Recently, the magazine BBC Science Focus asked a number of scientists (including me) to address four "big questions" in our fields. Here are …
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What I’m Reading Right Now
I read a lot. Usually several books at the same time. It's an occupational hazard. Here are some great titles that are currently stacked …
Recommended Books and Videos About the Brain
Many books and videos explain the brain, but they are of varying quality. Here are some I especially recommend. …
Three Articles on Social Reality
In October 2020, I wrote a series of three articles on social reality (the way humans agree on things and make them real) and its powerful …
Physical Reality Constrains Social Reality, Until it Doesn’t
[This article is Part 3 of 3 on the topic of social reality. Start with Part 1 and Part 2.] Imagine what would happen if everyone in the …
The Social World Sculpts Your Physical Health
In Part 1 of this series, we explored social reality — the uniquely human superpower to "make stuff up" that becomes real, such as money and …
Every Pandemic Tells a Story
A virus, such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is biological invader. Invisible to the naked eye, it floats through the air …
A Cinematic Lecture on Emotion
For more than a year, my lab worked with filmmaker Van Yang to present ideas from my book, How Emotions are Made, as a 40-minute "cinematic …
How to be Misquoted
One of the perils of speaking to the media about science is that occasionally, I'm misquoted in print. …
You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions (TED Talk)
Can you look at someone's face and know what they're feeling? Does everyone experience happiness, sadness and anxiety the same way? What are …