Latest Science News

Adults come to look like their first names, but children do not

Illustration of children on one side connected by glowing ribbons to their distinct adult selves on the other.

People picked adults' real names from four options 27% to 30% of the time versus 25% chance, but not children's, and a neural network found same-name adult faces more alike in 60% of comparisons versus 52% for children, supporting a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Admitting a boast sounds hard to believe can make it more convincing

Illustration of a modest young professional holding up a small trophy while two interviewers lean in, convinced.

Across ten studies, people seen as lacking credibility were judged more self-aware and sincere when they prefaced self-promotion with disclaimers like "I know this may seem hard to believe, but", while the same disclaimers did nothing or backfired for speakers already seen as credible.