Cognition3949 articles archived since 1845

Do D.I.Y. Brain-Booster Devices Work?

Zapping the cranium may juice up neuron circuits, and use is rising—but there might be a cognitive price

When Do Children Start Making Long-Term Memories?

Dima Amso, an associate professor in the department of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown University, answers

Looking Past the Scales: The Truth about Reptilian Behavior

Jordan Bush reports how despite their sometimes unappealing exterior, reptiles care for their young, communicate with one another, and even play

We Remember Faces Better as Adults

Brain regions involved in recognizing visages continue to develop into young adulthood

Does Poverty Shape the Brain?

Growing up in a poor family can leave a mark on the developing brain. Understanding how and why has important implications for educators and society

How Do Connectomes Contribute to Human Cognition?

Alexander Fornito, an associate professor at the Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences in Melbourne, Australia, responds

Eating These Foods Makes Men More Attractive to Women

Women prefer the scent of men who eat diets rich in certain foods—including garlic! 

Need Help with Portion Control? Don't Ask a Dog for Help

Dogs are not tripped up by the Delboeuf illusion, but we are

2 Beautiful Minds We Lost in 2016: Seymour Epstein and Shane Lopez

Remembering two great psychologists

Dopamine: The Currency of Desire

Rethinking the “pleasure molecule” could help scientists better understand addiction, Parkinson’s disease and motivation 

How Can Education Foster Imagination and Creativity?

Insights about how to cultivate imagination from an all-star cast of educators

Why Robots Must Learn to Tell Us “No”

Don’t worry about disobedient machines. Devious human masters and misunderstood commands are the real threat

Tips for Picking Up a New Lingo

4 Must-See Short Films for Dog Lovers

Dogs inspire, educate and tickle our funny bones  

One Skeptical Scientist's Mindfulness Journey

What this daydreaming researcher learned from eight weeks of mindfulness meditation

Some People’s Brains Are Wired for Languages

Brain scans may offer clues to a person’s natural aptitude—and help those less gifted learn how to study better 

When Free Choice Is an Illusion

Magicians and cognitive scientists know how to manipulate what we pick—or thought we picked

Nurturing Genius

A long-running investigation of exceptional children reveals what it takes to produce the scientists who will lead the 21st century

Getting Robots to Say No

Gordon Briggs, a postdoc at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, talks about the article he and Matthias Scheutz, director of the Human Robot Interaction Laboratory at Tufts University, wrote in the January Scientific American titled "The Case for Robot Disobedience."...

Chickadees Sing Different Songs Depending Where They're From

Carrie Branch tells me about her recent finding that chickadee populations vary in the songs they sing