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History of emotions

Clay sculpture of a standing female figure with folded arms against a dark background, worn and aged with visible markings

History of emotions

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To ancient Assyrians, the liver was the seat of happiness

Cutting-edge computational techniques are shedding light on how the emotional experiences of past cultures compare to ours

by Juha Lahnakoski & Ellie Bennett

Man in jeans and trainers falls backwards as he avoids three charging bulls on a cobblestone street. Top-down perspective captures the chaos of the scene.

History of emotions

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Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?

A brief history of schadenfreude – taking pleasure in the misfortune of another – from ancient China to Charlie Chaplin

by David P Barash

A painting depicts three children dressed in old-fashioned clothing walking through a field of wildflowers at dusk. Two older children, one wearing a large brimmed hat, lead a younger child by the hand. The background shows a line of trees against a cloudy sky with a hint of sunset.

History of psychology and psychiatry

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In psychoanalysis, nostalgia was a sickness. It needn’t be

Nostalgia was, in Freud’s day, an illness steeped in the past. Today, it can be a joyful emotion that reframes the future

by Agnes Arnold-Forster

The bone outline of a skull is seen in relief where excavated on a cave floor

Rituals and celebrations

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Digging for answers in a cave filled with Neanderthal skeletons

When a team of researchers returned to an Iraqi cave believed to be a Neanderthal burial site, here’s what they found

by Shayla Love

Photo of a red and white cow sign above the word “SEAFOOD” against a rural backdrop with a red barn.

Learning and education

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Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a symptom of learning

Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a sign of learning, but the key is finding the sweet spot of productive confusion

by Juliette Vazard

Painting of a woman in a Victorian dress resting her head on her hand at a table with a bowl and a book by a window.

History of emotions

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The fear that trashy media will rot your brain goes way back

Keeping up with the Faerie Queene: from early modern romances to reality TV, does bingeing ‘lowbrow’ culture rot the brain?

by James Waddell

Black and white photo of people playing on a beach. A woman sits on a man’s shoulders holding a ball, others move around them.

History of emotions

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The journeys taken by emotion words shape our inner lives

Changes to the meanings of euphoria, enthusiasm and ecstasy over time chart the ever-shifting territory of the emotions

by Tim Lomas

Daguerreotype portrait of a woman in 19th-century attire sitting with a hat on a table, framed in ornate gold and red.

Anxiety

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After many false starts, this might be the true age of anxiety

If anxiety is more common than ever, it’s also more treatable. But excessive nervousness wasn’t always taken so seriously

by Jason Schnittker

A painting of a woman with brown hair in a white blouse with a large green bow against a dark blue background.

Emotions

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Are you sure you know what emotions are?

It’s tricky to define what an emotion is: is surprise one, or something else? Here are a few simple rules to get started

by Andrew Ortony

An old illustrated map of Northern Europe featuring mythical sea creatures compass roses and detailed land formations.

History of ideas

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How 12th-century Genoese merchants invented the idea of risk

From the docks of 12th-century Genoa to the gambling tables of today, risk is a story that we tell ourselves about the future

by Karla Mallette

Painting of a traditional Chinese funeral, people in white robes mourning around a deceased figure on a table.

Rituals and celebrations

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Rituals create community by translating our love into action

For the Confucian Xunzi, love and gratitude are not just feelings in response to events but possibilities for social action

by Curie Virág

Photo of a newborn baby sleeping in a white box with a blanket on a patterned carpet background.

Parenting and families

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Finns start life safe and sound with a baby box from the government

In Finland, mothers can choose a cash benefit or a baby box – 95 per cent choose the baby box, a richly emotional object

by Tanja Vahtikari