Do we really need breathwork gurus to tell us how to breathe?
Breathing was once a natural reflex. How did it become a high-stakes biohacking ritual taught by wellness celebrities?
by Oriana Walker
Ideas
Expert insights, perspectives and provocations to stimulate your mind
Why we should treat caffeine like the brain-altering drug it is
Like billions of people, I use caffeine. But there is a glaring double standard in the drugs we stigmatise or celebrate
by Jonathan Simone
Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?
Many think the answer is obvious: we ought to cut immoral people out of our lives. But that isn’t necessarily the best option
by Yiran Hua
From cave art to subatomic sketches – how drawing has accelerated human progress
Video by MIT Quest for Intelligence
Embrace conflict, reject authority – William Blake’s radical vision of a meaningful life
Our world’s complex issues can’t be solved by lone heroes. Our stories should reflect that
Why the mental health awareness movement needs more precision and fewer vibes
There’s a nourishing calm in quietly wandering, far from goals and distractions
The (surprisingly new) science of aphantasia – the inability to ‘see’ mental imagery
Humans are uniquely reliant on caregivers. This isn’t a weakness, but a wondrous gift
Popular
What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology
Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can
by Tyler W Watts
‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84
Video by Face to Face
Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?
Many think the answer is obvious: we ought to cut immoral people out of our lives. But that isn’t necessarily the best option
by Yiran Hua
How the nature of friendship has changed through the centuries
The metamorphosis of this special bond from feudal to modern times reveals much about the aspirations of different societies
by Bénedicte Sère
Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us
Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic
by Jeremy L Foust
Plato warned that some pleasures separate us from reality
The contemporary obsession with feeling good might mean we’re losing sight of what makes life genuinely meaningful
by Derek van Zoonen
Fears about being a dangerous or immoral person can fuel OCD
Intrusive thoughts about doing bad things are common, but for people with OCD they provoke deep fears about the self
by Richard Moulding & Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong
Self-hatred feeds on inner shame. Here’s how to break the cycle
Shame swamps any redeeming traits you might have thought you had. Slow down to interrupt the loops that cause self-hatred
by Troy Seagraves
Popular
View allWhat the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology
Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can
by Tyler W Watts
‘Man cannot stand a meaningless life’ – a conversation with Carl Jung at 84
Video by Face to Face
Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?
Many think the answer is obvious: we ought to cut immoral people out of our lives. But that isn’t necessarily the best option
by Yiran Hua
Asteroid economics: why we’re shopping our way through Armageddon
We must escape the psychological trap where grave warnings about existential threats trigger ever more destructive behaviour
by M I Krueger
You don’t need perfect features to be physically beautiful
New research reveals that physical attractiveness is more about personal compatibility than meeting universal standards
by Annett Schirmer
Dance showed me the untapped power of our attention muscle
Through tango, I sharpened attentional skills that make any moment richer. But these can be honed on or off the dancefloor
by Sara Melzer
Why do we hesitate to talk about our own good deeds?
Disclosing acts of kindness could encourage even more altruism – if we can find a way around the awkwardness
by Jerry Richardson
Self-hatred feeds on inner shame. Here’s how to break the cycle
Shame swamps any redeeming traits you might have thought you had. Slow down to interrupt the loops that cause self-hatred
by Troy Seagraves
What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology
Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can
by Tyler W Watts
Does progress seem slower when you constantly check on it?
Research on how we perceive the rate of change shows how you can be strategic about goal tracking and boost your motivation
by André Vaz
We’re learning just how early in life empathy starts to move us
What contagious crying, comforting hugs and other cute behaviour in infants tells us about the roots of emotional connection
by Zanna Clay & Carlo Vreden
They keep the Hindu funeral pyres burning, but at what cost?
For the men and boys of the Dom community in Varanasi, sacred cremations demand a lifetime of exhausting, dangerous labour
by Radhika Iyengar
What if animals find beauty in the world, just like we do?
Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder
by Brandon Keim
Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us
Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic
by Jeremy L Foust
How the nature of friendship has changed through the centuries
The metamorphosis of this special bond from feudal to modern times reveals much about the aspirations of different societies
by Bénedicte Sère
Find meditation really boring? You’re not the only one
Other practices like sermons, yoga and retreats can also trigger ‘spiritual boredom’. Here’s why it’s normal and even useful
by Thomas Goetz
Plato warned that some pleasures separate us from reality
The contemporary obsession with feeling good might mean we’re losing sight of what makes life genuinely meaningful
by Derek van Zoonen
When talking brings you relief, brain syncing may be at work
Something curious happens in two people’s brains during supportive interactions. It could help explain their emotional power
by Yarden Avnor & Simone Shamay-Tsoory
The hidden calculations that determine whether you will cry
We think of tears as an overflow of emotion, but an evolutionary lens shows they’re a rational form of social signalling
by Daniel Sznycer & Debra Lieberman