Field Notes essays
Brain & Mind
The Biology of Your Worst Decisions
Why smart people say and do things under pressure that don't reflect their judgment, and what is actually happening in the brain when it happens.
Learning & Habits
Why Insight Doesn't Change Behavior
Knowing exactly why you do something rarely stops you from doing it. Here is what actually has to change instead.
Brain & Mind
The Voice in Your Head Is Not You
The constant internal narrator commenting on your life is not the same thing as the part of you that notices it.
Learning & Habits
How Habits Actually Form (It Is Not 21 Days)
The real research puts the median at 66 days, with a range from 18 to 254. What that means for the habits you are trying to build.
Brain & Mind
What Sleep Does for Your Brain (and What a Bad Night Costs)
Sleep is not downtime. It is when memories are stabilized, waste is cleared and emotions are reset. What the science says, and what it does not yet.