The bad big wolf or the big bad wolf? Why we order adjectives the way do

What’s scarier? Big bad wolf or bad big wolf? The three little pigs and little red riding hood and her grandma probably wouldn’t be bothered with the distinction. But there’s a natural order to language in which “bad big wolf” doesn’t sound quite right.  The English language has various grammatical rules that speakers follow to […]

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A theory of the role of consciousness in the human brain

Consciousness is the awareness that we have of our own existence. It is the awareness of our sensations, thoughts, feelings, and the environment that surrounds us. Since at least the time of Aristotle, people have debated the meaning and origins of consciousness.  We can now study consciousness at the neural level. A popular belief is that some brain […]

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Psychological science can now tell us how many innocent suspects are in police lineups

Have you ever said hello to someone who looked familiar, but then realized that they are a complete stranger? It’s embarrassing, sure. But the cost of mistaking someone for another person is much greater if you made this error as an eyewitness to a crime. This type of error is made when an eyewitness identifies an […]

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Being mindful about memory: Mindfulness can boost memory performance

Have you paid any mind to the growing popularity of mindfulness? It seems everywhere I look there is a new promotion or app touting the benefits of this meditative practice. But what exactly is mindfulness and how might it benefit us? Mindfulness is a state of being that is characterized by a nonreactive awareness of […]

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