Richard E. Cytowic's Blog, page 16
June 25, 2013
Hand Movements Give Your Poker Game Away
What one thinks he is communicating hinges on keeping an expressionless face. But the hands, not the face, are what give away the game.
June 21, 2013
A TED-Ed Lesson on Synesthesia
Synesthesia is the genetically-inherited trait of coupling senses—such as sight and sound, or words and tastes.One in 23 people harbor the gene for this fascinating neurological trait.
May 31, 2013
The Night I Danced with Liberace
Yes, we did the Twist at the Latin Casino, me at age 10. Take the Wayback nachine to 1963 for a funny story of generosity and also a touch of sadness.
In the LA Review of Books:
The Night I Danced with Liberace
In the LA Review of Books:
The Night I Danced with Liberace
May 15, 2013
The Maddening Normality of Autistic Brains
Brain scans have limitations, and "hot spots" are hardly the whole picture. For most autistics, even those with severe deficits, "You'd be amazed how normal their brains look."
May 1, 2013
Temple GrandinThinking Across Autism's Spectrum
Read my review of The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin & Richard Panek at the New York Journal of Books.
Grandin has yet again been of enormous service to the millions of autistic individuals worldwide, to anyone labeled with a disability, and to the rest of us curious about the brain and the intricacies of human experience.
Grandin has yet again been of enormous service to the millions of autistic individuals worldwide, to anyone labeled with a disability, and to the rest of us curious about the brain and the intricacies of human experience.
April 23, 2013
It Takes Emotion, Not Facts, to Change a Habit
Everyone knows what to do to quit smoking or lose weight, yet fails to do it. Likewise, pocketbook reasoning fails to make people change their habits even when it gives them the "more money" that they say they want. The emotional jolt that prods us must be highly personal, and the feeling of what you stand to "lose" must outweigh the present feeling of reward.
March 5, 2013
Do Things Make You Happy, or Does Your Disposition?
Other people influence what we want more often than we think.
Because we want others to admire us, we want the material things that we do. If we didn’t care about social status, or if neighbors laughed at instead of admired luxury cars, pricey watches, and McMansions, we would never exert ourselves trying to attain such things.
Because we want others to admire us, we want the material things that we do. If we didn’t care about social status, or if neighbors laughed at instead of admired luxury cars, pricey watches, and McMansions, we would never exert ourselves trying to attain such things.
February 5, 2013
Would You Rather Be Happy or Content?
People use both terms to indicate a general state of success and felicity. But words have the power to change us, and there is a world of difference between the two.
February 4, 2013
Prepared to Say No: Mastering the Art of Personal Choice
Yes and no are short words often in need of lengthy thought. How will you recognize happiness when it hits you over the head if you have never decided beforehand on what conditions would make you happy? When you have prepared yourself in advance to not want something, it is easy to say no.
December 13, 2012
Why Black Coffee Can’t Sober You Up
Coffee and energy drinks may make you feel more awake when you've drunk too much, but that's merely an illusion—your judgment and driving are both impaired.
