Demonstrating the administration of the polygraph, the polygrapher making notes on the readouts.

The Online Lie Detector Is No Better Than the Polygraph

People love the idea of a machine that tells us who to trust. But the historical analog of the online lie detector also didn't work.
Two heart-shaped balloons against a pink background

Rethinking Love and Autism

Scholars question the common conception that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder don't experience love like neurotypical people do.
A woman's face lit up in a dark room

People with Depression Use Language Differently

New research shows that people with depression use absolute words, such as "always," "nothing," or "completely," more often than others.
diseases cures

The (Unproven, Deadly) Common Cure for Schizophrenia

Insulin coma and deep sleep therapies were used for years on patients with mental illness, even though there was never any evidence they worked.
Neuroscience of Ventriloquism

How Ventriloquism Tricks the Brain

New research shows our brains place more weight on vision than hearing in identifying the source of a sound. But why?
memory diagram

What is Memory?

Research suggests that memories may alter the brain's architecture, forming new synapses and strengthening existing ones.
optimistic kids

Children Are Natural Optimists (Which Has Its Ups and Downs)

Human beings seem to be born wearing rose-colored glasses. Psychologists are interested in how this bias toward the positive works in the very young.
psychology on the radio

Psychologists on the Radio

Americans have tuned their radios for psychological insight and edification since the dawn of the medium.
Wild Child earth day

Re-Wild Your Child!

On Earth Day, one mom argues for “green time” over “screen time.”
Business people clapping for businesswoman leading presentation in conference room

What Makes a Company Worth Working For?

Academics are studying what makes a good company culture. These have involved everything from ranking hierarchies of needs to sociological explanations of group mentalities.