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Decision-making

Abstract illustration of a man in profile, reclining with a pipe in his hand, set against a red and black background.

Decision-making

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Do you think more clearly when reading or when listening?

How we take in information has a remarkably significant effect on how intuitive or analytical we are in thinking about it

by Janet Geipel & Boaz Keysar

Man sits in a worn black car loaded with a large pile of carrots in the back seat, parked beside an old red vehicle.

Values and beliefs

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Do you have a duty to tell people they’re wrong about carrots?

How to decide whether you should correct someone’s false beliefs about carrots, vaccines and South American dictators

by Giulia Terzian & M Inés Corbalán

People standing near a large crack on the concrete floor, resembling an art installation or structural damage.

Mind and brain

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Allow error into your life and experience the joy of surprise

Neuroscience theories see the human brain as an error-minimising machine. But that overlooks the joy of the unexpected

by Leyla Loued-Khenissi

Food stall selling fried dough at a night fair, staffed by two workers, with customers and a child with a stroller in front.

Thinkers and theories

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The id and the nudge: where Freud meets behavioural economics

Both Sigmund Freud and behavioural economists describe a dual-process mind. But the differences in their ideas are revealing

by Briana S Last

A man pushing a child in a pram up a grassy hill with mountains and a small village in the background on a sunny day.

Parenting and families

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It should be OK for parents to express regret about having children

Regret is common to all humans. So it’s no surprise that some parents regret having children: it shouldn’t be a taboo topic

by Jenna Abetz & Julia Moore

Two children sitting on a wooden fence in a rural area under a blue sky with scattered clouds, with fields in the background.

Personality

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The fence is uncomfortable, but it affords the best view

Ambivalence is often misconstrued as flakiness. In fact, recognising both sides of an argument fosters empathy and insight

by Iris Schneider

Yellow taxis drive on the Brooklyn Bridge, with the New York City skyline in the background on a partly cloudy day.

Decision-making

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The mathematical case against blaming people for their misfortune

Complexity science reveals the hard limits of our predictive abilities, and makes a mathematical case for compassion

by David Kinney

A weathered photo covered in spots and blemishes of three people smiling and laughing indoors, with a Japanese flag in the background.

Decision-making

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Emotions should be in the heart of complex political debates

Emotion is not opposed to reason but a crucial tool for assessing risk in a complex, uncertain world

by Sabine Roeser