storytelling
30 grunts and sounds that may have been the first language
Linguists discover 30 sounds that may have allowed communication before words existed.
Why storytelling is a powerful leadership tool
A five-year-old reading a picture book in her pillow fort. A college student and his friends at the midnight matinee. A ninety-year-old watching her soaps. What do they have in […]
How Atlantic City inspired the Monopoly board
The popular game has a backstory rife with segregation, inequality, intellectual theft, and outlandish political theories.
How your brain bonds with fictional characters
Scans show similar activity to what occurs when you think about yourself.
It’s hard to scare people without a visual imagination
Next time you listen to scary campfire stories, sit with a friend who has aphantasia.
Inspirational quotes from famous people on the autism spectrum
Words of wisdom from H.P. Lovecraft, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dr. Temple Grandin, Hannah Gadsby and more.
In ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ and beyond, chess holds up a mirror to life
The pieces don't represent an army, they stand in for the Western social order.
How psychedelics help you “die before you die”
The heart of the religious ritual is mysticism, argues Brian Muraresku in "The Immortality Key."
Can fake news help you remember real facts better?
A 2020 study published in the journal of Psychological Science explores the idea that fake news can actually help you remember real facts better.
Malcolm Gladwell: What if presidents were chosen by lottery?
Join Radiolab's Latif Nasser at 1pm ET today as he chats with Malcolm Gladwell live on Big Think.
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Can reading erotica improve your sex life?
Is indulging in erotic content good or bad for your sex life?
Stories from space! 4 astronauts share their adventures
Firsthand accounts of what it's really like to go to and come back from space.
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What if Middle-earth was in Pakistan?
Iranian Tolkien scholar finds intriguing parallels between subcontinental geography and famous map of Middle-earth.
Perhaps all atlases should be this subjective
To get a sense of faraway places, these 'atlases' let the locals give you their perspective.
Study: We like villains similar to ourselves
Love a good villain? It says a lot about you.
Art will never die. So why does it need philanthropy?
We wouldn't want to live without it, so how can we create art that's durable?
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Creative process: Are you in a period of ‘woodshedding’?
It's normal if you're not productive in your creativity all the time. Even the greats took breaks.
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How dystopian narratives can incite real-world radicalism
People often incorporate lessons from fictional stories into their beliefs, attitudes and value judgments, sometimes without even being aware that they are doing so.
How does intellectual humility unlock greater knowledge?
Practicing Socratic ignorance, or avoiding certainty of our own knowledge, diminishes inequality and pushes us in our search for wisdom.
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Headed for heaven or hell? This roadmap will help
'The Broad and Narrow Way' helped 19th-century preachers explain the consequences of virtue and vice.
Working for Harvey Weinstein was a ‘brutal experience’
In 1998, former New Yorker editor Tina Brown went into business with Harvey Weinstein. That was a colossal mistake.
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Five essential writing tips backed by science
Will Storr has written a masterful guide to writing with "The Science of Storytelling."
Psychology toolbox: How to use skepticism
Derren Brown returns to the stage with his new live, one-man show, Showman. Check it out here.
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People aren’t reading less. In fact, literature has never been so interactive.
A new study at the University of Basel shows how interactive literature has become.
This is how an illusionist targets your unconscious mind
Juggling conscious experience with the machinations of the mind can create the ultimate audience experience.
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Mind hack: How to push past fear
Fear, not empathy, is the most powerful emotion in the world.
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Here’s how good liars get away with it
Those who think they're better at lying than average seem to have a few things in common.
How will AI shape the future of storytelling?
Can technology act as a feedback loop for human emotions?
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How to keep your audience engaged
Tips on telling human stories that audiences want to hear from start to finish.
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