Stories have shapes which can be drawn on graph paper. — Kurt Vonnegut The title of today’s post shares its name with the title of new and fascinating research that tries to answer the following question: why do certain movies, books, stories, etc. catch on and become popular? These days, it’s gone viral to say…
That which is real is irreplaceable. – Dolores Abernathy, from the TV show West World After the last year, one of the last things we want from our entertainment (TVs, video games, phone screens, etc.) is a reflection of real life. Indeed, since the pandemic began, researchers have seen a sharp rise in people’s desire…
“For a while” is a phrase whose length can’t be measured. At least by the person who’s waiting. — Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun You may have noticed that it’s been about five weeks since my last post on everydaypsych.com, the longest break I have taken from posting in over six…
But better die than live mechanically a life that is a repetition of repetitions. — D.H. Lawrence What would it be like to revisit a museum, restaurant, or city you just visited? To rewatch a movie you just watched? To replay a game you just played? These are the question that begin the paper we’re…
A yawn is a silent scream for coffee. — T-shirt, Amazon.com This may have been one of the more difficult posts for me to write, both because of the sparse and sometimes conflicting research, as well the fact that every time I typed “yawn,” I’d start yawning myself. See, I just did it right there! But…
Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws. — Douglas Adams Today’s post conveys some bad news… Well, really, it’s a post about bad news, which in fact, is actually good news for you. Because to begin this post, I’m going to…