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Kluge

The Clumsy Human Mind
by Gary Marcus, Ph.D.
Gary Marcus is author of Kluge: The Haphazard Evolution of the Human Mind, editor of The Norton Psychology Reader, and Director of the NYU Child Language Center. See full bio
September 14, 2009

What makes people want to play Rock Band and Guitar Hero?

In some ways, Guitar Hero™ and Rock Band™ seem like the stupidest games on earth. What makes people want to play them? Read More

December 18, 2008

What if HM had a Blackberry?

HM, the famous neuropsychological patient who couldn't form new memories, died earlier this month, and his memory impairment was every bit as debilitating as the textbooks say it was. HM may have had to lead the same day over and over again, but with the help of modern technology, Deacon Patrick doesn't. Read More

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Cognition Basics

brain cognition

Quite simply, cognition refers to thinking. There are the obvious applications of conscious reasoning—doing taxes, playing chess, deconstructing Macbeth—but thought takes many subtler forms, such as interpreting sensory input, guiding physical actions, and empathizing with others. The old metaphor for human cognition was the computer—a logical information-processing machine.

Go to the Cognition Basics page for more on Cognition including:
  • Attention
  • Reasoning and Decision Making
  • Learning and Memory
  • Intelligence and Creativity
  • Social Cognition
  • Embodied Cognition
  • Sensory Perception
  • Language and Communication
Go to Cognition Basics

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