Topic

Psychology & Health

A collection of 28 issues

Beyond Fetch: Why Human Imagination Fuels an Infinite World of Play

Animal play often rehearses survival skills, but human play is infinitely more complex. Our capacity for abstract thought and symbolism transforms play into a tool for social bonding, cultural creation, and intellectual exploration that evolves throughout life.

Psychology & Health Science & Nature Education & Child Development

The Alien Mind of the Octopus: Tasting and Thinking With Eight Arms

The octopus possesses a unique nervous system, a form of distributed intelligence where over two-thirds of its neurons reside in its eight arms. This allows each arm to act semi-autonomously, tasting whatever it touches via chemoreceptors on its suckers.

Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities Psychology & Health

The Adorable Urge to Squeeze: Unpacking the Science of Cuteness Aggression

The urge to squeeze something adorable is a phenomenon called 'cuteness aggression.' A 'dimorphous expression,' it's the brain's way of regulating an overwhelming positive feeling by introducing a hint of aggression to prevent you from being emotionally overloaded.

Psychology & Health Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities

Silencing the Loop: Why a Good Puzzle Is the Best Cure for an Earworm

Having a song stuck in your head, or an earworm, can be stopped by engaging in a moderately challenging cognitive task. This solution works by occupying the brain's phonological loop—the short-term memory system replaying the tune—with a new focus like an anagram or Sudoku.

Psychology & Health Science & Nature Music

Beyond the Clock: Why Time Stretches and Shrinks in Our Dreams

Our sense of time warps dramatically during REM sleep, creating dreams that feel like they span days or years. This isn't a random glitch; it's a feature of how our brain processes memories, unanchored from waking reality and its rigid chronological rules.

Science & Nature Psychology & Health Oddities & Curiosities

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