The Teds
Like characters outgrowing their creator, our teddy bears developed lives of their own
by Sam Firman
Understand
The inner workings of the mind: emotions, memory, decision-making and more
Why are we curious about some things and indifferent to others?
Many of us crave trivial details while ignoring much of the world around us. Research helps explain this selective curiosity
by Tommy Blanchard
Why some healthy habits still take so much effort
Contrary to classic habit science, certain behaviours never become easy. Recognising this can help you stick with them
by Blair Saunders & Kimberly R More
The art of hiking
The desert acted as a mirror that seemed to say: you are like me – harsh, inventive, and full of life
by Skye Anicca
The existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun
In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears
by Eric Jannazzo
Guides
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How to be the archivist of your own family
By curating your family’s stories, rituals and relics, you’ll feel anchored – and create a bridge between the generations
by Samantha Ellis
How to use AI chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber
Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool
by Nick Kabrel
Popular
How to tolerate annoying things
Hassles are part of life, but the way we react often makes them worse. ACT skills can help you handle them with greater ease
by Patricia E Zurita Ona
How to build a memory palace
Upgrade your ability to recall dates, names or other details with an ancient trick of the memory trade: the ‘method of loci’
by Lynne Kelly
The existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun
In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears
by Eric Jannazzo
Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation
Psychologists are discovering what’s going on when you do something you enjoy, but also feel weird or embarrassed about
by LaCount ‘JJ’ Togans
How to check if an argument is valid
In logic, validity is prime. If you want to make valid arguments, or sniff out invalid ones, here’s what you need to do
by Robert Trueman
The trait that makes some people so frustrating – and alluring
Conscientiousness is constantly touted as a virtue, so what’s life like for people with the opposite trait – disinhibition?
by Janan Mostajabi
Is narcissism really on the rise among younger generations?
A fresh investigation of vast numbers of young people from around the world has thrown up some surprising results
by Jakob Pietschnig & Sandra Oberleiter
How to use AI chatbots to make you smarter, not dumber
Use AI thoughtlessly and it dulls your mind. But with a strategic approach and the right prompts, it can be a powerful tool
by Nick Kabrel
Popular
View allHow to tolerate annoying things
Hassles are part of life, but the way we react often makes them worse. ACT skills can help you handle them with greater ease
by Patricia E Zurita Ona
How to build a memory palace
Upgrade your ability to recall dates, names or other details with an ancient trick of the memory trade: the ‘method of loci’
by Lynne Kelly
The existential balm of seeing yourself as a verb, not a noun
In the therapy room, I’ve seen how rethinking what we are – and what it means to ‘be dead’ – can lighten our fears
by Eric Jannazzo
Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation
Psychologists are discovering what’s going on when you do something you enjoy, but also feel weird or embarrassed about
by LaCount ‘JJ’ Togans
Notes to self
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Videos
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The idea of a ‘learning style’ is intuitive. It’s also wrong
Video by Veritasium
Time stands still for twin brothers on the verge of adolescence
From sports to business, mental imagery can boost outcomes
The joyful groove never stops at a legendary Chicago roller rink
Can an entire society be mentally ill? A perspective from 1960
The interplay between breath and emotion – and how to access it
When dreams touch reality – the liminal world of sleep paralysis
A psalm for lost spaces
You have to sit down somewhere, unhurried and unbothered, to really hear yourself. But where?
by Atar Hadari
The Ozempic era should change how we think about self-control
Struggling to manage weight can seem like a failure of raw willpower. GLP-1 drugs highlight how misguided that view is
by Matthew C Haug
Stronger
When grief and distraction spun my mind out of control, only the strain of my muscles could keep it intact
by Nancy Uddin
Do you weave historical events into your own life story?
Some people watch history pass by. Others high in ‘historical consciousness’ truly live it – and seem to benefit as a result
by Şebnem Ture
Guilty pleasures are more than just giving in to temptation
Psychologists are discovering what’s going on when you do something you enjoy, but also feel weird or embarrassed about
by LaCount ‘JJ’ Togans
How to tolerate annoying things
Hassles are part of life, but the way we react often makes them worse. ACT skills can help you handle them with greater ease
by Patricia E Zurita Ona
Hand-drawn animation brings a meeting of ‘voice-hearers’ to life
Directed by Tristan Thil
How to build a memory palace
Upgrade your ability to recall dates, names or other details with an ancient trick of the memory trade: the ‘method of loci’
by Lynne Kelly
Is narcissism really on the rise among younger generations?
A fresh investigation of vast numbers of young people from around the world has thrown up some surprising results
by Jakob Pietschnig & Sandra Oberleiter
‘Invisible diseases’ burden both body and mind. Can therapy help?
Hard-to-diagnose illnesses aren’t ‘all in the mind’. But recognising their links to mental health can help reduce the pain
by Karina Waluk
An activist weaves motherhood into her world in this gentle short
Directed by Flavien Kressmann and Sarah Des Rosiers
Motivation is good, but discipline is better
The Ukrainian boxing champion Usyk’s recent claim that ‘discipline is better than motivation’ was psychologically astute
by Christian Jarrett
The trait that makes some people so frustrating – and alluring
Conscientiousness is constantly touted as a virtue, so what’s life like for people with the opposite trait – disinhibition?
by Janan Mostajabi
James Earl Jones reads Kurt Vonnegut on why art is central to a meaningful life
Video by Letters Live
Bad art, good laughs – a street portraitist’s lacklustre work animates a city
Directed by Rosie Baldwin