Why Does Thinking Hard Make Me So Tired?
Scientists have proposed a new theory for why certain kinds of mental effort feel so draining.
White People Who Got Placebo From White Doctors Felt Better, Study Says
The placebo effect appeared to line up with the unconscious biases that pervade the world around us.
You Don’t Have to Talk Less to be Liked
A new study found that people have a "reticence gap": they mistakenly think they should speak less in order to be seen as likable.
In Experiment, AI Successfully Impersonates Famous Philosopher
It was difficult for people to guess whether philosophical responses came from the philosopher Daniel Dennett or the language generator GPT-3.
The New Study on Serotonin and Depression Isn’t About Antidepressants
A review confirming what has long been known is being used to make misleading claims about antidepressants—and shows the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding.
The Long, Strange Relationship Between Psychedelics and Telepathy
It’s impossible to tell the story of psychedelics without telepathy. How will these experiences fit into psychedelics' mainstream, medical future?
The Secret World of Pointing
This familiar gesture has a surprisingly vast array of meanings and uses.
Judges Deny Challenge to Psilocybin Patent
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board decided that petitions against Compass Pathways' psilocybin patents would not move forward to trial.
The Boom-Bust Cycle of Baby Names and Dog Breeds
People choose names and dogs depending on how common they are. Other cultural ideas spread or sputter out in similar ways, research suggests.
Do Animals Dream?
What nonhuman animals experience while sleeping can be called dreaming, philosopher David Peña-Guzmán writes in a new book. This impacts how we should think about their interior lives.
Inside the Dispute Over a High-Profile Psychedelic Study
A recent paper offered a theory on how psilocybin works to treat depression. Before long, there were memes and accusations of unprofessionalism.
The Research on How Nature Affects Mental Health Has a WEIRD Problem
That's WEIRD as in Western-Educated-Industrialized-Rich-Democratic.