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Ideas

Symbols and myth

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Photo of ancient ruins on a rocky hill with a cloudy sky and distant mountains in the background.

Spirituality and religion

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This is not the end. Apocalyptic comfort from ancient Iran

Faced with the collapse of their empire, Zoroastrians sought comfort in the apocalyptic – and their literature flourished

by Domenico Agostini & Samuel Thrope

Ivory sculpture of a lion-human figure shown from three angles on a black background.

Creativity

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Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself

Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind

by Keith Frankish

Stone sculpture of a serene figure in draped robes with a halo against a dark background.

Symbols and myth

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Why the first Buddhas in art wore finely folded Greek tunics

How the iconography of Greek art influenced the development of an increasingly standardised image of the Buddha in India

by Garrett Ryan

Illustration of a courtroom with animals as participants, a lion as the judge, and various creatures in the jury box.

Animals

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What our use of animal-based slurs and endearments says about us

The image of the adorable kitten and the insult of calling someone a ‘pussy’ have more in common than you might realise

by David Egan

Photo of two people stargazing in a field under a starry sky with mountains and trees in the background.

Nature and the environment

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Why people across the world see constellations, not just stars

Orion, the Big Dipper and the rest reflect shared features of human perception – but also diverse cultural interpretations

by Simon J Cropper, Duane W Hamacher, Daniel R Little & Charles Kemp

Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.

Wonder and the sublime

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Bronze Age people looked to the skyscape to navigate their lives

Long before stargazing helped humans navigate the Earth, the skyscape gave Bronze Age people mystery and wonder

by Kata Karáth

Expressionist painting of a figure kneeling inside vibrant layered shapes in green and purple tones.

Psychiatry

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This isn’t just art, but a supercharged act of meaning-making

Psychiatric art is crammed with meaning yet it actively resists interpretation. This paradox lies at the heart of its appeal

by Shruti Ravindran

Painting of three individuals seated at a dimly lit table with food, in a rustic interior setting, evoking a warm atmosphere.

Stories and literature

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Ovid’s tales of mutual love show he was more than a poet of rape

Ovid’s epic poem explores two sides of the Roman idea of love: one led by violence and domination, the other by mutual desire

by Stephanie McCarter

Photo of eight varied stone doughnut-shaped artefacts on a blue background with a 5 cm scale bar.

Rituals and celebrations

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Far-flung ancient communities forged bonds through broken rings

What can the fragments of Neolithic slate rings found in Finland tell us about social relationships 6,000 years ago?

by Marja Ahola, Elisabeth Holmqvist & Petro Pesonen