A man and a child pulling faces Humanity is not becoming less intelligent across the board, but the evidence suggests that some important skills are weakening. In several developed countries,...
Close-up of a human tongue People with more of certain bacteria on their tongues responded faster on some cognitive tasks, according to an exploratory study of 60 healthy volunteers in...
A skull above planet Earth An international commission of experts for the journal The Lancet has identified 17 major threats to human health through 2100. Two of them, the malicious...
A long white cloud above volcanic calderas on the surface of Mars Almost every day during Martian spring and summer, an elongated cloud forms over the Martian volcano Arsia Mons....
Twirling a pen, spinning a fidget spinner, turning a ring or running prayer beads through the fingers can look like pointless restlessness. In fact, these small movements serve several purposes....
A girl blowing a bubble with chewing gum Several habits commonly seen as bad, such as swearing, fidgeting, chewing gum or putting tasks off, may offer small benefits, but only...
A car wheel spinning at high speed When a car on video drives forward but its wheels appear to roll backward, or briefly freeze while the car keeps accelerating, the...
A frightened woman next to a spider, a snake and a clown People can develop a fear of almost anything, from beards to flowers to clowns. Yet most phobias fall...
A dark-maned lion on a hill in the African savanna A lion’s mane appears to work mainly as a signal rather than as armor. Long-term research on wild lions in...
A calendar lying on autumn leaves Many people promise themselves a fresh start on January 1. But the psychology of habits offers arguments for a different timeline: September and October...
