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Mind and Behavior
The road to happiness is indirect and full of frustration.
From succubi to aliens, stories of abductions or other unsettling encounters have been with us for millennia. What explains them?
Once numbering just 27 birds, the global population of California condors is now in the hundreds.
Beautiful people really know how to catch a break.
OCD and addiction may result in part from improper “reward” pathways in the brain. Ultrasound can disrupt those pathways.
Your brain is remarkably good at mapping out physical spaces — even if it's an imaginary space like Hogwarts. But how does the brain do it?
5mins
Philosophers have been making the claim that free will is an illusion for hundreds of years. Dr. Uri Maoz shares what modern neuroscience has to say about it.
John Templeton Foundation
The first personality tests revolved around assessing people’s reactions to ambiguous and often unsettling images. Today, the gold standard is a barrage of questions.
Stockholm Syndrome is the most famous of 10 psychological disorders named after world cities. Most relate to tourism or hostage-taking.
Regret isn't just unpleasant, it's unhealthy.
It is often assumed that AI will become so advanced that the technology will be able to do anything. In reality, there are limits.
People who visit Florence seem strangely susceptible to Stendhal syndrome, which is blamed on an overwhelming sense of awe.
The author of classics like "A Farewell to Arms" and "The Sun Also Rises" is known and loved for his simple yet effective writing style. Here’s how to imitate it.
5mins
According to Zena Hitz, the idea of the intellectual has become distorted. She believes “the real thing is something more extraordinary but also more available to us.”
John Templeton Foundation
From boosting empathy to improving therapy, virtual reality is poised to change our ideas of the self.
The “Limitless” pill exists, and you already have it in your brain.
Certain types of dogs seem to be more discerning than others, however.
It started with a 22-year-old woman, named in papers only as Mrs McK.
Death is the great and terrifying unknown, awaiting us all at the end of this life. Giving it a personality makes it easier to gaze upon.
We seem to have a "progression bias" that nudges us toward pro-relationship decisions and away from breaking up.
The Virtual Metaverse will be for gaming and other short duration uses, while the Augmented Metaverse will revolutionize society.
Humans seemingly have opposing desires to fit in and to be unique. The interplay between these might drive the evolution of fads.
2mins
James Gleick, the author of biographies of Isaac Newton and Richard Feynman, discusses what they and other geniuses have in common.
John Templeton Foundation
A professor of educational psychology explains what and what not to do.
Famished, not famous: retrace Orwell’s hunger days, when he was one of the city’s legion of poor foreigners.
Treatments for depression have significantly improved since the 1980s. So why isn't the rate of depression decreasing?
Undiagnosed brain disease or divine inspiration? The origins of the French composer’s most provocative composition remain up for debate.
After a night of partying and heavy drinking, you might be tempted to Google "hangover cures." Unfortunately, there aren't any.
Pokémon has people wandering the world to enslave wild and magical creatures so they can fight in painful blood sports. What's fun about that?
The brain appears to remember immune responses, and memories can trigger them to happen again. This might explain some psychosomatic illnesses.