Can our virtual representations change our behavior—and how we see ourselves? On the PBS blog Media Shift, Terri Thornton surveys the research into how humans and their avatars interact. Take the “Proteus Effect,” which Stanford professor Jeremy Bailenson defines as “how an avatar's appearance changes your physical attitude.” Bailenson says that taller avatars can prompt people to negotiate more confidently in real life, for instance. In researcher Nick Yee’s dissertation—Yee was a student of Bailenson—he describes how people given attractive avatars demonstrated more confidence in the physical world than those who had ugly avatars.

Last week, in reflection on the upcoming 10^th  anniversary, I wrote a piece that asked New Yorkers a simple question: How did your life change because of 9/11? I got responses from a diverse group that touched on everything from fear of flying, to experiencing racial profiling, to wanting to make a difference in the world. Beyond New York, many people’s lives were personally impacted by the tragedy; so Slate posed the question to our followers on social media. The responses were fascinating, and they revealed how far-reaching the events of 9/11 have been for so many people. On Twitter, we asked followers to use the hashtag #becauseof911. Below are some edited and condensed responses.