Neuropsych

“Theory of mind” enables all people to naturally infer other people’s mental states. Psychopaths don’t seem to put much effort into the process.

A new study suggests that depressed people may prefer a Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan song to one from The Beach Boys or One Direction.

For some people, the emotional pull of fictional characters is profoundly strong.

“I suddenly woke up one day and thought, you idiot, you are letting your life fade away, you have got to do something.”

A new study upends a long-standing theory on how the brain plans motor actions in uncertain environments.

When you unintentionally step on a dog’s tail, does it know that it was an accident?

In a way, the human brain is like three brains in one.

How the brain decides what to store and what to forget.

Our brains did not evolve to shop on Amazon.

A new study found that people who scored high in certain psychopathic traits are more likely to limit head movements.

Science confirms what you already knew about being helpful to others.

Money can buy happiness — if you spend it on others, research suggests.

Through self-tracking and self-experimentation, we can greatly improve our cognitive capacity.

For nearly two centuries, courts have relied on the subjective “reasonable person standard” to solve legal disputes. Now, science can help.

Justice is not blind to beauty.

The way we imagine and listen to melodies sheds light on imagination.

Our brains believe $10 today is more tangible than $100 next year.

Humans are wired for short-term thinking according to neuroscience, making it difficult to save for retirement.

Playing video games could help you make better decisions about money.

Fintech companies are using elements of video games to make personal finance more fun. But does it work, and what are the risks?

A new brain imaging study explored how different levels of the brain’s excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters are linked to math abilities.

Fear that new technologies are addictive isn’t a modern phenomenon.

When we rely on the conscious mind alone, we lose; but when we listen to the body, we gain a winning edge.

Brain cells snap strands of DNA in many more places and cell types than researchers previously thought.

A new episode of “Your Brain on Money” illuminates the strange world of consumer behavior and explores how brands can wreak havoc on our ability to make rational decisions.

Powerful branding can not only change how you feel about a company, it can actually change how your brain is wired.

People tend to reflexively assume that fun events – like vacations – will go by really quickly.

The same parts of the brain that help us navigate complex social interactions can also drive us to make wildly bad investments.

Why your brain wants you to follow the crowd.

Theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow offers three strategies for relaxing your cognitive filters to give your brilliant ideas time to shine in the spotlight of the conscious mind.