npj Science of Learning Community presents research focussed on the mind, brain and education space. In June, our npj Science of Learning authors showed the naïve ideas of even the most qualified scientists are hard to forget and explained how genes and the environment affect cognitive ability during development.

When children are growing up their naïve ideas about the world are often inaccurate. A research team led by Dr Allaire-Duquette based at the Universite de Sherbrooke and Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada, investigated how scientists’ brains would react when confronted with naive ideas that contradicted their scientific knowledge. The brain activity of 25 scientists with a PhD in physics was observed, while assessing naïve ideas about physics and biology. Their findings are revealed in this exclusive interview with Behind the Paper: What happens to naïve ideas in an experts’ mind? 

Science often queries how the complex interplay between genes and environment affects differences in working memory during development. A research team based at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, compared the polygenic scores of two samples of participants, one represented typical childhood development, while the other sample group took 25 days of cognitive training. The mean age was 12 years for both samples, ranging from 6 to around 20. Bruno Sauce and Torkel Klingberg discuss the results of their study over an imaginary conversation at a cocktail party: Working memory – does it run like a train or more like a jeep? 

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