Your Brain Doesn't Like Human-Looking Robots As Much As You Thought

JAMES HAMBLIN

Remember when you were little and you went to Disneyland and those little robots sang "It's a small world after all," and you felt sort of happy, but also like there might not be a tomorrow? Seeing humanoid robots activates different parts of the brain than seeing real humans or stereotypical robots, as demonstrated in a new functional MRI study. There's discontinuity between the human form and nonhuman qualities, and we get that "I don't know how to feel about you" vibe. That's how we know we're supposed to attack them. 

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Narci$$u$

A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people with narcissistic personalities were 50% more successful at pitching movies than people without. On paper, the pitches weren’t any better. The theory is that people who’ve convinced themselves they’re creative and their ideas are great end up being the best at convincing others of the same. "Self-promotion is a valuable skill, but it benefits everyone to realize how much it can distort perceptions of quality."

In no way does this explain why my standard pitch closer, "please, please, oh Jesus please, I’m drowning in failure," has met with so much success. 

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