A person relaxing on an inflatable ring in a river surrounded by trees on a sunny day.
GENDER
2

Muscle memory

How transitioning upended my own gendered understanding of strength, desirability, and power

by Mieke de Vries

A city street with reflections on a window showing cars, people and a grocery sign with a Coca-Cola advertisement.
THINKERS AND THEORIES

Heidegger knew that we are always outside, weathering the storms

We aren’t safe inside separate minds. Being-in-the-world means we’re entangled and vulnerable – and that’s how we flourish

by Katherine Withy

Photo of a bullet hole in glass, showing shattered glass patterns on a black background.
TRAUMA AND PTSD

Aftershock

A random shooting left me with crippling PTSD. Could magnetic stimulation of my brain quiet the terror?

by Madison Lamb

Ideas

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Black and white photo of a person reflected in a window with motion blur and trees visible outside.
MIND AND BRAIN
3

What your mind’s blank moments reveal about consciousness

by Thomas Andrillon

A smartphone with app icons visible inside an open wooden drawer with red cables partially visible.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

Curious about a digital ‘detox’? Here’s what you should know

by Kostadin Kushlev

Photo of flight crew in blue uniforms waving in front of a parked aeroplane on a runway, with people in the background.
CIVIC LIFE

We’re losing trust in civic institutions – can we get it back?

by Ros Taylor

Guides

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Photo of a person leaning back with hands on head at a desk, laptop open, with feet up on the desk, green background.
GOALS AND MOTIVATION

How to think differently about procrastination

Avoid the trap of thinking you’re either working or not. A different mindset promises less self-judgment and more progress

by Rebecca Roache

Women laughing and dancing in a studio, all wearing pink tops and black leggings.
DANCE

How to start learning dance

Follow these steps to find a style of movement that will captivate you – even if you’ve never seen yourself as a dancer

by Dawn Davis Loring

Life stories

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A child’s hand resting on an elderly person’s hands.
LIFE STAGES

Learning to inhale

I brought my newborn to visit a hospice patient. It took me far from what I’d thought medicine was

by Lynn Hallarman

Editor’s picks

Ancient Chinese painting of a procession with figures holding banners and an umbrella on a brown scroll background.
HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MENTAL HEALTH

Chinese philosophy has long known that mental health is communal

The early Chinese philosophers knew that a healthy mind comes from a harmonious community, not a matter for individuals alone

by Alexus McLeod

Photo of people counting ballots at an election table, wearing yellow rosettes, with focus on a woman and a man in the foreground.
VALUES AND BELIEFS

To be a responsible citizen today, it is not enough to be reasonable

To survive society’s problems, today reasonableness isn’t enough; we need citizens to recognise beliefs have consequences

by Francisco Mejia Uribe

Latest videos

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Photo of a woman with long hair, eyes closed in a field of wildflowers and greenery, creating a serene and natural setting.
MIND AND BRAIN

How meditation can boost your brain’s capacity to adapt

Video by BBC News

Drawing of a child leaning on a table beside a fishbowl with a red fish inside. The background is plain and neutral.
IDENTITY

An animator’s bittersweet ode to her ‘third culture’ childhood

Photo of a person standing on a large rock in the sea during a sunset with scattered smaller rocks around.
HOME

A modern ‘cave man’ on the business of living authentically

Photo of two women sitting in blue chairs talking in a bright room with plants, a patterned table between them.
LOVE

More than laissez-faire love – demystifying modern polyamory

Notes to self

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Woman in historical dress washing her hands with water poured by a child from a jug, with onlookers in an ornate interior setting.
OCD

Forever compelled

by Matt Huston

A couple sitting in a beach chair on a sandy shore during a cloudy evening surrounded by empty striped chairs.
LOVE

It’s a gift to share reality with someone

by Hannah Seo

Popular

A cyclist in a red jacket on a winding rural road surrounded by autumnal trees with misty hills in the background.
MEANING AND THE GOOD LIFE
6

Your purpose isn’t something to find, it’s something you form

In my therapy office, I’ve found that to live with greater purpose, we must think differently about where it comes from

by Ross White

Black and white photo of a hand touching a rain-specked window with four blurred windows in the background.
GRIEF
4

How to talk to someone who’s grieving

It’s normal to worry you’ll say the wrong thing. Here’s how to ensure your words and gestures are as supportive as possible

by Lauren Breen & Maarten Eisma

A smartphone with app icons visible inside an open wooden drawer with red cables partially visible.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

Curious about a digital ‘detox’? Here’s what you should know

For many who are chronically connected, a break from tech sounds appealing. Research is uncovering when and how it helps

by Kostadin Kushlev

Photo of a person leaning back with hands on head at a desk, laptop open, with feet up on the desk, green background.
GOALS AND MOTIVATION

How to think differently about procrastination

Avoid the trap of thinking you’re either working or not. A different mindset promises less self-judgment and more progress

by Rebecca Roache

Black and white photo of a person reflected in a window with motion blur and trees visible outside.
MIND AND BRAIN
3

What your mind’s blank moments reveal about consciousness

Scientists are uncovering the nature of an elusive mental experience that challenges what it means to be conscious

by Thomas Andrillon

Street scene in India with people, bullock carts and shops, showing a bustling atmosphere.
CIVIC LIFE

Tolerance isn’t just nice, it’s a civic virtue we all can build

At a time of rising intolerance, the century-old work of C E M Joad reminds us what tolerance really is and why we need it

by Kiran Kumbhar

Close-up photo of a person’s hand holding a smartphone with a patterned fabric in the foreground, soft brown background.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

My chatbot therapist

Constant access, near-perfect memory, analytic reach – ChatGPT provides things a therapist never could

by Sabela Guravich

A couple sitting in a beach chair on a sandy shore during a cloudy evening surrounded by empty striped chairs.
LOVE

It’s a gift to share reality with someone

My partner and I often seem to respond to the world in similar ways. Research suggests this may have benefits for us both

by Hannah Seo

Explore: Traditional arts

TRADITIONAL ARTS

An Aboriginal painter depicts scenes from her youth in this beautiful short

A film by Grace Kemarre Robinya and Jonathan Daw

Medieval painting of three musicians playing instruments, seated under arches with colourful robes and curly hair.
MUSIC

Courtly love songs are a window into medieval sex lives

by Elizabeth Eva Leach

Woman in a white dress standing in front of a geometric quilt in a garden setting with trees in the background.
TRADITIONAL ARTS

Beauty is woven into everyday life for the quilters of the American West

A film by Carly Jakins and Jared Jakins

A dancer in traditional Indian dress performs on stage against a black background
DANCE

Bharathanatyam dance is a living exploration of being human

by Lakshmi Thiagarajan

A knitted grey toy mouse holds a needle and repairs its own dress. Three balls of yarn lie nearby, alongside a small blue open book.
PLEASURES AND PASTIMES
5

A whimsical ode to the reparative power of knitting, rendered in wool

Directed by Samantha Moore

Black and white photo of a woman holding a cat in a kitchen while a child eats at the table.
FOOD AND DRINK
5

La cucina povera delivers the fare we need to sustain us now

by Louise Fabiani

Illustration of cupped hands holding a golden artefact with intricate patterns against a textured background.
TRADITIONAL ARTS

A Bronze Age pendant links lives centuries apart in this wondrous short

Directed by Samantha Moore