Research

Let’s say you and I are talking in person — and I make a strange request: “Take your right forefinger and draw a capital E on your forehead.” There are two ways to do that, of course. You can draw like the guy on the left or like the guy on the right. But which […]

Ever come up with a great idea for someone else, but find yourself stymied by your own problem? Recent research by Evan Polman of NYU and Kyle J. Emich of Cornell may shed some light on why. In three sets of experiments, they found that when people solved problems on behalf of others, they produced faster […]

Paul Sullivan — author of the terrific book, Clutch — has a fascinating piece in Saturday’s New York Times about the growing ranks of social scientists who are studying American elites. As wealth in this country concentrates at the top — and, increasingly, at the top of the top — how that happened and who inhabits this upper echelon […]

NPR has a terrific story — complete with this official Barack Obama scribble-pic — about why the human brain often prompts the human hand into doodling during boring meetings and phone calls.Turns out that this aimless artistry isn’t so aimless after all. It’s keeps us from doing a full Walter Mitty when we’re not sufficiently […]

For some book research, I’m looking for examples of extraordinary amateur athletes — people intensely (perhaps maniacally) devoted to a sport, but who derive very little in the way of money or fame for their efforts. If you’ve got ideas, drop me a short email or post a comment below. Thanks.