Smart Pop Classics: The Neuroscience of Survivor

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. In “The Neuroscience of Survivor” from The Psychology of Survivor, Dr. Karyn Frick explores why Survivor is tough on brains, and why the “Sole Survivor” might have the most resilient brain.

Outwit. It’s the first of the three tenets upon which Survivor is built, and is perhaps the most important. The other principles of the Survivor mantra, Outplay and Outlast, both involve elements of physical strengt...