Cognition refers to mental processes involved in perception, thinking, learning and decision-making. Cognitive neuroscience explores the neural mechanisms underlying these functions.
London, summer 2012. The North Greenwich Arena is alive with applause. Sixteen year old McKayla Maroney walks toward the vault as if the gold medal were already hers. A dominant force in artistic gymnastics vault, she had led the qualifications and entered the final as the clear favorite. That day, however, after a spectacular first…
We spend a large part of our days not entirely where we are. While our eyes are fixed on a screen, a book, or a conversation partner, the mind often drifts toward thoughts that have no immediate connection with the situation at hand. This discreet but pervasive phenomenon is so common that researchers estimate it…
Each new year acts as a signal. It invites reflection, projection, and a reconsideration of what once seemed firmly established. Biologically, however, nothing distinguishes the brain from one day to the next. The same neural circuits remain active, the same habits continue to shape behavior, and the same constraints weigh on decision making. Despite this…
For a long time, schooling was conceived within four walls. Protective, structured, reassuring walls. Over the past decade, however, a quiet shift has been taking place in schoolyards, public parks, and sometimes at the edge of forests. What if learning outdoors were not a pedagogical whim, but a science based response to some of the…
For a long time marginalized or dismissed as mere cliché, over-efficiency—whether manifesting as high intellectual potential (HIP) or very high intellectual potential (VHIP)—is now receiving renewed scientific attention. Recent research in cognitive neuroscience, neuro-psychoanalysis and clinical psychology converge to show that it is above all an exceptional brain architecture, rather than a pathological state or…
We often imagine our thoughts as a continuous stream of images, words, and memories. However, most of us have experienced a sudden inner void a moment when nothing seems clear, and no identifiable thoughts emerge. This phenomenon, known as mind blanking, has sparked growing interest in cognitive science over the past few years. Is it…
Péguy’s Lucidity or the Enigma of Our “Guilty Absent‑Mindedness” The thinker Charles Péguy, in a sharply observed passage cited by Francine Lenne, pinpoints a fundamental yet widespread error of human reasoning:“Speaking of what one does not know (…) will always remain man’s favorite occupation.” With a clinical edge of irony, he notes that while the…
Mental fatigue is one of the most universal experiences of modern life. After hours of focusing, learning, or handling repetitive tasks, a subtle heaviness sets in and motivation begins to wane. This phenomenon is more than just an unpleasant sensation, it reshapes the way the brain evaluates the efforts we’re willing to make. Contrary to…
Some words transcend time. They change sides, attire, and language, but never lose their power. Strategy is one of them. Born on the rugged terrain of ancient battlefields, the term originally belonged to the strategos, the Greek general who led not only by command, but by thought. To think was to anticipate. And to anticipate…
My doctor says it’s okay to exercise, but when it becomes a strain, you better quit. Mohamed Ali : Man, your doctor don’t know what he’s talking about. That’s what you want to do, strain. You want to run into the pains. You want to run until your throat feels like sandpaper. You want to…