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Ethics

A man with a serious expression sits at a table, eating, wearing a black and white polo shirt, with a bottle and food items in the foreground.

Stories and literature

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What is it about film and TV antiheroes that’s so captivating?

They’re entertaining, of course – but research highlights a deeper psychological reason viewers are drawn to the bad guys

by Ana Gantman & Jordan Wylie

The Disney cartoon boy Pinocchio depicted with his nose having grown long as he tells a lie

Communication and language

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These are the mental processes required to tell a convincing lie

The cognitive work involved in lying is relevant to lie detection and could help explain why some people are better liars

by Molly MacMillan

Close-up of elderly hands clasped together, with prominent wrinkles, wearing an orange jumper with dark brown trim.

Ageing

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Efforts to expand the lifespan ignore what it’s like to get old

As modern medicine extends the human lifespan, quality of life is not keeping up, raising thorny ethical dilemmas

by Robert S Gable

A porcelain statue of the Buddhist goddess of mercy, seated in meditation, with a soft-focus background.

Ethics

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Morality aside, there’s another good reason to love your enemies

Wishing your antagonists well can be seen as a moral obligation or a misguided ideal. But it might serve your interests

by Alex Moran

Close-up of a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion, and sauce in a sesame seed bun.

Ethics

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A fake-meat burger, a sex doll and a thought experiment

How is enjoying a burger, even if it’s one made of fake meat, different from enjoying a female, even if she’s a sex doll?

by Rebecca Lowe

Painting of elegantly dressed people at a party, one serving sandwiches to others who are smiling and holding plates.

Virtues and vices

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Be honest: little white lies are more harmful than you think

Even well-intentioned white lies can foster disconnection and distrust – openness and honesty really are the best policy

by Elena Svetieva & Leanne ten Brinke

Poster of “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” showing a woman at a piano, a man in a suit and an invisible figure with a gun.

Stories and literature

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Why the concept of invisibility so captivates the imagination

From ancient fables to the latest science theory, invisibility represents some of humankind’s deepest fears and desires

by Greg Gbur

Photo of a close-up leaf on a branch, with a grey building marked “IFANG” in the blurred background.

Death and dying

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Should assisted death be available for intractable mental illness?

As a psychiatrist I am extremely wary of even the most careful provisions of assisted dying for people with mental illness

by Marie Nicolini