mother how old she was in her head. She didn’t pause, didn’t look up, didn’t even ask me to repeat the question, which would have been natural, given that
