#psychology – Science & Story

October 27, 2015April 17, 2016

Two (wait, three) piece on the psychology of mass shootings

The New Yorker and Mother Jones both have longform pieces out this week on “the Columbine Effect” — that is, the tendency of would-be school shooters to draw inspiration and practical lessons from previous high-profile killings (of which there are, obviously, a growing number). And I think it’s worth comparing the two theses. The Mother Jones piece focuses on … Continue reading Two (wait, three) piece on the psychology of mass shootings

April 19, 2015April 20, 2015

On Bias and Blind Spots

One afternoon last fall, Emile Bruneau, a cognitive neuroscientist from MIT, met with three research assistants at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, to plan a series of behavioral experiments. The school system in Hungary (and in many if not most other European countries) has a history of discriminating against Roma students, going so far as … Continue reading On Bias and Blind Spots

October 16, 2014April 20, 2015

Roma Project: Backstory

I spent the months of September and October reporting from Hungary on the challenges of Roma integration and the lives of the Roma themselves. This post is the back-story to that project. Continue reading Roma Project: Backstory