The voice
Whether he’s playing God, the American President or Vitruvius, Morgan Freeman has one of the greatest voices of all time. It’s deep, soothing and powerful. But what makes a voice so authoritative?
All posts filed under: Myths
An apple didn’t fall on Newton’s head, lemmings do not commit mass suicide, and a duck’s quack actually does echo. Sorry.
Exactly how many degrees of separation?
I’m sure you know the idea: everyone on Earth is connected to every other person by six or fewer links. The idea was first proposed in 1929, but is six still the correct number of links in today’s connected world?
Even the slightest touch
Have you ever had a hug from a stranger? How did it make you feel: warm, happy, comforted? Feeling connected to other people, especially through touch, has been shown to protect us from illness. Something as simple as a pat on the back or a supportive touch on the arm can induce trust and reduce pain and stress. Although often disregarded, touch has a profound influence on how we feel and can communicate complex emotions without words.
Midnight munchies
It’s late, you’re exhausted, and you’re craving chips. Most of us have experienced midnight munchies, but what makes fatty, salty and sweet foods particularly appealing at night?
Reading the fine print
I remember being told in primary school that no one else on the planet had exactly the same fingerprints as me. Pretty powerful stuff for a seven year old. Patterns that were uniquely mine and that I’d never really looked at before, despite the fact they had been part of me since before I was born. But is it true? Are each of your fingerprints truly one of a kind?
Colour me calm?
Are you into colouring books? Right now a quarter of the best-selling books on Amazon were colouring books. Adult colouring books. It’s an international craze that doesn’t show any sign of slowing. But is there any evidence for their touted health benefits? Will you be any calmer, less anxious or more focused if you spend time colouring-in?
The look of a liar
The other day my seven-year-old told me a blatant lie. He wasn’t trying to hide the lie but instead immediately asked ‘did you notice the twinkle in my eye?’ Somewhere along the way he’d heard that twinkling eyes are a good indication of lying and he wanted to test me out. We’re all aware of certain gestures that are meant to clearly give away dishonesty. But it turns out although we may hear dozens of […]
Lacking total recall
What’s your earliest memory? Chances are you can’t remember anything before the age of three. Otherwise known as childhood amnesia, it affects us all but isn’t quite the stuff of Hollywood. In the movies, the plot usually revolves around someone being bopped on the head and suddenly having no idea who they are or what they are supposed to be doing. And more often than not, a second whack to the head and the person’s memories return, good as new. But is that an accurate depiction of amnesia?
The look of concentration
Most young kids do it. Michael Jordan was famous for it. And it’s quite possible you do it too. What am I talking about? Sticking your tongue out when you concentrate. It’s incredibly common and over the years there have been a variety of theories attempting to explain the habit. Recent research supports the suggestion it’s connected to the way humans evolved spoken language. A quirky tongue? Next time you have the opportunity, watch a […]
The sound of music
Today I saw something I’ve never seen before: a man breaking out into dance in the supermarket. One aisle over, I caught another shopper smiling and humming along. I don’t normally notice the music being played in shops, but I also felt more energised than I had moments earlier. Whether it be how long you spend in a shop, the amount you spend, even whether you buy French or German wine, music has power over our behaviour. And shops are using it to their advantage.
Dr Jen Martin 