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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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