In the middle of lockdown, I was on an island fishing with my girlfriend. After selling our catch at the local store, we took an impromptu date to the museum and aquarium, admiring their collections. And, seeing as we were the only ones there (save for one sleepy museum attendant), we snapped an endless stream […]

When class resumed the day after Labor Day for Jazz Dance Level I at Towson University’s Community Dance Center, no children filled the room, stretching in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors. No Duke Ellington or Billie Holliday blared from the speakers. No parents chatted idly in the lounge. Instead, children and teachers—holed up in their […]

It’s not just out of boredom. In the midst of the pandemic, many have found themselves gravitating to their kitchens, gardens or knitting needles.  In fact, so many people have started #quarantinebaking that there are reported shortages of essential ingredients like yeast and flour around the U.S.  But given the stress and uncertainty our society […]

Remember when working from home was a big perk? In search of a more balanced life, the number of people working from home has been steadily rising for decades. Some people have even agreed to accept less pay in return for the added benefits of remote working, like a break from the grueling commute, a […]

In 2014, the documentary “Alive Inside” popularized the notion that music can be used in some patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or dementia to elicit responsiveness and memories. In a review of the film, psychologist Rick Scheidt remarks that power of the film lies in showing how music causes the patients to “move instantly from […]

Editor’s Note:  This article was originally published on August 22, 2019. As summer fades, you can almost hear the collective sigh of children marching back into the confines of the classroom. Hopefully, their summer vacations included healthy doses of nature. Time outdoors has noted benefits to our mental health. But kids would do well to […]

Most people are familiar with the idea of learning styles – a theory that commonly breaks down knowledge acquisition into Visual, Auditory, Read/Write and Kinesthetic strengths (VARK) and combines them in a multi-modal fashion. Although somewhat controversial, this approach to teaching has infiltrated higher education across the world. Students capitalize on their self-proclaimed learning styles, […]

Steven Gross is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Department of Philosophy. He has been a regular participant of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology (SPP) and served as co-organizer of the 43rd annual meeting, as well as the organizer of the pre-conference workshop on cognitive science and aesthetics. The SPP is […]

Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis is Professor and Director of the Music Cognition Lab at the University of Arkansas. Her research approaches music from the perspective of cognitive science. She is interested in the interface between musical structure and engagement, especially in listeners without formal training, and especially as it occurs dynamically across the course of the […]