Thinking through incredible scenarios can be productive if you’re writing a fiction story. But, surely it won't help you predict future events? Or, will it? Research has shown that thinking about outcomes you believe to be unlikely, yet possible can help you anticipate things to come. When we … [Read more...] about What if Pigs Really Could Fly? Get Creative to Predict Future Events
Can an Image of the Brain Reveal Your Cultural Adaptability?
Some people can adjust to new cultures far more easily than others. Understanding why some find cultural adaptability to be relatively painless, whereas others struggle to adapt is a problem of longstanding concern. Many are interested in the results, including businesses with multinational … [Read more...] about Can an Image of the Brain Reveal Your Cultural Adaptability?
Innate Intelligence vs. True Grit
My dad used to say, “It’s not the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog.” He had several other antiquated gems for expressing that core idea – success is often less about natural talent than it is about persistence in pursuit of one’s goals. Emily Hanford describes a study about the role … [Read more...] about Innate Intelligence vs. True Grit
A Simple Way to Make Good Decisions
Figuring out how to make good decisions can be hairy. It's not always easy to get past your uncertainty and make a tough choice. So, how do you do it? Some suggest that you “go with your gut,” acting quickly and instinctively. Others suggest analytical approaches that may involve computation … [Read more...] about A Simple Way to Make Good Decisions
A Scientific Reasoning Strategy to Make Everyday Discoveries
We humans like to think we understand the world pretty well. It gives us a fair amount of comfort to think our beliefs about how things work are spot on. When our human-made devices, our friends, or other bits of the natural world don’t behave as we anticipate, it’s all too common to write off … [Read more...] about A Scientific Reasoning Strategy to Make Everyday Discoveries
Language of Stereotypes
Hearing generic language to describe a category of people, such as “boys have short hair,” can lead children to endorse a range of other stereotypes about the category, a study by researchers at New York University and Princeton University has found. Their research, which appears in … [Read more...] about Language of Stereotypes