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Cooperation and collaboration

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Photo of an ancient stone relief depicting four figures in draped garments with expressive faces, shown in close-up.

Communication and language

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How do good conversations work? Philosophy has something to say

The idea of what makes for a successful conversation is always tricky, and has always been contested by philosophers

by Stephanie Ross

Photo of three women talking through open windows, showing interaction between apartments in a residential building.

Compassion and empathy

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Improve your relationships with the science of perspective-taking

Social psychology research is breaking down the process of perspective-taking and revealing ways to help us get along better

by Hunter Gehlbach

Black and white photo of two people facing away whispering on a street corner with vehicles in the background.

Communication and language

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Recognise the point of giving advice and you can do it better

A philosophical look at advising highlights what makes it a distinct form of interaction – and why it often goes wrong

by Joshua Habgood-Coote

A group of people shown through reflective surfaces creating a layered effect, one wears a purple ribbon.

Communication and language

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To have deeper conversations, try being more of an asshole

Conversation is a game with rules about politeness and norms. To move beyond small talk, you need to risk breaking them

by Idil Çakmur

Retro photo of a waitress serving pizza to a smiling couple seated at a table with beer and glasses.

Cooperation and collaboration

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If smiles are so easy to fake, why do we trust them?

Smiles can be a way to dupe people because they’re easy to fake – but we’ve figured out which smiles can be trusted

by Alexander Danvers

Photo of three scouts saluting, holding a poster of flags and the Statue of Liberty, in front of the US Capitol building.

History of emotions

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The politics of internationalism rest on the intimacy of feelings

Political communities are based on feelings of familiarity and affinity, so how do you make people internationalists?

by Ilaria Scaglia

Photo of a wooden artist mannequin lying on its back with limbs bent against a black background.

Technology and media

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What falling robots reveal about the absurdity of human trust

A ‘trust fall’ prompts an absurd state of simultaneous vulnerability and safety – a paradox that robots can’t compute

by Amy LaViers & Ilya Vidrin

Photo of two bonobos hugging standing on grass with leafy jungle background.

Animals

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Same-sex sexual behaviour in mammals evolved to keep the peace

Although these new findings can’t tell us much about human sexuality, they could help to solve an evolutionary paradox

by Shayla Love

Photo of a vibrant street parade with people celebrating amid swirling confetti and waving American flags.

Cooperation and collaboration

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Defining social trust is a first step toward nurturing it

Researchers agree that social trust causes many positive social outcomes. But they differ on its definition and causes

by Kevin Vallier

Photo of a person holding a plate with several chocolate chip cookies, set against a blurred background.

The body and physical health

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What I wish more people knew about deadly allergic reactions

Living with a deadly food allergy, I’ve discovered staying safe involves navigating other people’s doubts and expectations

by Hannah Waldfogel

Art installation of a moon sculpture with light projections in a dimly lit room.

Artists and art history

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A human–silkworm collaboration shows the way to sustainable design

Allocentric design means collaborating with non-human animals and algorithms as full partners in the engineering process

by Tomasz Hollanek