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Mind and brain

Close-up photo of a blue eye with detailed lashes and skin texture visible.

Mind and brain

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The pupil of the eye opens a remarkable window into the mind

From mental effort to the content of a person’s imagination, these tiny apertures reveal far more than you might realise

by Christoph Strauch

An otter rolling on a moss-covered rock, eyes closed in a relaxed pose with a blurry background.

Animals

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You can think like an animal by silencing your chattering brain

The desire is partly whimsical, but a brief shapeshift across the taxonomic gulf could help us better empathise with animals

by Bryony Tolhurst

A group of people engaged in a heated discussion outdoors with diverse expressions and gestures.

Communication and language

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Why every utterance you make begins with a leap of faith

Time pressure and the limitations of memory compel you and your listener to engage in a fascinating linguistic trade-off

by Julie Sedivy

Photo of a person driving at night with dashboard lights on and a road visible ahead through the car windscreen.

Technology and media

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The reason that even hands-free calls are risky for drivers

Cars are filled with ever more communication and entertainment tech, but our minds are stuck with the same limitations

by Robert Rosenberger

Blurry photo of a vibrant bar scene with a table of drinks, red lighting and indistinct figures moving around.

Neurodiversity

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Living without mental imagery may shield against trauma’s impact

Discovering I have aphantasia helped me understand my response to being assaulted and why I wasn’t debilitated by PTSD

by J B Smith

Photo of a monk striking a large gong in an open stone structure with misty mountains in the background.

Knowledge and reason

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Long COVID brain fog was my enemy. How did it become my friend?

The confusion of my illness helped me understand Buddhist theories of ignorance and its role in the relief of suffering

by Emily McRae

Photo of two people observing a museum display of a Indigenous head with feathers and fur in a glass case.

Communication and language

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This is what a Neanderthal conversation would have sounded like

Neanderthals had language, but it differed from ours in an important way that could help explain our superior art and tech

by Steven Mithen

A young couple in handcuffs lean against a 1950s police car beneath a brooding prairie sky

Mind and brain

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What films and literature reveal about the voice in your head

Inner speech is mysterious and hard to study. But movie voiceovers and introspective novels offer fresh ways to understand it

by Shayla Love

Photo of a person in a white robe on a sunlit stone staircase with large windows and ornate railings.

Spirituality and religion

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A monk showed me that spirituality needs more space in medicine

As a doctor, I’ve seen how brain diseases can become entwined with spiritual pain. Who is responsible for addressing it?

by Michael P H Stanley

Photo of people crossing a street in a city. Sunlight casts long shadows. Skyscrapers and flags are in the background.

Death and dying

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Why so many of us see our loved ones after they have died

These experiences – which are more of an illusion than a hallucination – can be a healthy part of the grieving process

by Shayla Love

Photo of a large crowd of people walking, with many faces blurred, suggesting movement in an urban setting.

Mind and brain

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What is it like to remember all the faces you’ve ever seen?

They’ve been studied by researchers and recruited by police forces, but what’s it actually like to be a super-recogniser?

by Shayla Love

Photo of yellow tulips and pink flowers in soft focus, showing petals in detail with a blurred background.

History of ideas

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I smell, therefore I am. On the philosophy of the olfactory

To truly grip us, philosophy must engage with the practical and animalistic. It’s time to stop turning its nose up at smell

by Simon Hajdini