readings in psychology for february 6 2011

I am taking a little time during halftime of Super Bowl 45 to post this! Wow!

Here is what I am reading today:

• test your sense of size

“Did this video mess with your mind? If you’re wondering whether it’s a camera trick, print off your own template of the illusion and try it yourself. It’s an old trick devised by American psychologist Joseph Jastrow.”

• want to race a neanderthal? you might win!

“IF YOU think you’re no good at running, bear this in mind: you could still outrun a Neanderthal. In fact, their inferior running ability may have been why they went extinct and our ancestors did not. Appropriately enough, it all came down to their Achilles tendon.”

• how your brain knows what your nose knows

“Mice know fear. And they know to fear the scent of a predator. But how do their brains quickly figure out with a sniff that a cat is nearby?”

• tigers with ipads

“a cute youtube of cats thinking what they think is in the iPad” — Laura