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We correct factual errors and broken or wrong sources as soon as we find them. Each entry lists the date, the article, what was wrong and what changed. To report an error, use our contact page.

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October 29, 2026. Article on how the brain decides whether a goal is worth the effort (dopamine). The link to the NIH source pointed to a retired beta.nih.gov address. It now points to the current NIH Research Matters page. No claims in the article changed.

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What EEG Measures, and What It Cannot Tell You

Cognitive Reserve and Aging: What the Evidence Supports and What It Cannot Promise

Correlation and Causation in Behavior Research: Read Beyond the Relationship

The Psychology of Habit Formation: Why Friction Drives Lasting Behavioral Change

Does Sleep Clean the Brain? What the Glymphatic Evidence Shows and Where Scientists Disagree

The Gut-Brain Axis: What the Microbiome Can and Cannot Tell Us About Mood and Anxiety

Watch & Learn

Science in a minute. Explore focus, habits and emotions through short, captioned explainers.

Why checking your phone interrupts focus

60 seconds · Captions included

How task switching and notifications can interrupt attention.

Transcript & sources

You sit down to work, then check your phone. That quick look can interrupt a much longer train of thought. The cost is not just the seconds spent looking at the screen. Your brain changes goals, from the work in front of you to a message, then has to find its place again. Task-switching experiments show that these transitions carry a cost. Some attention can also stay with the task you just left. Researchers call this attention residue. Unfinished work can make switching harder. Even a notification can distract. In one laboratory study, phone alerts disrupted an attention task without participants checking their phones. That does not mean every alert affects everyone equally. Try three simple changes to make those interruptions less automatic. Silence nonessential alerts, while keeping urgent contacts available. Set a time to check messages, rather than checking after every ping. Before switching, write a short note about what you will do next. There is no universal countdown for getting your focus back. Aim for fewer unnecessary switches, a clearer way to return, and a routine that works for you.

Research: Notification study · Attention residue research.

Why habits are hard to change

60 seconds · Captions included

How familiar cues support old routines, and how to change the setup.

Transcript & sources

Ever decide to change a habit, then catch yourself doing it again before you've even thought about it? That doesn't automatically mean you're short on willpower. Part of the challenge is how habits are learned. Repeating an action in a familiar situation can link that situation with the behavior. Over time, the cue can prompt the response with less conscious thought. Think of sitting on the sofa and reaching for your phone. You might want to read instead, but the familiar setting still supports the old routine. So make the surroundings work for your new plan. Put the phone out of reach, and leave a book where you'll sit. Choose a small action you can repeat after a reliable cue. For example: after dinner, sit down and read one page. Start with something realistic, and notice what gets in the way. There's no magic number of days that makes every habit stick. People and behaviors vary. A missed opportunity isn't a reason to quit. Adjust the setup, and try again at the next cue.

Research: Habit research review · Why habit formation times vary.

Can naming a feeling help?

60 seconds · Captions included

What affect-labeling experiments show, and why everyday results can vary.

Transcript & sources

You're tense before a difficult conversation. Would saying, I feel anxious, actually change how you feel? Scientists study this as affect labeling: putting an emotional experience into words. In some experiments, labeling emotions changed brain activity or reduced reported distress. But a change in a brain signal isn't the same as feeling calmer in everyday life. Results depend on the task, the timing, and the person. Naming a feeling isn't an instant off switch. And you don't have to force yourself to find the perfect word. You could try a simple description: I'm feeling worried about how this conversation will go. Notice the feeling without treating it as a fact about what will happen. Then choose one useful next step: prepare a question, ask for a pause, or speak to someone you trust. Treat this as an experiment, and notice whether it helps you. The aim isn't to erase emotion. It's to understand what you're experiencing and respond more deliberately. Naming a feeling can be a starting point, rather than a promise that it will disappear.

Research: Brain-response study · Reported-feeling experiments.