Skip to navigation | Skip to content  Fatigue and hunger sway
judges' decisions    There are many factors that can influence a
judge's decision (Source: fstop123/iStockphoto)  In our legal
system, judges are called on to make tough decisions all the
time. You'd expect that these decisions would be fair and
unbiased, and not influenced by extraneous factors. And that's
why I was surprised after I read a scientific paper actually
called Extraneous Factors In Judicial Decisions. "Extraneous
Factors"?!  This paper claimed that in their study of parole, a
judge's decisions depended mostly on how much time had passed
since the judge last took a break. I find that totally
astonishing.  One thing I learned as a medical doctor is that
making decisions can be very hard. Both military and medical
people have to make far-reaching decisions — and often without
enough information. It is well-known that even if you do possess
enough information, having to repeatedly make decisions or
judgements will deplete your brain's exe