Emotions decoded

We have a negative bias: 10 scientific facts about human emotions

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For most people, recognizing and managing their emotions isn’t easy. And even if we think we know ourselves well, human emotions are a whole world waiting to be explored. From how long they typically last to how they show up in our interactions with others, science has given us fascinating insights. Join us to discover 10 surprising facts about your emotions that you probably didn’t know.

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Memory is closely tied to our emotions. That’s why a perfume can make you feel something even before your conscious mind knows why. Studies show that people usually remember how they felt more than the exact words they heard or the movie they watched: The emotion lingers longer than the content itself.

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Although emotions can feel like they last days, months, or even years, they actually only last about a minute and a half. That’s right! Anger, laughter, or distress typically fade after 90 seconds, unless your brain revisits the situation or memory that triggered them.

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Social media gets a lot of criticism, but there’s one reassuring fact: positive emotions actually spread the fastest online. While it may sometimes feel like "hate" dominates the internet, it’s often videos showing heartwarming human connections or adorable pets that get the most likes and shares.

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We often remember hurtful comments more vividly than kind words. This is often attributed to our ancestors’ need to stay alert to danger, which gave humans a natural negative emotional bias. In other words, when it comes to our own experiences, the brain tends to focus more on the negative than the positive.

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Emotions are literally tied to physical sensations. Each emotion triggers an instant bodily response (which some people hide better than others). From warmth in your cheeks with embarrassment to a racing heartbeat when nervous or afraid, your body is constantly trying to tell you about how you feel.

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Of course, all humans experience the same basic emotions, no matter where we live. But the facial expressions we use to show them can vary more than we realize. Anthropological studies reveal that while expressions for core emotions like joy, sadness, anger, or fear are easily recognized by everyone, subtler emotions such as surprise or disgust can look quite different across distant cultures.

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Witnessing distressing events or even stressful scenes on TV can make you feel the same way. This isn’t mystical; it’s psychological. Why? The answer is that our brains tend to absorb and mimic the emotions of those around us.

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Some say laughter is the best medicine, and we have to admit, they’re not wrong. Laughter really is one of the best remedies for tension. Whether in a movie, a series, a book, or real life, a good laugh helps relax the mind and melt away negative emotions.

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We don’t always experience just one emotion at a time. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. This mix of emotions can make them tricky to recognize, but analyzing and understanding them can help us respond in the best way.

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Recognizing emotions means understanding that they are signals from your brain about how you perceive a situation, not instructions on how to act. It’s always wiser to pause, reflect, and choose the best course of action, rather than reacting solely to the emotions that hit you in the moment.

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?

What is behind the name of every full moon?

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You have surely heard of blue moons, corn moons, and harvest moons. These are all speaking about the same moon, but where do these names come from, and what do they mean? They are all names given to the full moon, but they occur at different times of the year.

Many cultures around the world have names for the moon and its phases. In the U.S., the names of the full moons come from a mix of European and Native American traditions and have been popularized by the Farmers’ Almanac.

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Other names: Moon after Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon.

The first full moon of the year was named after the wolves that howled near villages, searching for food. The proximity of the wolves led some Native American tribes to call this moon the "Stay-at-Home Moon."

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Other names: Black Moon, Hungry Moon, Bear Moon.

February is the snowiest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and the moon’s name reflects this. Alternative names refer to the scarcity of food due to the weather and to the harsh hunting conditions. Because February is the shortest month of the year, it sometimes lacks a full moon, a phenomenon known as a "Black Moon."

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Other names: Spring Moon, Snow Crust Moon, Sore Eye Moon.

As the snowy weather recedes in March, the first signs of Spring start to appear. The odd name for this moon comes from the appearance of worms in the thawing ground, a sign that better times are ahead.

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Other names: Budding Moon, Peony Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon

Wildflowers start to appear in April, inspiring the name of this moon, especially moss pink and creeping ground phlox, two of the earliest wildflowers. Alternative names for the April moon also refer to new growth.

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Other names: Mulberry Moon, Milk Moon.

If the first sprouts inspire the April moon, by the time of the May moon, flowers are everywhere. Alternative names for this moon refer to the mulberries that have ripened in the trees and the cattle being moved to pastures.

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Other names: Honey Moon, Windy Moon, Rose Moon.

The name for this moon comes from the wild strawberry, which at this time of the year is ripe and ready to be harvested. Found across most states, this plant was a spring staple. Alternative names refer to spring storms and other flowering plants.

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Other names: Salmon Moon, Mead Moon.

Come July, young bucks begin growing their antlers rapidly in preparation for the fall mating season. At the same time, salmon start migrating upriver, and it’s time to start fermenting mead.

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Other names: Moon of the Ripening, Grain Moon.

The sturgeon was once an important food source in North America. During August, these fish are abundant and easy to catch. Alternative moon names indicate that summer crops are ready for harvesting.

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Other names: Autumn Moon, Mating Moon.

Corn is still one of the main crops in North America, so it’s not surprising that the full moon during its harvest is named after it. Other names refer to this period as the animal mating season.

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Other names: Hunter Moon.

The October full moon rises quickly after sunset, which gives farmers extra light to finish harvesting. This additional light was also helpful for hunters, who used the time to stock up for winter.

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Other names: Freezing Moon.

Found in most of North America, beavers start building their homes around this time of the year. Some say the name of this moon comes from the beaver hunts that happened in the season. Alternatively, this moon is also named after the first frosts.

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Other names: Long Night Moon, Moon Before Yule.

By December, winter has set in, and the full moon is named after the coldest time of the year. Alternative names for this moon make reference to the long winter nights and to the festivities at the end of the year.

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The Farmers’ Almanac follows the tropical year—from one winter solstice to the next—rather than the calendar year. In addition, the lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days to complete, slightly shorter than a full calendar month. This means that, every two or three years, a year will have thirteen full moons instead of twelve. The extra full moon is called a Blue Moon, which is the origin of the expression "once in a blue moon," meaning something that happens rarely.