psychology

“In order to seek truth,” Rene Descartes once wrote, “it is necessary once in the course of our life to doubt, as far as possible, all things.”

Despite a reputation for catastrophe and cat killings, curiosity is a beneficial drive that improves our lives and well-being.

The Source Family, a radical 1970s utopian commune, still impacts what we eat today.

We know that everything changes, but we long for something more permanent.

One reason saving is hard: We tend to view our “future selves” as complete strangers, and our decisions in the present moment reflect that.

If a person stands little chance of ever being wealthy, perhaps playing the lottery is a rational decision.

Striking differences in the composition of the gut microbiome suggest that fermented food could help those suffering from anorexia.

Forgetting and misremembering are the building blocks of creativity and imagination.

Neuroscience suggests that it’s way better to give than to receive — and high performing people agree.

These composers channeled the horror of the Holocaust and Hiroshima while honoring those who lived through it.

You’ve probably noticed that most retailers use prices ending in 99. That’s intentional.

Our bodies crave more food if we haven’t had enough protein, and this can lead to a vicious cycle.

More than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Diet is an important, under-recognized culprit.

Nobody knows where the word “penguin” comes from.

Why do the worst people rise to power? University College London professor Brian Klaas responds.

How humans came to feel comfortable among strangers, like those in a café, is an under-explored mystery.

Adolescents’ brains are highly capable, if inconsistent, during this critical age of exploration and development. They are also acutely tuned into rewards.

Nagomi helps us find balance in discord by unifying the elements of life while staying true to ourselves.

Forget these scientific myths to better understand your brain and yourself.

The paradox of failure explains why even a healthy rage-quit won’t keep a good gamer down.

What do Remus Lupin, Katniss Evergreen, William Wordsworth, and Usain Bolt all have in common?

Journaling helped Marcus Aurelius cultivate the emotional intelligence necessary to steer Rome through turbulent times.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Though Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” is a classic military treatise, its advice applies to all manner of conflict.

A study shows that the brains of lonely individuals respond in odd ways to visual stimuli, while those of non-lonely people react similarly.

To understand Vincent van Gogh, we must first debunk the myth of the tortured artist. Van Gogh believed his illness inhibited his creativity.

80% of the world was once polygamous. What happened?

You can’t spot a liar just by looking — but psychologists are zeroing in on methods that might actually work.

And how to make it think differently.

“You gotta know when to fold ’em.”