Walking Made 81% of People More Creative. Your Desk Chair May Be the Problem
Four Stanford experiments found walkers produced far more fresh ideas, even on a treadmill facing a blank wall. Here’s how to use it.
Your Sunday Dread Is Real, but Monday Is No Worse Than Tuesday. Here’s What Helps
A five-minute list, written at the right moment, helped people fall asleep about ten minutes faster in one sleep-lab study.
One Sniff Can Take You Back 60 Years. Science Says Your Nose Keeps the Oldest Memories
In one study, smells sent people aged 65 to 83 back to ages 6 to 10, years earlier than words could reach. Here’s how to use that at home.
You Don’t Grow to Look Like Your Partner. You Probably Looked Alike From Day One
A face-recognition test of 517 couples married for decades found no drift towards each other. The resemblance was there at the wedding.
That Cringe Memory From Years Ago Isn’t Random. Your Brain Replays It for a Reason
Unbidden memories surface several times a day. The embarrassing ones sting hardest, and a short self-kindness exercise can take the heat out.
The $75,000 Happiness Ceiling Everyone Quotes Was Only Half Right. Here’s the Rest
Two rival scientists teamed up in 2023 and found money keeps lifting most people’s moods, with one telling exception.
That Conversation You Keep Replaying Went Better Than You Think. Here’s the Science
Strangers in five studies liked their partners more than they guessed. In one, the gap lasted most of a university year.
Should You Tell People Your Goals? Two Lines of Research Disagree
One famous study says announcing a goal saps your drive. A meta-analysis of 19,951 people says going public helps. The answer lies in what you say, and to whom.
Decision Fatigue: The Hungry Judges Study and the Truth About Willpower
Parole judges seemed to grow harsher as lunch approached. The famous study behind decision fatigue looks shakier under cross-examination.
Houseplants Won’t Clean Your Air, but They Might Still Be Good for You
A famous NASA study made houseplants into air purifiers. The maths says otherwise, yet the research on mood and focus tells a kinder story.