Synchronicity
Long ago, I gave a boy a greenfinch. That moment followed me in ways I’m still puzzling over
by Katia Ariel
What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology
Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can
by Tyler W Watts
Does progress seem slower when you constantly check on it?
Research on how we perceive the rate of change shows how you can be strategic about goal tracking and boost your motivation
by André Vaz
Ideas
View allGuides
View allHow to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow
Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time
by Martin Wiener
How to anticipate and cope with mania
If you have bipolar disorder, you can learn to play an active role in managing your symptoms and live a fulfilling life
by Kim Pape & Sheri Johnson
Life stories
View allEditor’s picks
How to maintain a healthy brain
Adopt these lifestyle changes and you will not only sharpen your mind today but also reduce your risk of dementia later on
by Kailas Roberts
Wisdom is a virtue, but how do we judge if someone has it?
Our team explored who is considered wise in cultures with contrasting philosophical traditions. The results surprised us
by Maksim Rudnev & Igor Grossmann
Latest videos
View allIn an elegy for his childhood home, a filmmaker constructs a lyrical collage of memory
Directed by Damian Gascoigne
There’s joy in doing a job right. Just ask this artisanal pencil-sharpener
There’s a nourishing calm in quietly wandering, far from goals and distractions
‘You are me; I am you’ – a trans poet’s evocative message to her former self
High in the Alps, Kathleen takes extraordinary steps to keep a pet safe through the winter
Frøydis faces an impossible problem – how to grieve a father she hated and loved
The (surprisingly new) science of aphantasia – the inability to ‘see’ mental imagery
Notes to self
View allPopular
How to alter the passage of time to feel fast or slow
Knowing the psychology behind why moments drag or whizz by can give you a degree of control over your experience of time
by Martin Wiener
What to do when someone goes on the defensive
Our natural impulses often make matters worse. Here’s an approach that works, grounded in conflict resolution and psychology
by Adar Cohen & Nick Wignall
How the nature of friendship has changed through the centuries
The metamorphosis of this special bond from feudal to modern times reveals much about the aspirations of different societies
by Bénedicte Sère
Why we choose to avoid information that’s right in front of us
Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic
by Jeremy L Foust
Find meditation really boring? You’re not the only one
Other practices like sermons, yoga and retreats can also trigger ‘spiritual boredom’. Here’s why it’s normal and even useful
by Thomas Goetz
A little Japanese trick for saying ‘no’
If an outright refusal feels rude but you don’t want to have to explain, here’s how to say ‘no’ the Japanese way
by Richard Fisher
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
What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology
Self-control, grit, growth mindset – trendy skills won’t transform children’s lives, but more meaningful interventions can
by Tyler W Watts
Explore: Wonder and the sublime
The search for life beyond Earth is peculiar, from a parrot’s perspective
Directed by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla
Irish hills, folk music and David Whyte’s poetry form a fleeting, meditative moment
Directed by Andrew Hinton
Journey into the deep history of the cosmos via the Mauna Loa volcano
Directed by Lance Page
From landscape to dreamscape, using the medium of Hawaiian lava
Directed by Kurtis Hough