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Creativity

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Black and white drawing of swirling smoke and flames rising from the ground, bordered by a rough square outline.

The self

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Why bad doodles can reveal more about you than good drawings

For Marion Milner, ‘not being able’ is a valuable state – one that allows for new and unexpected forms of learning

by David Russell

Black-and-white photo of a person sleeping against a window on a train, head resting on a pillow, outside view blurred.

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 river with geometric, brightly coloured buildings and trees on the riverbank and a bridge in the background

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

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

A kindergarten-age child plays with a padlock and key at a white table

Thinking and intelligence

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Innovative three-year-olds expose the limits of AI chatbots

New experiments show that very young children are better at solving creative puzzles than ChatGPT and other AI models

by Shayla Love

A person in a yellow jacket skipping stones at the beach during sunset, with calm water and rock formations in the distance.

Play

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All you need to know to start skipping stones like a pro

With the right attitude, stone skipping is a rebellious act that will leave you feeling like you have glitter in your veins

by Julie Benda

Photo of three men smiling and holding a large inflatable globe in a room with various boxes and jars.

Creativity

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A life of splendid uselessness is a life well lived

Like the fertile soil of a well-kept garden, a life of splendid, utter uselessness yields abundance beyond our immediate aims

by Joseph M Keegin

Black and white photo of a woman typing at a desk with a poster of Mao Zedong and framed art on the wall.

Memoir

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Learn the art of journaling and archive your life

Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time

by Sarah Boon

Photo of a man admiring a large stained glass artwork with vibrant blue and yellow hues depicting various figures and animals.

Beauty and aesthetics

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Beauty is not an ornament to the good life, it is at its heart

Why does the hand want to draw what the eye sees as beautiful? Why do we respond to beauty by creating the beautiful?

by Nick Riggle

Photo of a vintage recording studio with a mannequin holding a microphone seen through a glass window from the control room.

Music

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They’re playing our song! The philosophical puzzle of cover songs

Can a song be both the original and a copy? Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and the ‘crazy’ philosophical puzzle of song covers

by P D Magnus

Illustrated book cover for “Voyages Extraordinaires” by Jules Verne featuring a globe, ship, hot air balloon and portrait.

Stories and literature

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Are successful authors creative geniuses or literary labourers?

Some writers are explorers, like Edgar Allan Poe. Others are exploiters, like Jules Verne. Which type is better off?

by Oleg Sobchuk

Rock art painting with red pigments on a weathered stone surface showing abstract shapes and natural cracks.

Artists and art history

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The art of Ice Age children offers a tactile sense of the past

Small hands in dark caves: Ice Age art reveals the role of artistic expression and child’s play in ancient societies

by Izzy Wisher