We can be stubbornly attached to stereotypes and descriptions, even when more informative data is right in front of us
Category: <span>Human Nature</span>
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation. Try not to be one of them.
Mental shortcuts are features, not flaws. Biases are rules being used out of context. How can we avoid the pitfalls and make more rational decisions?
To make a better tomorrow, sometimes we have to put up with a not-so-nice today. Long-term goals mean rejecting many of the things that tempt us in the moment. We don’t want to be a…
It’s more than a metaphor. The subtle scent of rotting fish raises suspicion. We don’t only become suspicious of the fishy smell itself, but to whatever task that happens to be occupying our attention. Researchers…
By many measures, the world of today is a lot better than that of even 100 years ago. Literacy, life expectancy, and number of people above the poverty line have all increased dramatically. That’s not…
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I…
Suzana Herculano-Houzel, a Brazilian neuroscientist and author of The Human Advantage, takes us into the evolution of our cognitive abilities. She starts by debunking a common myth: that larger brains are smarter brains. “If all…