Robb G. BestDec 19, 20192 minThe Chimpanzee Conga and the History of Human DanceIf you’ve ever watched a toddler bob up and down to their favorite song, the origins of dance might seem clear: moving to a rhythm appear...
Robb G. BestOct 31, 20192 minFire Studies Shed New LightFire: these days, starting one is as easy as flicking the switch on a gas stove. But if you’ve ever been on a camping trip, you know firs...
Robb G. BestAug 14, 20153 minEdison's Errors: When Genius is 99 Percent Flop SweatWhen you think of inventors, the iconic example might be Thomas Edison, who brought us the electric lightbulb. In the process, he discove...
Robb G. BestApr 11, 20152 minThe Marx Brothers: Princes of PracticeWhen we think of legends of comedy, the Marx Brothers might come to mind. In the years leading up to World War II, they were the toast of...
Robb G. BestOct 31, 20142 minProcrastination, the McClellan Problem, and YouGeneral George B. “Little Mac” McClellan was the Union force commander during the Civil War. Beloved by his men, and a stickler for train...
Robb G. BestOct 24, 20143 minThe Strange Case of Phineas Gage, reduxIn January of 2013, I wrote a post on one of neuroscience’s most famous cases. New details make it necessary to retell the story. It’s th...
Robb G. BestOct 17, 20144 minWhat Do Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, and Lynyrd Skynyrd Have in Common?When it comes to Carol Dweck’s concepts of mindset, northwestern Alabama might not be the first region that leaps into your mind. And yet...
Robb G. BestMar 21, 20143 minThe Secret Music That's Always Playing in Your HeadListening to music is one of the most compelling human experiences. Music taps deeply into our sense of feeling, often highlighting and p...
Robb G. BestFeb 28, 20142 minThe Twain Brain, or, Why Smart People do Stupid ThingsStartFragment “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” So said Mark Twain, printer, steamboat...
Robb G. BestDec 27, 20132 minThe Intersection: Where Bacon Meets Chocolate, and Creativity Meets GeniusWant to radically ramp up your creativity? In his new book The Medici Effect, Frans Johansson believes he can help you. If you're a fan o...
Robb G. BestDec 13, 20133 minRobbing a bank with your wristwatchAs you stand in the check-out line this holiday season, you may find yourself wondering why two minutes in a loud, crowded store can feel...
Robb G. BestDec 6, 20132 minTransference Bias: A Tale of Bloody Wars, Baby Kings, and Bad BossesThere was a time, and it was not so long ago, that conventional wisdom said if you were born into nobility, you possessed a set of superi...
Robb G. BestSep 20, 20133 minWho Are You? The Science (or Lack Thereof) of Myers-BriggsIf you've been hired for a job in the last thirty years, chances are you've heard of Myers-Briggs. It's a personality diagnostic tool use...
Robb G. BestSep 13, 20133 minThe Morality Lag: Smartphones and Dumb FeelingsYour smartphone has more computing power than the computer that took Neil Armstrong and crew to the moon. And this is only one of the sta...
Robb G. BestFeb 15, 20133 minAre You a Little Bit Neanderthal?40,000 years ago, the story goes, there were two kinds of early humanoids roaming the land. There were the Homo Sapiens, our noble early ...
Robb G. BestDec 7, 20123 minNeural Chemistry, Immortality and the Stuff of Flower PotsIn 1974, local farmers in Xian, China, set out to dig a well. Instead, they discovered what many consider to be the eighth wonder of the w...
Robb G. BestNov 30, 20123 minGeneral Custer, Bath Mats, and MothsWhen General George Armstrong Custer made the ill-fated decision to charge his 700 troops into the heart of the Lakota Nation on June 25t...
Robb G. BestNov 16, 20123 minCavemen and the InternetThe problem with you––and by you, I mean me––is that our brains are built on a 40,000 year old platform. Let's not forget, evolution is a...
Robb G. BestSep 27, 20124 minSourdough, Websites, and the Self: The Myth of the Driver's SeatOur story this week begins around 1500 BC. It was roughly 3500 years ago that somehow––let’s be honest, probably through some kind of acc...
Robb G. BestSep 9, 20123 minMan vs. MouseMickey Mouse is far more formidable than you might imagine. It’s no secret that Walt Disney has built an entire empire––or kingdom, if yo...