What does it mean to ‘believe in’ Santa?

What do kids really think about Santa? [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 24 December 2019 [The Conversation]( [Support The Conversation in 2020 with a monthly gift]( [Lynne Anderson] A note from... Lynne Anderson Senior Health + Medicine Editor As St. Nick readies his sleigh at the North Pole for tonight’s famous ride, it’s worth pausing for a moment to ask: Do kids really buy into this? Jonathan Lane, professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University, says, “of course.” And why not? Adults plant convincing evidence that leads kids to believe – half-eaten cookies, anyone? And are kids upset when they learn otherwise? Not so much, Lane writes. The reason why has to do with [the way kids’ minds work](. Also today: - [Saving the world’s most endangered mammals]( - [George Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night]( - [You may not need to sweat that gift wrapping]( Top story Young children are captivated by the Santa Claus myth. Yoganov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com [What do kids really think about Santa?]( Jonathan Lane, Vanderbilt University Santa is the best part of Christmas for many children, but do they really believe in a magical man flying around the globe on Christmas Eve? Environment + Energy - [Lemurs are the world’s most endangered mammals, but planting trees can help save them]( Andrea L. Baden, Hunter College New research shows that slowing deforestation is the most essential step for saving Madagascar's lemurs, and can help protect them against the longer-term threat of climate change. Health + Medicine - [Washington’s perilous Christmas night crossing of the Delaware: Health hazards worse than war]( Richard Gunderman, Indiana University George Washington's crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night 1776 led to victory, but his troops were bound to suffer from terrible weather, which led to more casualties than the battle. Economy + Business - [The science of gift wrapping explains why sloppy is better]( Erick M. Mas, Vanderbilt University A new study looks at the impact a gift's wrapping has on how the recipient likes what you give them. Politics + Society - [Memo from a historian: White ladies cooking in plantation museums are a denial of history]( Kelley Fanto Deetz, University of Virginia At historic sites across the South, you'll often find a white woman, dressed in Colonial clothes, cooking in a big house kitchen. That's a role that was usually done by enslaved Africans. Science + Technology - [What makes wine dry? It’s easy to taste, but much harder to measure]( Aude Watrelot, Iowa State University Researchers would like to find a way to relate the human perception of dryness to the chemical and physical properties of the wine. - [Thank fungi for cheese, wine and beer this holiday season]( Antonis Rokas, Vanderbilt University Bread. Yeast. Wine. Cheese. All these delicious foods are courtesy of various forms of domesticated fungi. So how, exactly, did humans tame wild fungi into the cooperative species that make our food? From our International Editions - [How did the Rebels beat the Empire in Star Wars? The answer is closer to home than you think]( Alastair Marsh, University of Leeds 'Use the reinforced concrete, Luke.' - [Holiday windows: The allure of showing and hiding makes us look]( Paula Alaszkiewicz, Concordia University The holiday window is laden with nostalgia and associations of childhood traditions and a longing for drawn-out moments. - [Boris Johnson’s British Christmas story – Love Actually in politics]( Bran Nicol, University of Surrey The "card scene" from the much-loved Christmas film was parodied by both parties. Boris' use of it of it showed a keen awareness of the allure of an awkward British bad boy Today’s quote [“The bottom line is that both real and artificial Christmas trees have negligible environmental impacts.”]( [Don't stress about what kind of Christmas tree to buy, but reuse artificial trees and compost natural ones]( Bert Cregg Michigan State University [Bert Cregg] [Do you think the public needs trustworthy information? Help us reach more people]( [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111