Fearsome Possibilities: Yes, But

Overreaction to Fearsome Risks

When risks threaten, cognitivemechanismsbias people toward actionor inaction. Fearsome risks are highly available. The availability bias tells us that this leads people to overestimate their frequency. Therefore, they also overreact to curtail the likelihood or consequences of such risks. More generally, fear can paralyze efforts to think clearly about risks. We draw on a range of environmental...

1 Causal Mechanisms : Yes , But ... [ extended version ]

Yes, but do they still get headaches?

Much of our present understanding of the action of prostaglandins derives from observing the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic effects resulting from inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by aspirin, ibuprofen, and other NSAlDs indicate that these lipid-signaling molecules are critical regulators of immune responses, feve...

Yes we can, but do we?

In recent decades, a curious demographic phenomenon has emerged in US science. A high and increasing proportion of PhD students and postdocs, especially in the life sciences, are drawn from beyond the shores of North America. The reasons for this are undoubtedly complex. One factor is the widespread perception in the USA that a career in academic science is marked by low salaries, poor job secu...

Predictive coding? Yes, but from what source?

There is little doubt that predictive coding is an important mechanism in language processing-indeed, in information processing generally. However, it is less clear whether the action system is the source of such predictions during perception. Here I summarize the computational problem with motor prediction for perceptual processes and argue instead for a dual-stream model of predictive coding.