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Before I worked on this article, if you were to ask me to draw the Fruit of the Loom logo from memory, I would have started with a few colorful fruits. Then I would have drawn a brown cornucopia as a backdrop.
But the logo has never had a cornucopia – and I’m not the only person who makes the same error. This false memory phenomenon – dubbed the Mandela Effect – has become fodder for online message boards and conspiracy theorists.
Memory researchers Deepasri Prasad and Wilma Bainbridge wanted to know the extent to which this false memory effect actually takes place. So they ran a study including a variety of popular characters such as Pikachu, the Monopoly Man, Curious George and C-3PO. What they found was both surprising and bizarre – and if you thought Monopoly Man had a monocle, you’re not alone.
Also today:
And finally, congratulations to Dave Grendzynski of North Ridgeville, Ohio, who was the first reader to get all eight questions right in last week’s news quiz. A Conversation tote bag is headed his way. The honor roll of others who sent in their perfect score is below, along with the link to this week’s quiz.
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When asked to recall the popular children’s book series ‘The Berenstain Bears,’ many people make the same error by spelling it ‘The Berenstein Bears.’
Stephen Osman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Deepasri Prasad, Dartmouth College; Wilma Bainbridge, University of Chicago
People are puzzled when they learn they share the same false memories with others. That’s partly because they assume that what they remember and forget ought to be based only on personal experience.
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Health + Medicine
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Rebecca Price, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences
In a new study, a single infusion of the antidepressant – along with repeated exposure to positive imagery – significantly reduced symptoms in depressed patients in a clinical trial.
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Politics + Society
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Sara Kamali, University of California San Diego
President Biden denounces white nationalism as once-democratic countries around the world are threatened by increasing political support for this ideology.
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Beth L. Fossen, Indiana University
A record amount is being spent on political advertising in the midterm elections. But evidence shows that negative ads might work counteractively, discouraging voters from casting ballots altogether.
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Jennifer Grygiel, Syracuse University
Russian government media are frequently criticized as being blatant propaganda. How do US government media measure up?
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Environment + Energy
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John DeCicco, University of Michigan
Electric cars are getting a lot of PR buzz, but automakers are still promoting – and many consumers are buying – vehicles that are major gas guzzlers.
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Alexander Cheesman, James Cook University; Amy Zanne, University of Miami; Lucas Cernusak, James Cook University
Termites are about to experience a significant global expansion in their prime habitat, thanks to climate change. Here’s what that means for deadwood.
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Science + Technology
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Ronald C. Desrosiers, University of Miami
Antiretroviral therapies for HIV, while extremely effective, need to be taken daily for life. Designing antibody treatments that need to be taken only once could improve compliance and reduce drug resistance.
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Podcast 🎙️
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Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Gemma Ware, The Conversation
If and when the Thwaites Glacier melts, it will result in nearly 0.6 meter of sea level rise, but it holds back another three meters of sea level rise lurking within the Antarctic continent. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast.
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The Conversation Quiz 🧠
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Quizmaster, The Conversation
Honor roll of readers who sent in a perfect score on last week's quiz: Vicky Spelman, Steve Allen, Christine Aumueller, Linda Battistuzzi, Michelle Beninati, Henry Biagi, James Brooke, Phyllis Brookshire, Art Caylor, Maria Chan, Robert K. Colwell, Richard Cretser, Stacy Daly, Thomas DeHaan, Tom Dove, Nina Duhl, Keith Kuper, Steven Lanoux, Michael Link, Len Lorence, Brad Nidersson, Lawrence Pearson, John Pitts, Andrew Ronding, Ed Sackley, Vicky Spelman, Shelley Stiles, Jack Tilford and Eric Zimmerman.
Here's the first question of this week's edition:
NASA will try out full-scale planetary defense with a mission, dubbed DART, next week. What does DART stand for?
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A. Distant Asteroid Retrieval Trial
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B. Debris Aspirating Rocket Test
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C. Double Asteroid Redirection Test
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D. Drilling Aimed at Righteous Titanium
Test your knowledge
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