Mind and brain
![Two people look at a scientifically based recreation of a Neanderthal man’s head, adorned with feathers and fur, enclosed in a glass case at a museum. The setting is under strong indoor lighting with a blue wall background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ee5666a1-d75b-4a3e-ad46-8020c4761179/rt-gettyimages-450373548.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Communication and language
idea
This is what a Neanderthal conversation would have sounded like
Neanderthals had language, but it differed from ours in an important way that could help explain our superior art and tech
by Steven Mithen
![A young couple in handcuffs lean against a 1950s police car beneath a brooding prairie sky](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d0dca061-835c-419d-9899-62e0ea1da3a3/rt-2qdgw8rog1ub1.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mind and brain
idea
What films and literature reveal about the voice in your head
Inner speech is mysterious and hard to study. But movie voiceovers and introspective novels offer fresh ways to understand it
by Shayla Love
![A person jogging on a path in an autumn park, surrounded by yellow and green trees and fallen leaves.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/cabdacd8-6576-4607-86fa-7df1c70ba54e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mind and brain
guide
How to maintain a healthy brain
Adopt these lifestyle changes and you will not only sharpen your mind today but also reduce your risk of dementia later on
by Kailas Roberts
![Colourful abstract illustration of a person with closed eyes, featuring vibrant brushstrokes and line work in shades of orange, yellow, green, pink and blue.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9fd9f91c-bad4-4d39-ab0d-9cf7d0696127/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Autism
film
Enter the sensory world of an overstimulated Autistic mind
A film by Miguel Jirón and Scott Mahoy
![A man in a white robe walks down a staircase with an ornate iron railing in a stone building. Sunlight streams through the large windows.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/61dcd35c-02e9-4137-b829-27b86160f196/rt-final-panos_00249383.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Spirituality and religion
idea
A monk showed me that spirituality needs more space in medicine
As a doctor, I’ve seen how brain diseases can become entwined with spiritual pain. Who is responsible for addressing it?
by Michael P H Stanley
![People walking on a city street bathed in sunlight, with American flags hanging on buildings in the background. Shadows are cast on the pavement, and tall buildings line the street, creating a dramatic, contrasting light and shadow effect.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/1f6ae57c-85c4-4be2-af0e-f12b42b920ed/rt-par414757.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Death and dying
idea
Why so many of us see our loved ones after they have died
These experiences – which are more of an illusion than a hallucination – can be a healthy part of the grieving process
by Shayla Love
![Many commuters walk towards the camera with varying degrees of blurred faces](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/abd87fcb-f843-4206-a58f-d4fb5bb9bede/rt-final-gettyimages-537449915.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Mind and brain
idea
What is it like to remember all the faces you’ve ever seen?
They’ve been studied by researchers and recruited by police forces, but what’s it actually like to be a super-recogniser?
by Shayla Love
![A close up of a vibrant yellow-gold tulip flower](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7adadb11-434c-4cf6-8f53-bcf658a0bbe9/rt-nyc11642.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
History of ideas
idea
I smell, therefore I am. On the philosophy of the olfactory
To truly grip us, philosophy must engage with the practical and animalistic. It’s time to stop turning its nose up at smell
by Simon Hajdini