How do transgender people remember their earlier selves?

Research with transgender people sheds light on the memory processes that allow any of us to navigate periods of change

by Caleb Schlaupitz

When memories from fiction become part of who you are

Scenes from books, movies and games sometimes carry as much weight as events from people’s own lives. We’re finding out why

by Osman Görkem Çetin

I was sceptical about breathwork so I did my own research

Breathwork changed my life, but I heard the sceptics. Several studies later, I’m more convinced than ever of its benefits

by Guy W Fincham

Don’t fall victim to the Peter Principle

You mustn’t assume that the skills that served you well in the past will be enough for any new challenges that lie ahead

by Christian Jarrett

What runners call the ‘pain cave’

Widely discussed in running circles, there’s a place you go when your body gives up and there’s only mental strength left

by Richard Fisher

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

Forgetting in ancient Greece and China

Forgetting can be frustrating, even scary. The ancient Greeks certainly thought so. But Daoism offers a more hopeful view

by Sam Dresser

These lessons in scepticism could make the world a better place

In our age of certainty and dogma, we would all do well to learn from the philosophy of the ancient Greco-Roman sceptics

by Massimo Pigliucci

Why do beautiful people also seem smart and likeable?

Psychologists have known about the ‘halo effect’ for ages. New research suggests the power of language can help explain it

by Chris F Westbury & Daniel King

Before it was ‘bittersweet’, nostalgia was seen as a parasite

Early modern ideas about nostalgia, infused with the elements of horror, invite us to think more deeply about human longing

by Jac Lewis

Why we should think of neurodiversity like we do personality

It’s a mistake to frame autistic and ADHD traits as either deficits or mere differences. There’s another way to see them

by Joshua May

There is knowledge in the land as well as in ourselves

Indigenous Australian knowledge systems understand what Descartes didn’t – the natural world has important things to tell us

by Andrew Kirkpatrick

Having epileptic seizures gave me newfound respect for the brain

Seizures are often described as both terrifying and enthralling. Mine gave me a wondrous new take on consciousness and agency

by Webb Wright

A wool puppet’s stirring journey from safety into the great unknown

A film by Kobi Vogman

Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how

For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started

by Joanna Ebenstein

For a happier life, we must balance two old psychological needs

Personal autonomy is abundant in the modern world. As a result, many of us get what we want but not what we need

by William von Hippel