X CLOSE

Values and ethical living

A cocktail in a coupe glass with an orange twist on a wooden table in front of a dark, tufted lounge seating

Addiction

idea

My great-grandfather poisoned drinkers during Prohibition

In a grim irony, his descendants – my grandmother and mother – struggled with drink. Here’s what I’d tell him about addiction

by Rebecca Lester

Photo of a person silhouetted against the Milky Way galaxy in a starry night sky, with a faint horizon glow.

Wonder and the sublime

idea

The ‘panzoic effect’: the benefits of thinking about alien life

Reflecting on the potential for extraterrestrial life can inspire awe and have a profound effect on your worldview

by Graham Lau

Painting of a man in British colonial attire with an Indian child attendant holding a sword, by a tree overlooking a river landscape.

Human rights and justice

idea

True solidarity requires Burke’s ‘sympathetic revenge’

Social media utterances aren’t enough. Burke’s stand against colonial injustice shows we must confront our own complicity

by Jack Jacobs

Ancient mosaic of a reclining skeleton with Greek text, holding a drink, next to an amphora and bread on a dark background.

Death and dying

idea

Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how

For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started

by Joanna Ebenstein

Photo of a man sunbathing on a rooftop next to a large satellite dish.

Progress and the future

idea

Why it’s possible to be optimistic in a world of bad news

The original optimist, Leibniz, was mocked and misunderstood. Centuries later, his worldview can help us navigate modern life

by Sumit Paul-Choudhury

A group of people shown through reflective surfaces creating a layered effect, one wears a purple ribbon.

Communication and language

idea

To have deeper conversations, try being more of an asshole

Conversation is a game with rules about politeness and norms. To move beyond small talk, you need to risk breaking them

by Idil Çakmur

Photo of a small American flag on a metal barrier surrounded by litter at night.

Civic life

idea

Disappointment is not just a feeling – it’s a political force

When political regimes fail us, don’t turn to optimism. It’s disappointment that holds the radical potential for change

by Rafael Holmberg

A blurred black cat jumps on dirt ground in the foreground, with a distant statue of Pope John Paul II with arms outstretched against the sky in the background

Values and beliefs

idea

Cultural taboos arise from a basic feature of the human mind

Unquestioned community rules on marriage, dining and even black cats often stem from our hunger to explain random events

by Kevin (Ze) Hong

Photo of a woman with tattoos taking a selfie on a smartphone wearing an off-shoulder dress in front of glass doors.

Virtues and vices

idea

Social comparison is driving us to despair. It doesn’t have to

In the social media age, it seems impossible not to measure ourselves against others – but we can dodge the worst pitfalls

by Wojciech Kaftański

World map illustration showing physical geography with oceans, continents and elevation.

Ethics

idea

What makes a map ‘good’? On the ethics of cartography

Rendering the world in a responsible way means wrestling with what gets depicted on a map, how, and for whom

by Nat Case

A vintage voltmeter displaying a scale in volts and ampères with a brass base and needle indicator.

Ethics

idea

What a real-life ‘trolley problem’ reveals about morality

We used an electric-shock dilemma to test the strength of people’s moral principles when faced with real-world complexities

by Dries Bostyn

A judge with a stern expression in a courtroom wearing a black robe standing in front of a US flag.

Fairness and equality

idea

A lawyer’s view of irrelevant influences in the courtroom

Psychology studies cast doubt on old assumptions about legal objectivity. Lawyers and laypeople alike should take notice

by Samu Czabán