Tuesday, 6 October 2026 Updated 1 hour ago
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Do humans really have a ‘lizard brain’ lurking beneath our rational minds?

Think of the many stories that use it, from The Three Little Pigs to Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Musketeers.

Image accompanying the story: Do humans really have a ‘lizard brain’ lurking beneath our rational minds?
Image: Illustration: Elia Barbieri/The Guardian · via The Guardian

The Guardian reports: Think of the many stories that use it, from The Three Little Pigs to Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Musketeers.

It’s a powerful analogy that captured the popular imagination, but the biological reality is quite different Humans have a cognitive quirk for the number three. Public information and political campaigns use it for impact and ease of recall (“Stop, look and listen”; “See it.

This science story centres on the United Kingdom. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Humans, Little Pigs and Goldilocks.

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Key details

Location
United Kingdom · Europe
Reported by
The Guardian
First reported
Key names
Humans, Little Pigs, Goldilocks, Bears
Section
Science

Sources

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