How the Same Facts Can Change Your Decision Why do our decisions depend on how options are presented to us? Imagine a doctor gives you two ways to describe the…
A “Biscuit” Has Already Been Baked Twice A biscuit’s name began as a recipe instruction: put it back in the oven. The word reached English through Old French bescuit, ultimately…
Why We Think More People Agree With Us Than Actually Do Why do we overestimate agreement? Imagine you love working from home. You think: “Most people probably prefer this too.”…
Why We Think Everyone Else Is Doing It for the Money Why do we think others are in it for the money, but we’re in it for the experience? Imagine…
Human milk contains an evolutionary puzzle: complex sugars that babies largely cannot digest. Why would a mother spend resources manufacturing food her infant cannot directly use? The answer involves another…
Months before saying “mama,” babies begin producing repetitive sounds such as ba-ba-ba and da-da-da. This may sound meaningless, but babbling appears to be a form of structured practice. Each vocalization…
The Tiny Person Inside Your “Pupil” Look closely into someone’s eyes, and you may spot a miniature reflection of yourself. That tiny image helped give the pupil its name. The…
To “Escape,” Leave Your Cape Behind Someone grabs your cloak. You slip out of it and run, leaving your pursuer clutching an empty garment. That scene captures the image hidden…
Why We Value Things More Once We Own Them Why do we value items more if they belong to us? Imagine you buy a coffee mug for $10. A week…
“Sincere” Does Not Mean “Without Wax” A sincere apology feels honest and unforced. Originally, however, the word described something pure and uncorrupted. It comes through French from the Latin sincerus,…