【推荐1】Even if we used to know the truth, our brains can start repeating false information that is against the facts.

Our brains are wired to believe information automatically — even if it’s false — because it helps us learn efficiently. “In many instances it’s a useful skill for us to accept what people tell us, because often what people tell us is true,” says David Rapp, PhD, a psychology and education professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, US.

When we hear new information, those fresh facts don’t override what we already knew before. Instead, both the new and old information live together in our minds. A few factors determine which one we’ll draw on when the situation comes up.

Oftentimes, we’ll quote (引用) the information we heard most recently — even if it’s wrong. Because they’re fresher in our minds, short-term memories are easier for our brains to access than facts we heard longer ago. We’d have to think back further to remember previous knowledge, so people will often ignore those facts in favour of new inaccurate information, says Dr Rapp, who recently published an article on recalling inaccurate information in the journal Current Directions in Popular Science. “Previous knowledge isn’t difficult to recall, but it isn’t as readily available,” he says.

We are also used to buying into the facts that seem more believable.Often,this means they fit better with what we want to believe, which could explain why people quote such different facts in political debates. “Both candidates said something that was objectively true or not, but people would ignore that information and go with their hopes, wishes, or preferences because it goes along with what they hope to be true,” says Dr Rapp.

You’re especially unlikely to bother thinking critically about information when you’re reading for pleasure, like with a novel or a We-Chat status, because your brain is in the mindset of relaxing, not keeping an eye out for falsehood, says Dr Rapp.

With all that potentially false information overload, it’s worth putting in the extra effort to double-check information that strikes you as doubtful. Seek out reliable sources that back up what they say with data, quotes and other evidence, says Dr Rapp. “With the ease that we can look things up on the internet, there’s no reason not to,” he says.

【推荐2】Some evidence that certain memory exercises make people smarter has stimulated the rise of online brain-training programs such as Lumosity. But at least one type of brain training may not work as advertised, a new study finds.

As expected, practicing improved volunteers’ performance on tests of memory and the ability to locate items quickly in busy scenes, say psychologist Thomas Redick of Indiana University Purdue University Columbus and his colleagues. That improvement did not, however, translate into higher scores on tests of intelligence and multitasking, the researchers report in the May Journal of Experimental Psychology General.

Redick’s investigation is part of a growing scientific debate about brain training, which is promoted by some companies as having a variety of mental benefits. Some researchers say that extensive instruction and training on memory tasks can indeed fortify reasoning and problem solving. Others are doubtful that active memory sessions may boost their working memory, the ability to keep in mind and compare several pieces of information.

Redick’s team studied 73 young adults, aged 18 to 30, divided into three groups. One group completed 20 training sessions over about six weeks on a task aimed at boosting working memory, the ability to keep in mind and compare several pieces of information.

A second group in the new study received 20 training sessions aimed at improving the ability to pick out novel shapes from large arrays (阵列) of similar-looking shapes. This group provided a comparison to see whether the effects of memory training differed from training on a different mental skill. A third group received no training.

In the two training groups, volunteers improved with practice on the task they were learning but showed no increases in tests of intelligence and of the total amount of information that could be held in mind.

Participants in the new study didn’t receive enough instruction and practice before memory sessions to benefit from the intervention (介入), Jaeggi says. Redick’s group also gave volunteers limited time to complete a series of shortened versions of standard intelligence tests, which probably limited any potential for scoring increases, she asserts.

But until larger studies with longer follow-ups are completed, Redick cautions against assuming that memory training smartens people up.

【推荐2】Although baby dolls are usually targeted at children, the toys have been inspiring the imaginations of an older age group as well. One assisted living home company has brought dolls which sound like and look like tiny humans to live with the elderly people with Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆症) as a way to help improve their health.

The dolls bring joy to the patients’ days and help them remember what it means to look after and care for someone. One unexpected effect of the toys is that many patients have even been able to abate their anxiety medication as they focus on looking after the dolls.

During Cuddle (拥抱) Therapy, they cuddle, hold, rock, and tend to them, looking after the dolls as they were babies. While it has been shown that caring for the dolls greatly alleviates (减轻) the senior citizen’s sadness and anxiety, it also allows them to express love and recreate a sense of connection to their environment and the world.

Although Cuddle Therapy isn’t the most high-tech solution, patients have a strong emotional response and show signs of improvement when it comes to their mental health. Executive Director at Poet’s Walk Warrenton, Terra Brown said, “Among the various forms of recreation therapy that our caregivers provide, we have found Cuddle Therapy is one of the simplest and most effective. It is also one of the most successful as it gives our residents a sense of purpose that they long for.” The therapy is offered in four U. S. states. April Hannewald’s mother is a patient at Poet’s Walk Memory Care Community in Nevada, and because of Cuddle Therapy, she’s become re-energized and feels a greater sense of purpose. “My mother is not very verbal any more, but when I’m pushing her around in a wheelchair, she immediately starts talking in full sentences when we pass the baby dolls,” saying things like these, “Oh look! What are the babies doing?” Hannewald said.

【推荐3】Keep your eyes on the sky—it looks like this year will be a big year for tornadoes(飓风). As of the first week in April, there have already been 445 tornadoes in the United States. Last year, there were only 96 tornadoes by the beginning of April. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a government agency that studies the environment, this marks the strongest tornado activity in the first three months of any year since 1999. Previous years with a busy start have produced high numbers of tornadoes throughout the year.

For those living in “Tornado Alley” from west Texas all the way up to North Dakota, springtime is tornado time. What exactly causes a tornado? Tornadoes form when wet and warm air is caught under dry and cool air. When the warm air rises, it upsets the cool air, spinning the air into a funnel-like shape(漏斗形). The spinning air is officially called a tornado once it touches the ground. These tornadoes can reach extremely high speeds, sometimes more than 250 miles per hour!

Scientists try to measure the speed and damage of tornadoes using what is called the Fujita Scale, or F-scale. The scale ranges from F0, with winds under 73 mph, to F5, with winds between 261 and 318 mph. Violent tornadoes in the F4 and F5 grades sometimes last more than an hour, and cause tremendous damage, often destroying everything for hundreds of mils. Fortunately, these account for less than 1 percent of all tornadoes.

If the first three months of this year are any indication, there are more tornadoes to come. Remember, the best way to stay safe during a tornado is to find shelter in the basement(地下室) of a strong building, avoiding windows. Experts warn against trying to escape a tornado in a car.