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Ideas

Mind and brain

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Close-up of a large mushroom growing on the forest floor surrounded by fallen leaves and trees.

Nature and the environment

idea

The fungal mind: on the evidence for mushroom intelligence

The evidence for fungal intelligence is in: they can operate as individuals, make decisions, learn, and have short-term memory

by Nicholas P Money

A girl walks towards a woman on a pavement with a grey building in the background, casting shadows from a tree.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Talking out loud to yourself is a technology for thinking

Talking out loud to oneself is a technology for thinking that allows us to clarify and sharpen our approach to a problem

by Nana Ariel

Medical imaging scan showing the internal organs of a human torso, including intestines highlighted in blue and other organs in shades of red and orange.

Mind and brain

idea

To grasp how serotonin works on the brain, look to the gut

A new perspective uses an analogy between digestion and cognition to help explain the function of a key neurochemical

by James M Shine

Blurry photo of a seascape with a cloudy sky, calm water, and a sandy shore with rocks and patches of green algae.

Neurodiversity

idea

I have no mind’s eye: let me try to describe it for you

With aphantasia, my mind’s eye sees only darkness, not images. It’s like missing a sense, and only imagination can compensate

by Neesa Sunar

A close-up of a delicate blue flower next to a cluster of small yellow flowers, with a blurred green and yellow background.

Mind and brain

idea

Slow down, it’s what your brain has been begging for

It’s no small task to live a life of sustained attention. So slow down, and give your brain a break to do its work

by Teodora Stoica

Cyclist in a white polka dot jersey racing during a cycling event, with a crowd of spectators cheering in the background.

Sports and games

idea

Physical fatigue is in the brain as much as in the body

The idea of ‘mind over muscle’ is more than motivational rhetoric – exercise science shows how the brain manages fatigue

by David Robson

Two people stand under a lit entrance at night with cars parked outside and a colourful cloud mural in the background. Lights reflect on surfaces.

Mind and brain

idea

Time doesn’t flow like a river. So why do we feel swept along?

Physics tells us that time doesn’t flow like a river, as Heraclitus claimed. Why then do we feel like we’re swept along?

by Nick Young

Three teenage girls in winter coats stand outdoors in a snowy landscape, with trees and snow-covered ground in the background.

Resilience and flexibility

idea

What the distinctive brains of resilient people can teach us

Resilient people have brains that are distinct in their structure and function, providing clues for how to build resilience

by Laura Moreno-López

Watercolour painting of a man in a suit showing both front and profile views with a background of abstract colours.

Knowledge and reason

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Self-knowledge is a super power – if it’s not an illusion

Self-knowledge is a powerful thing – if it’s not an illusion. What can we know about our own minds, and why does it matter?

by Jared Peterson

Pencil sketch of a person in profile view looking left, detailed with textured lines and shading on a plain background.

The self

idea

The philosophy of selfhood became real when my mother got dementia

My mother’s dementia shook her sense of self, and mine. We can understand ourselves only through embodied connection to others

by Noga Arikha

Two ravens perched on a black railing at the Tower of London, with crowds and historic stone buildings in the background.

Animals

idea

A basic sense of numbers is shared by countless creatures

Birds, bees, cats and other animals have an ability to use numbers. How can this help us understand people with dyscalculia?

by Brian Butterworth

People walking on a city street bathed in sunlight, with American flags hanging on buildings in the background. Shadows are cast on the pavement, and tall buildings line the street, creating a dramatic, contrasting light and shadow effect.

Death and dying

idea

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