Priya Chandrasekaran
Behavioral Science WriterTrained in cognitive psychology, obsessed with the gap between what people think they do and what they actually do. Her work will make you question your own brain.
Articles by Priya Chandrasekaran
Remote Work Burnout Beats the Office: Workers at Home Report 20% Higher Stress Than Commuters
Remote workers report 20% higher burnout risk than office commuters. The assumption that working from home improves work-life balance is backwards.
Bigger AI Models Forget Rare Facts: The Scaling Paradox That Breaks the 'More Data = Better' Rule
Larger language models actively forget knowledge smaller ones retain. A scaling paradox upends the assumption that more parameters always means better performance.
The Prosperity Paradox: Why the Economy Booms While You Feel Broke
GDP is up, unemployment is down, yet most Americans report worse financial stress. The trick: all the gains went to the wealthy, making aggregate statistics meaningless for ordinary people.
Why 23 Strangers Are Enough to Beat the Odds on Shared Birthdays
Your brain thinks you'd need hundreds of people in a room for two to share a birthday. Probability says 23 is enough. Here's why your intuition is hilariously off.
Women Get Sicker But Live 5 Years Longer—The Longevity Paradox Medicine Still Can't Fully Explain
Women experience more chronic disease than men at every age, yet outlive them by nearly five years. This contradiction has stumped medical researchers for decades.
The Universal Loner: Why Everyone Makes Big Decisions Alone, Everywhere
A surprising global study shows that people in individualistic cities and collectivist Amazon villages alike avoid asking for help when facing complex decisions—defying everything we think we know about cultural differences.
Wine Experts Got Fooled by Food Coloring—and It Reveals Something Terrifying About Your Brain
A landmark study dyed white wine red and watched trained sommeliers confidently describe non-existent flavors. Your senses aren't reporting reality—they're reporting what your brain expects to see.
Brain Damage Changes How You Do Politics—Not What You Believe
A study of brain-injured veterans reveals a startling disconnect: traumatic injuries reshape political engagement while leaving core beliefs untouched. Brain structure controls behavior, not ideology.
Your Brain and Immune System Age Faster Than You Do—And That's What Actually Kills You
Forget your genes. People whose brain and immune system stay biologically young cut their mortality risk by 56% over 15 years, regardless of genetic predisposition.
Rats Remember Kindness—And Pay It Forward to Strangers
Rats who receive help from one unknown rat become more helpful to other unknown rats, suggesting they operate on a generalized belief in reciprocity rather than simple tit-for-tat exchange.