At long last, artificial intelligence (AI)—and its main subset, machine learning—is beginning to fulfill its promise. When fed massive amounts of data, computers can discern…
Posts published in “talk psych”
Judith Rich Harris’ December 29th death took my mind to her remarkable life and legacy. Among all the people I’ve never met, she was the…
Turning 76 years old in a week, and still loving what I do, I find myself inspired by two recent emails. One, from social psychologist…
As Pope Francis has said, “Everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others.” We are social animals. We need to belong. We flourish when…
It’s the new year transition, the line between our last year’s self and our hoped-for healthier, happier, and more productive 2017 self. To become that…
If you, dear reader, can indulge some slightly geeky calculations, I hope to show you that with daily exercise you can live a substantially longer…
As I approach five years of www.TalkPsych.com commentary—which has settled into a weekly Thursday essay—I am tempted (given our now larger audience) to replay an…
After elections, people often note unexpected outcomes and then complain that “the polls got it wrong.” After Donald Trump’s stunning 2016 presidential victory, the…
This week I interrupt our weekly focus on psychology’s big ideas and new findings to update three prior essays. Loss aversion in sports. A…
Originally posted on April 26, 2016. The April 11, 2016 TIME cover story on “Porn and the Threat to Virility” was replete with anecdotes…