Dive Into the World of Imaginary Friends
What may seem like whimsical creations are much more than child’s play.
The Real Guide to Imaginary Companions: Episode 1
Developmental psychologist have pieced together an unexpectedly diverse and nuanced profile of the children who create imaginary companions, while finding out how and why they create them.
The Real Guide to Imaginary Companions: Episode 3
Research by psychologists has revealed that imaginary companions can provide glimpses into the development of critical creative, social, and cognitive skills of children.
The Real Guide To Imaginary Companions: Episode 2
A trip into the lab of developmental psychologist Jacqueline Woolley reveals how children can become so enamored with their pretend friends, that they blur the lines between real and fantasy.
17:26
How Do You Measure the I.Q. of an Octopus?
The trick, says primatologist Frans de Waal, is to measure animal intelligence not by human standards, but by the standards of an octopus or elephant or chimpanzee.
10:19
Could ‘Brainprints’ Unlock Your Future Phone?
Researchers created a system that could match EEG readings to an individual with 100 percent accuracy.
16:12
Computer Device Allows Paralyzed Man to Regain Movement
A computer hooked to Ian Burkhart’s brain reads his thoughts and translates those into electrical signals, which stimulate his arm muscles and allow him to move his hand.
7:18
The Science Club Wants You to #TakeASample
This month’s project from Science Friday’s Science Club asks participants to answer a question about a big or complex thing by looking at a sample of the whole.
11:55
That Emoji You’re Sending Is Open to Interpretation
Emoji, the tiny graphics used in text communications, can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
Media Guide: The Bouba-Kiki Effect
The Bouba-Kiki effect describes the tendency of people to identify certain sounds with specific types of shape. Students will test out the Bouba-Kiki Effect, learn about current research, create their own sound-shape pairings based on the theories behind the Bouba-Kiki effect, and evaluate different explanations for the effect based on their observations.