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Creativity and the arts

Black and white photo of a person sleeping on a train with their head on a blanket near a window with a blurred view outside.

Sleep and dreams

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The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep

Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential

by Célia Lacaux

Abstract painting of a vibrant landscape with trees, buildings, and a river in bold geometric shapes and colours.

Creativity

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A key part of creativity is picking up on what others overlook

We all constantly filter a flood of details coming in. This process helps explain what gives some brains a creative edge

by Madeleine Gross

Medieval painting of two figures in a garden, one in pink and the other in red, surrounded by plants and a tree.

Music

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Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?

The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow

by Jennifer Saltzstein

Futuristic architectural rendering with wooden structures elevated above a tree-filled courtyard space.

Architecture

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How the buildings you occupy might be affecting your brain

Cutting-edge research in the field of neuroarchitecture is revealing the public health implications of building design

by Cleo Valentine & Heather Mitcheltree

Wide, empty urban road flanked by modern apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Creativity

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Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrél

Impressionist painting of a family in a garden, with a child learning to walk, assisted by an adult, as another adult crouches down with outstretched arms.

Values and beliefs

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A philosophical approach can help you identify what truly matters

We’re often taught to live according to our values, but this is easier said than done without pausing to reflect deeply

by Valerie Tiberius

Medieval painting of three musicians playing instruments, seated under arches with colourful robes and curly hair.

Music

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Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives

Song lyrics acted as a sexual script for aristocrats, revealing some edgy practices that ignited their imaginations

by Elizabeth Eva Leach

Photo of two people observing a museum display of a Indigenous head with feathers and fur in a glass case.

Communication and language

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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