Will That Be on the Test?

Toward the end of the 19th century, the German scientist Hermann Ebbinghaus concocted an experiment that countless children have unwittingly replicated ever since, over a morning bowl of Alpha-Bits. Ebbinghaus took consonants from the alphabet, slapped a random vowel between them, and, voila! some 2,300 nonsense syllables were born...

Thinking Like a President

As the nation's post-election celebration begins to quiet down, even the most loyal Barack Obama supporters are confronting the grim reality ahead and wondering: How can the 44th president possibly succeed? He faces an economic train wreck at home as well as two hot wars abroad, and on top of that he’s promised to fix an awful lot: a dysfunctional health care system, a substandard educational system, and more. How can one man comprehend, much less solve, problems of this magnitude?

Cold and Lonely: Does Social Exclusion Literally Feel Cold?

When we hear somebody described as “frosty” or “cold”, we automatically picture a person who is unfriendly and antisocial. We are taught at a young age that metaphors are meant to be descriptive and are not supposed to be taken literally. However, recent studies suggest that these metaphors are more than just fancy literary devices and that there is a psychological basis for linking cold with feelings of social isolation.

The New SAT: A Work in Progress

In 21st century America, getting into the best universities has become a ferociously competitive game. There are many more qualified students than selective schools can accommodate, and the hunt is on for the best students at public and private institutions alike. But who are the best students? American colleges and universities have long answered this question by looking at applicants' high-school grades in academic subjects and their scores on standardized college-entrance tests.