A busy city street with ambulances and a police car. People walk and cycle nearby under tall buildings and traffic lights.
AUTISM

You can’t revoke my autism

A psychologist tried to downgrade my diagnosis. My life – and the science – prove how wrong he was

by Adrienne Caldwell

A smiling woman in a nurse’s uniform surrounded by children in an outdoor setting with brick buildings.
ETHICS

Are morally good people any happier or sadder than others?

Living a moral life often comes with costs. Recent studies clarify whether joy and satisfaction are among them

by Jessie Sun

An aeroplane landing at dusk with runway lights glowing, surrounded by a purple sky and silhouetted light poles.
FEAR AND PHOBIA

When we fear the past we’re actually still looking ahead

Fear protects us from future harm, so what’s going on when we find ourselves scared of what’s already happened?

by Davide Bordini & Giuliano Torrengo

Ideas

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A spinning vinyl record with an orange label and a turntable needle in motion on the black grooved surface.
MUSIC
3

You can use music to escape your negative thought loops

by Stefan Koelsch

Airport terminal with people on moving walkway pulling luggage and others sitting on benches.
LOVE

On loving a clone, or why love can’t be rationally justified

by Idowu Odeyemi

Animated characters posing happily in a red-tiled room, with some applying makeup.
SPORTS AND GAMES

What is Roblox teaching children about capitalism?

by Gabija Tonkunas

Guides

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Silhouette of a person with headphones holding a phone against a twilight sky with streetlamps in the background.
CHANGE AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT

How to write yourself every day

By getting thoughts out of your head and on to a page, you can become the author of your own life, one small page at a time

by Mohsen Askari

Black and white photo of a child silhouetted against a brightly lit fountain at night.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS
1

How to reconnect with your inner child

The experiences you had as a child influence your emotional life as an adult. Recognising these dynamics can be healing

by Nickan Arzpeyma

Life stories

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Illustration of a man in glasses with a yellow starburst background mosque sketch and abstract patterns
HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE

‘Each of us has a song’

Burhan Sönmez, now the president of PEN International, was a rising human rights lawyer in Turkey. A brutal assault nearly killed him – and propelled him to a life in literature

by Kaya Genç

Editor’s picks

A black-and-white photo of a man using a megaphone over the sea with ships in the distance.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE
5

How to find your voice

Do you sometimes feel silenced or afraid to speak up? Learn to use your natural voice and be heard for who you really are

by Sophie Scott

Photo of four men embracing on a beach at night with colourful lights blurred in the background.
GENDER
15

Too many men lack close friendships. What’s holding them back?

Some masculine norms are a straightjacket, depriving men of the connections they need. It takes bravery to leave them behind

by Angelica Puzio Ferrara

Latest videos

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Photo of six illuminated geometric lanterns with various patterns on a dark background.
GRIEF

How queer last rites became unique celebrations of life

Notes to self

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A full moon shining through clouds in a dark night sky above silhouetted treetops.
MENTAL HEALTH

Stargazing really is good for the soul

by Richard Fisher

Daguerreotype of a seated man wearing an apron and a partially open shirt framed in a gold mat.
ETHICS

How will the future judge us?

by Matt Huston

Popular

Silhouette of a person with headphones holding a phone against a twilight sky with streetlamps in the background.
CHANGE AND SELF-DEVELOPMENT

How to write yourself every day

By getting thoughts out of your head and on to a page, you can become the author of your own life, one small page at a time

by Mohsen Askari

Black and white photo of a child silhouetted against a brightly lit fountain at night.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS
1

How to reconnect with your inner child

The experiences you had as a child influence your emotional life as an adult. Recognising these dynamics can be healing

by Nickan Arzpeyma

Black and white drawing of three men in hats sitting on a bench, each with distinct expressions and postures.
THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE
3

IQ scores are falling but, no, we’re not growing more stupid

Screens and social media get the blame, but the real problem lies in how we measure intelligence in the first place

by Stuart Jeffries

A student sleeping on a desk covered with piles of books and papers, surrounded by cluttered desks in a classroom.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY

What helps you feel better might depend on where you grew up

Research on the common strategies used to deal with emotions suggests their usefulness differs from culture to culture

by Mark Chen

A spinning vinyl record with an orange label and a turntable needle in motion on the black grooved surface.
MUSIC
3

You can use music to escape your negative thought loops

Research is uncovering the way music can calm the brain and there are techniques to help you amplify its emotional power

by Stefan Koelsch

An older couple sitting on a bench in a park with a historical building and fountain in the background.
TRAUMA AND PTSD
12

How to date again after an abusive relationship

You might feel unlovable or find dating daunting, but you deserve connection – and you can find it safely at your own pace

by Charlotte Jarvis

Animated characters posing happily in a red-tiled room, with some applying makeup.
SPORTS AND GAMES

What is Roblox teaching children about capitalism?

The popular game platform offers space to create, socialise, even protest. It’s also a realm of extraction and inequality

by Gabija Tonkunas

Daguerreotype of a seated man wearing an apron and a partially open shirt framed in a gold mat.
ETHICS

How will the future judge us?

Any excuses we might give for acting or not acting now are likely to seem much thinner to someone living 250 years from us

by Matt Huston

Explore: Human evolution

Vintage photo of two women in Victorian attire, one in a patterned dress looks at the other who wears a fur-trimmed coat.
HUMAN NATURE

You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful

by Annett Schirmer

Illustration of an elderly person in a chair holding a baby touching the child’s finger.
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

Humans are uniquely reliant on caregivers. This isn’t a weakness, but a wondrous gift

Video by Aeon

A group of people outdoors looking serious, with one woman wiping her eyes in the centre. Trees and buildings in background.
EMOTIONS

The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry

by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman

A cheerful picnic by a river with adults and children relaxing on blankets under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
HUMAN NATURE
3

For a happier life, we must balance two old psychological needs

by William von Hippel

A blurred black cat jumps on dirt ground in the foreground, with a distant statue of Pope John Paul II with arms outstretched against the sky in the background
VALUES AND BELIEFS

Cultural taboos arise from a basic feature of the human mind

by Kevin (Ze) Hong

Futuristic painting with diverse people on a hill overlooking a cityscape blending nature, ancient monuments and advanced tech.
HUMAN EVOLUTION

Let everyone sparkle: psychotechnology in the year 2067

by Eric Schwitzgebel