Menu
Psyche
DonateNewsletter
SIGN IN

Thinking and intelligence

Wide, empty urban road flanked by modern apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Creativity

idea

Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough

We often think of Aha! moments occurring by fluke, but there are evidence-based ways to make it more likely they will occur

by Nick Kabrél

Person sitting on an outdoor bench with a large map obscuring their face. They wear colourful, patterned trousers and hold a striped bag. Sunlight and shadows cover the ground. Three people walk past a white building with multiple windows in the background.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

A love for thinking brings benefits way beyond school and work

Having a passion for mental effort – a trait that’s distinct from being intelligent – has some wide-ranging upsides

by Josephine Zerna

Black and white photo of a young woman in a striped top, looking to the side with a surprised expression, covering her mouth with her hand adorned with a ring. Other people are visible in the background in low light.

Emotions

idea

How ‘feelings about thinking’ help us navigate our world

The pleasant feeling of knowing, the frustration of forgetting, and other ‘metacognitive feelings’ serve as unsung guides

by Pablo Fernandez Velasco & Slawa Loev

A monochrome photograph from above of a man looking out to sea. His hands are in his pockets and a dog waits some metres away

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Philosophical reflection often begins with a disruptive mood

For many of our greatest philosophers, it was their moods, from wonder to estrangement to anxiety, that first inspired them

by Steven Segal

A kindergarten-age child plays with a padlock and key at a white table

Thinking and intelligence

idea

Innovative three-year-olds expose the limits of AI chatbots

New experiments show that very young children are better at solving creative puzzles than ChatGPT and other AI models

by Shayla Love

Athlete in black and white kit finishes track race, smiling and pointing. Crowd applauding in the background.

Sports and games

idea

Sport shows how to use performance benchmarks in a positive way

IQ scores and other contextless benchmarks are suffocating and misleading. We should look to sport for a healthier approach

by Leif Weatherby

A woman seen from behind talks on a mobile phone while distractedly running her hand through her hair

Worry and rumination

idea

If thinking is rational, what makes overthinking irrational?

A philosophical perspective on overthinking offers fresh insights into the mental processes involved in anxiety and OCD

by Pablo Hubacher Haerle

Cloud-filled sky with patches of blue visible, featuring large cumulus clouds and areas of grey, indicating possible incoming weather changes.

Thinking and intelligence

idea

When the human tendency to detect patterns goes too far

‘Apophenia’ is reflected in pleasant and troubling experiences alike – from seeing faces in clouds to conspiracy beliefs

by Shayla Love