Stephen Johnson
Big Think
St Louis, MO, United States
Contact Stephen
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Past articles by Stephen:
"Mad honey": The rare hallucinogen from the mountains of Nepal
Mad honey is a psychedelic substance produced by bees who feed on specific species of rhododendron plants. → Read More
You're not fast enough to swat a fly. Here's why.
Flies are in no way smart, but they experience time in an almost Matrix-like fashion, which enables them to outmaneuver our swats. → Read More
Why a meaningful life is impossible without suffering
Feeling pain helps us to avoid experiences or stimuli that harm us. So, why do so many people pursue things that will bring them pain? → Read More
Kurt Vonnegut on the 8 "shapes" of stories
Before fame, Kurt Vonnegut wrote a master's thesis on the shapes of stories for the anthropology department at the University of Chicago. → Read More
This test measures your ability to spot pseudo-profound financial bullshit
In a recent study, researchers created a "financial bullshit scale" that measured the ability to discern between real insights and nonsense. → Read More
After taking LSD, he was sober for a year. Then came the recurring flashbacks.
A small percentage of people who consume psychedelics experience strange lingering effects through a mysterious condition called HPPD. → Read More
Even monkeys choke under pressure
Scientists have long studied choking under pressure among humans. However, it has remained unclear whether other animals also experience it. → Read More
Out of Africa: Not just once, but many times
A new analysis of an ancient hominin fossil sheds light on the "Out of Africa" dispersal events that occurred more than one million years ago. → Read More
Why is 18 the age of adulthood if the brain can take 30 years to mature?
Research suggests that most human brains take about 25 years to develop, though these rates can vary between men and women. → Read More
Havana syndrome: CIA casts doubt on whether directed-energy attacks are causing strange illnesses
The first reports of a potential directed-energy attack on U.S. personnel came in 2016 from American diplomats working in Cuba. → Read More
Your dog knows when you're speaking a foreign language
A recent fMRI study explored whether family dogs are able to discern between familiar and unfamiliar languages. → Read More
The depression paradox: Treatments are better, but prevalence remains the same
Treatments for depression have significantly improved since the 1980s. So why isn't the rate of depression in Western countries decreasing? → Read More
Passing the Turing Test: AI creates human-like text
Recently, OpenAI opened public access to GPT-3, one of the world's most sophisticated AI writing tools. It might fool you in a conversation. → Read More
Testosterone boosts persistence in the face of defeat
A recent study explored the relationship between testosterone levels and men's willingness to persist in tough competitions. → Read More
Spider webs: How simple arachnids weave such complex structures
Despite the wide diversity of spider species, most orb-weavers seem to follow the same playbook when building their webs. → Read More
“The General Index”: New tool allows you to search 107 million research papers for free
The General Index aims to make it easier than ever to access and search through the world's accumulated research papers. Legally, this time. → Read More
Sex, drugs, and genes: Why some people morally condemn drugs
Our moral attitudes about sex and drugs share a genetic basis, suggests a recent study that examined the attitudes of more than 5,000 twins. → Read More
Why do dogs tilt their heads? Smarter dogs do it more often.
Dogs tend to tilt their heads when they hear words they have learned, suggesting that the behavior is a sign of increased attention. → Read More
Want a better relationship? Watch porn with your partner.
A recent study casts doubt on the popular belief that watching porn, whether alone or with your partner, damages romantic relationships. → Read More
Swarm robotics: Legged robots connect, form centipede-like robot in new system
Inspired by the group behaviors of simple animals, a team of roboticists has developed a new way for swarm robots to maneuver on land. → Read More