Tag: psychology
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Everyone’s Thinking About You and Flies are Climbing
Do you feel that you worry what other people think of you way more than they worry about what you think of them? Well, a new study indicates that it isn't actually true. People really are obsessing about you just as much as you are obsessing about them. What does this mean? Anthony and Jeff dive in to the psychological implications of the attention gap. Then, scientists has isolated a fungus that causes some very disturbing behavior among common houseflies. Ever heard of Summit Disease? Oh, you're gonna wanna hear this one. Jeff and Anthony work through the terror and form it into a very serviceable movie pitch. [more]
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Get More Blue and Less is More
Science has been searching for an organic option to create blue food dye for decades. A new solution may come from the unlikeliest of places: something red. Anthony and Jeff discuss the state of blue foods in 2021. Then, we've all heard that both "bigger is better" and "less is more," but which is more common? Jeff and Anthony talk about a new study that shows humans actually have a preference. [more]
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Useful Commutes and Masked Cows
Studies show the morning commute is the least favorite part of the day, and the commute home the third-least favorite, but it’s also possible to miss aspects of that enforced time between work and home. For all its downsides, the daily commute does have some positives. Anthony and Jeff discuss the science behind commuting, and how we can adapt in a new world. Then, there are 1.6 billion cattle on Earth, and their burps and farts are becoming a big problem. Cows expel methane, which is approximately 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to warming the planet. Jeff and Anthony look at a company proposing an unusual solution to a very big problem. [more]
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Cheaters, Liars, and Ignoble Prize Winners
In a new paper, a team of researchers in Spain have identified three different profiles of dishonesty and cheating, and within each profile, two distinct types. Jeff and Anthony discuss the science of lying and cheating, apropos of nothing in particular that might be happening in the news every single damn day. Then, the Ig Nobel Prize has been given out for 30 years, celebrating under-appreciated pioneers in many fields. Have Anthony and Jeff finally found the perfect award? [more]
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Math and BBQ
Math is hard. So hard, in fact, that most humans would rather deal with nice round numbers than think about the ramifications of real data. Anthony and Jeff discuss Attribute Framing, and its impact on advertising and civil discourse. Then, Ron and Diana Watson in Witchita have eaten the same single meal every day for 15 years. Jeff and Anthony consider removing variables to such an extreme and whether it is a net positive for stress and anxiety. [more]
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Sum Answer Bee
Bees seem to understand the idea of zero – the first invertebrate shown to do so. When the insects were encouraged to fly towards a platform carrying fewer shapes than another one, they apparently recognised “no shapes” as a smaller value than “some shapes”. Jeff and Anthony zero in on the topic. [more]
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Psych Warn
The Stanford Prison Experiment, one of the most famous and compelling psychological studies of all time, told us a tantalizingly simple story about human nature. This experiment has been included in many, many introductory psychology textbooks and is often cited uncritically. But its findings were wrong. Very wrong. And not just due to its questionable ethics or lack of concrete data — but because of deceit. Jeff and Anthony try the experiment out for themselves and flip a coin to see who gets to be the guard. [more]
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Permanent Record
When considering musical artists, your favorite record of theirs is often the first to which you listened. It makes sense that the first album one encounters of a band will, over time, accumulate the most repeat listens. It has the chance to rack up plays before the listener explores the rest of the catalog. However, there might be more to this. Jeff and Anthony liked this study better after a few reads through. [more]
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Call Made By Your Name
What’s in a name? A lot, apparently. New research suggests that your first name shapes the way other people perceive your age, personality, and how good you are at your job – and the findings could mean some classic psychology experiments were wrong. Jeff and Anthony are doing their part to discredit their own names. [more]
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Smell Wishers
What are the ingredients of a good relationship? Trust? Communication? Compromise? How about a sense of smell? When researchers in the United Kingdom surveyed almost 500 people with anosmia (the loss of sense of smell), more than 50 percent of them reported feeling isolated, and blamed their relationship troubles on their affliction. Smell is important in social bonding, says psychologist Pamela Dalton, at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in Philadelphia. When a mom smells her newborn baby, the scent activates brain regions associated with nurturing behavior. Smells might also trigger brain activity linked with affection, compassion, or romantic love. Jeff and Anthony give this story the sniff test. [more]
Do NOT join our secret society. You’ll just wind up with a bunch of cool stuff. It’s gross.