In this episode of the You Are Not So Smart Podcast, we sit down with four experts on vaccines, epidemiology, psychology, and science communication to try and understand how we created so much confusion about COVID-19, and how we can avoid doing so again when a vaccine is ready for widespread, public distribution. Also in… Read More

In 1835, at a tavern in Bavaria, a group of 120 people once met to drink from a randomized assortment of glass vials. Before shuffling them, they divided the vials into two sets. One contained distilled water from a recent snowfall and the other a solution made by collecting 100 drops of that water and… Read More

You’ve got to move more. It’s all too easy in these days at home to retreat to the couch. The truth is, we all know we need to move more, and we know we will feel the better for it. Movement is good for the brain and body, and we all know regular movement is one of the… Read More

I have an essay up on today’s Wall Street Journal. Snippet: Why does walking make us feel good? We all know that a satisfying stroll changes our outlook. Perhaps we realize it all the more today, when so many of us are hunkered down and this simple activity is a challenge. But walking is especially… Read More

This is one of the most remarkable and astonishing books I’ve ever read. It’s one of those rare books that you can’t wait return to, hate putting down b/c you’re drooling with sleep and your eyes can’t focus any more, and you want to start again when you’re finished reading it. Completing Underworld comes with… Read More

I’ve just written a book about the science of walking – how we do it, why we do it, where we do it, and why it’s good for us. I’m often asked about country walking (which I enjoy), but, If I’m honest about it, I generally prefer urban to rural walking. It’s right on my… Read More

I’ve read a lot of books in the past year – some good, some not so good. I want to highlight a book published in 2013 that I came late to: ‘Daily Rituals – How Artists Work’ by @masoncurrey. This book is an absolute delight from start to finish. It really is enthralling. How do… Read More

Context: there are many things wrong with academic publishing (the financial winners and losers from the unpaid burden of peer review, for a start). But here’s a simple one: the house style for referencing for journals is utterly inconsistent, user unfriendly and a staggering waste of time. It would make life easier for everyone if… Read More

In Praise of Walking is now available in hardback, paperback and Audible versions. You can get it via: Amazon.com Amazon.uk PenguinRandomHouse Audible Some reviews: New Scientist: ‘’informative and persuasive enough to rouse the most ardent couch potato’ The Times: “Fascinating … O’Mara argues [walking] is intimately connected to our bodies, our brains, and ultimately how we exist… Read More

Psychological Science Accelerator The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA), a network of 300 labs collaborating to collect large-scale international samples of psychological data, is currently accepting study proposals from all areas of psychological science. Anyone can submit a proposal, whether or not they are a member of the PSA. Our mission is to accelerate the accumulation… Read More