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The Science Behind Ouija Boards
Maybe you’re at a sleepover, or a Halloween party. Maybe it’s night, it’s probably night. You sit before a board with the alphabet printed on it, a little sun and moon, the words “yes” and
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Conspiracy Beliefs Linked With Search for Certainty and Social Connection
What drives people to believe in vast conspiracies and dismiss facts as hoaxes? Psychologist research identifies some motivations.
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The psychology of superstitions, explained
Vox: In 2013, the psychologist Daniel Kahneman published a book called Thinking Fast and Slowthat popularized a growing theory in the psychological literature. The theory outlines two main channels, or “systems,” in which we think
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Why do long-suffering Cubs fans keep coming back for more?
ESPN: CHICAGO — Greg Maddux was the Opening Day starter in his Braves debut when he beat his former team in Chicago in April of 1993. Cubs fan Dan Lepse remembers it well. “Cubs lost
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How Superstitions Are Affecting Your Behavior
U.S. News & World Report: Are you spooked by Friday the 13th, black cats crossing your path or having to walk under a ladder? Do you often knock on wood after mentioning your good fortune
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The Chicago Cubs, the Goat Curse and the Psychological Roots of Superstition
Scientific American: It is, of course, scientifically impossible for the legendary Curse of the Billy Goat—which dictates that the Chicago Cubs will never win the World Series—to affect the outcome of games in the 2016