No, willpower isn’t a muscle – here’s a better way to think of it
The muscle metaphor based on ego-depletion theory hasn’t survived scrutiny. But there’s an alternative that holds promise
by Alberto De Luca
Neuroscience
Articles, Films and practical Guides on neuroscience, part of Psyche’s coverage of self-knowledge and personal growth.
So what if Nike’s neuro shoes are a placebo?
Nike has released a range of ‘mind-altering’ shoes engineered by neuroscientists. They’re probably an elaborate placebo
by Christian Jarrett
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
The neural reward that makes avoiding your fears feel so good
We’re told that facing our fears can help us overcome them – but this misses the other intoxicating part of the equation
by Muhammad Badarnee & Mohammed R Milad
What if animals find beauty in the world, just like we do?
Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder
by Brandon Keim
The (surprisingly new) science of aphantasia – the inability to ‘see’ mental imagery
Video by Quanta Magazine
When talking brings you relief, brain syncing may be at work
Something curious happens in two people’s brains during supportive interactions. It could help explain their emotional power
by Yarden Avnor & Simone Shamay-Tsoory
Perhaps the weirdest experience you’ll have sober, what exactly is déjà vu?
Video by BBC Ideas
There are three lenses through which to weigh any decision
Whether an act seems ‘good’ depends on how you look at it. Brain research reveals what happens when the lens changes
by Clara Pretus & Jay Van Bavel
When does the first spark of human consciousness ignite?
We can’t ask babies what they’re feeling, but ingenious new methods are shedding light on the origins of subjective awareness
by Joel Frohlich
The brain’s twilight zone: when you’re neither awake nor asleep
Neuroscientists are demystifying this in-between state, uncovering its role in memory processing and its creative potential
by Célia Lacaux
How the buildings you occupy might be affecting your brain
Cutting-edge research in the field of neuroarchitecture is revealing the public health implications of building design
by Cleo Valentine & Heather Mitcheltree
Dementia is not a death. For some, it marks a new beginning
Advocates are reframing the syndrome as a different way of being – one in which potential for growth and connection endures
by Isabel Sutton
The Stoics were right – emotional control is good for the soul
Both neuroscience and psychotherapy agree that you can change your mental framework as the Stoic Marcus Aurelius described
by István Darabán