The Sociological Imagination

What we text about when we text about text.

Norms change, laws are repealed or added, and patron demographics shift, but somewhere, the true dive remains.

How the allure of free tricks your mind into accepting irrational options.

Despite what hipsters might have you believe, vinyl records and cassette tapes aren't making a comeback. The market has changed media too irrevocably for that.

Probably not, but the history behind that rumor is fascinating.

Tracing the origins and evolution of every hipster's favorite fashion item.

Why do we care so much about who plays our favorite fictional characters?

Facebook makes us sad and Twitter is bad for our relationships, we’ve been told, but are these apps actually changing how humans communicate?

Examining that jumpy feeling you get when a cop car pulls up behind you—and you've done nothing wrong.

The bartender has nearly unlimited power, and the patron has seemingly none. Is there any effective way to lobby for a drink?

Why is there still traffic in 2015, and what can be done to fix it?

What runaway trolleys tell us about driverless cars.

BuzzFeed, YouTube, and (former) Gawker stars all describe a similar psychological rush, but riding the viral wave comes with dangers too.

And how can we make them nicer?

It’s called the “filter bubble,” and it’s helping Google play to our prejudices.

Maybe 2768 A.U.C.

Getting a better sense of how people visualize their neighborhoods could be the first step toward improving them.

Many people think $2 bills are more valuable than their labels advertise. Are they?

It can provide the best choices in everyday decision making.

Athletes often claim that their breakthroughs come when a game starts unfolding at a slower pace. Can psychology explain the phenomenon they're describing?

The autonomous sensory meridian response videos are garnering a massive audience, but an explanation for their intense effects has eluded scientific inquiry.

The process is not nearly as official or meticulous as you might expect.

Selective disposal of digital artifacts is the best way to deal with the aftermath, but you might need your friends and an algorithm to help get you there.

Which is scarier: an all-powerful deity or your mom?