Science Archives

Debunking the Myth of Hymen—”Virginity Membrane”

What is a hymen? Is the hymen a marker of a woman’s virginity? There is a common misconception that the hymen—a membrane found at the opening of the vaginal canal—is an indication of virginity. Because of its location and potential to change over the course of a woman’s life, there’s a common but incorrect belief that the hymen is a barrier that’s permanently “broken” the first time that a penis penetrates the vagina. Let’s debunk the myth of hymen or the “virginity membrane.”

Why Do We Remember Certain Things But Not Others?

Why do we remember certain things but forget others? What makes an experience memorable? According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments, there are two psychological factors that make an experience memorable: 1) the peak-end rule and 2) novelty and unexpectedness. Once you understand the psychology behind memorable moments, you can engineer small, everyday moments to stand out in your memory just as much as special moments. In this article, we’ll explore what makes a moment memorable, and how you can engineer memorable moments on demand.

Why We Have Different Levels of Sexual Sensitivity

What determines a person’s sexual responsiveness? Why are some people more sensitive to sexual stimuli than others? We all have different levels of sexual sensitivity: some people are more responsive to sexual stimuli than others. How sensitive a person is to stimuli in the environment determines their sexual needs. According to sex researcher Emily Nagoski, this boils down to the sensitivity of the Sexual Excitation System (SES) vs. the Sexual Inhibition System (SIS). Keep reading to learn about the two systems’ role in sexual sensitivity.

Focused Thinking vs. Diffuse Thinking (+Examples)

How does your brain work? What’s the difference between focused thinking and diffuse thinking? A key theme of the book A Mind for Numbers is that alternating between modes of thinking (focused thinking and diffuse thinking) can help you learn new things and problem-solve effectively. To understand how to do this and why it works, you first need to understand a few things about how your brain works. Keep reading to learn about the two modes of thinking.

2 Theories of Sexuality: Four-Phase and Triphasic

What does science have to say about human sexuality? What are the most notable theories of sexuality? Sex educator Emily Nagoski identifies two models that made an impact on our conceptualization of human sexual response: the four-phase model and the triphasic model. We’ll explore both of these models below.

Perception Is Subjective: How We Sense Reality

What does it mean that perception is subjective? Do we know what’s real? We don’t sense everything, and what we sense might not be real. In other words, perception is subjective. Authors Miguel Ruiz and Jose Ruiz discuss this point in their book The Fifth Agreement. Keep reading to learn how perception is subjective.

Subjective Thinking Versus Reality: What’s the Truth?

How common is subjective thinking? What can you do about it? Don Miguel Ruiz and don Jose Ruiz, the authors of The Fifth Agreement, discuss the issue of subjective thinking. They assert that we perceive only a fraction of reality. This causes us to have wrong and often harmful beliefs about the world and ourselves. Read more to learn about subjective thinking.

What Is the Curse of Dimensionality?

What is the curse of dimensionality? Is it ever possible to predict the behavior of a complex system? The curse of dimensionality is a mathematical principle that states that as a system grows, the rate at which it becomes complex accelerates. In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that because of the curse of dimensionality, complex systems are impossible to reliably predict—any adjustment made to a large, complex system will cause an avalanche of unintended side effects. Without the true knowledge gained from failure, we would never know enough to navigate the infinitely complex world. In this

Understanding the Conscious and Subconscious Minds

What is the difference between the conscious and the subconscious mind? How much of the brain activity takes place in your subconscious? How do the conscious and the subconscious minds interact? Your mind is made up of two parts: the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Over 90% of your brain’s activity takes place in your subconscious mind—it’s a reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and memories that lies beneath your conscious awareness. Your conscious mind contains all of the thoughts and feelings that you’re aware of at any given moment. In this article, we’ll explore each part individually and how they

Why Soft Sciences Are Flawed and Available Solutions

Why Soft Sciences Are Flawed and Good Solutions

What are soft sciences? What is the problem with social sciences? Soft sciences are academic disciplines that seek to interpret human and societal behavior using qualitative analysis for which strictly measurable criteria may be impossible to establish. The problem with soft sciences is that the desire to achieve the level of precision in hard science has led to excessive complexity and the overuse of statistical models that ignore real elements of human behavior such as biases and vices. Read on to learn more about the problems with soft sciences and how they can be fixed.