This Is Your Brain On Scarcity

Scientists have long recognized that poverty can aggravate health problems. Now they're also beginning to understand that the stress of too little income actually changes the way people think.

Why It’s Your Fault There’s Already Christmas Stuff in Stores

"The funny thing is, as much as we complain about holiday promotions pushing into ever-earlier parts of the calendar, retailers are just delivering what customers today seem to want. We might gripe, but we’re still buying holiday stuff as soon as it’s on shelves. "

5 Shortcuts to Keep Data on Risks in Perspective

"We don’t have time to think and research everything through, and come to the perfect balance of knowledge for every little thing – and not even for every big thing that matters to us a lot. We need to take some cognitive shortcuts, but they leave us vulnerable to seeing what we want to see or being led astray when risks are being exaggerated or minimized. Here are my favorite 5 shortcuts to avoid the things that trip me up."

You Are Not a Fruit Fly: Why You Should Side-Eye Science Headlines

"The fruit fly study is only one of hundreds of cases in which science filtered through the popular media fails to provide accurate information, and leaves traces of misinformation behind. "