Human evolution
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Human nature
idea
Do humans really have a killer instinct or is that just manly fancy?
The killer-instinct idea achieved such cultural power because it came embedded in gripping stories about human nature
by Nadine Weidman
![Impressionist painting of a rural landscape with cows grazing, trees, houses, a church spire and a hazy sky at sunset.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/4635d144-e5f5-4ff6-9ef8-b7022da83adb/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Human evolution
idea
Why it took us thousands of years to see the colour violet
The colour violet was largely missing from art before the Impressionists, and is seen differently by different cultures. Why?
by Allen Tager
![Silhouette of a person against a blue background with blurred characters and symbols.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/06d1a8ef-c973-489d-a192-17a5b2d2b801/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Sleep and dreams
idea
What dream characters reveal about the astonishing dreaming brain
Such stuff as dreams are made on: the characters who populate your dreams have their own minds, separate from yours
by Antonio Zadra
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3d42913c-473b-4457-aa18-5ed226eaf08a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Creativity
idea
Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself
Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind
by Keith Frankish
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2dcb236d-40f5-408f-81d1-9c38efcef5c7/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Difficult emotions
idea
Most anguish isn’t an illness but an evolved response to adversity
An anthropological view shows us that the root causes of depression and anxiety are usually social conflict and adversity
by Kristen Syme & Edward H Hagen
![Photo of two people standing on a rocky cliff edge under a cloudy sky, overlooking a vast countryside with rolling hills and fields.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/02d9572b-51e4-4035-9e25-bb8f684af460/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Nature and the environment
idea
Why awesome natural beauty drops the jaw and lifts the spirit
Experiencing awe in nature can transform our sense of connectedness to other people and help maintain a spiritual vitality
by T Ryan Byerly