This Winter Weather Is Totally Affecting How You Think, Says Science

Stop me if you've heard this one before, but it's really cold outside. Winter weather is having a moment, and not in the pleasant way podcasts and whiskey are having a moment. Each week has brought more snow, ice or extremely cold temperatures. All of that cold and snow are not only affecting your daily life, they're also affecting your brain and how you think.

Much of the East Coast of the United States has been waking up to temperatures well below freezing or even below zero. Boston has been especially hard hit by snow, with a record 95.7 inches before this week's latest storm. When snowfall of 4 inches and thermometer readings of 20 degrees Fahrenheit become considered a "reprieve," it's easy to see how the weather can affect your thought process.

MinuteEarth has a new video explaining the ways weather affects the brain. In a nutshell, it kind of makes you crazy. Extreme weather can change how you view climate trends. After an incredibly cold winter, chances are more people will say they've been noticing increasingly cold winters. Your views on climate change and your political beliefs also affect how you perceive recent weather.

The media also play a part. Things like the overuse of the term polar vortex and the naming of winter storms by the Weather Channel alter how we think about weather. In many ways, we could be looking for an echo chamber and finding information that is tailored to our own beliefs about the weather.

You can check out MinuteEarth's "This Is Your Brain on Extreme Weather" below.