Psychology
video
Anthropology
Why are witchcraft accusations so common across human societies?
4 minutes
video
Technology and the self
A deepfake porn victim confronts the pain of having her likeness stolen and vandalised
19 minutes
essay
Social psychology
The magic of the mundane
Pioneering sociologist Erving Goffman realised that every action is deeply revealing of the social norms by which we live
Lucy McDonald
video
Personality
Why one man spent 15 years in ‘self-imposed’ island exile
7 minutes
essay
Economic history
Deservingness
In post-communist eastern and central Europe, history is intensely personal and economics is saturated with moral feeling
Till Hilmar
video
Biography and memoir
The busboy who comforted Robert F Kennedy as he lay dying shares his story
3 minutes
essay
Social psychology
Don’t let them fool you
The fear of being duped is ubiquitous, but excessive scepticism makes it harder to trust one another and cooperate
Tess Wilkinson-Ryan
video
Social psychology
Social contagions can cause genuine illness, and TikTok may be a superspreader
10 minutes
essay
Ethics
Through the eyes of another
It’s impossible to shed our individual biases. So the best way to establish objectivity is by taking on new perspectives
Heidi Maibom
essay
War and peace
The will to fight
Throughout history, the most effective combatants have powered to victory on commitment to core values and collective resolve
Scott Atran
video
Social psychology
A harrowing account of a 1970 ‘leadership seminar’ spotlights self-help’s dark side
11 minutes
essay
Social psychology
A good scrap
Disagreements can be unpleasant, even offensive, but they are vital to human reason. Without them we remain in the dark
Ian Leslie
video
Anthropology
Sitting by the fire with a nomadic tribe, a physicist ponders the many shapes of wisdom
2 minutes
video
Mood and emotion
Grieving Kobe Bryant, Conor wonders: why do untimely celebrity deaths hit so hard?
6 minutes
video
Social psychology
Feeling connected to objects is a fundamental – and fraught – part of human nature
5 minutes
video
Ethics
Does everyone deserve a respectful burial? How a terrorist’s body divided a city
22 minutes
video
Social psychology
Disturbed loner? Gentle recluse? Opinions on an infamous Maine hermit run the gamut
23 minutes
video
Film and visual culture
‘From dream to reality!’ The 1960s spoof that marked the dawn of self-aware advertising
9 minutes
idea
Love and friendship
Dating on the rebound – when looking for love can be a lifesaver
Claudia Brumbaugh
video
Music
The violinist staging a concert of unity at the border between North and South Korea
18 minutes
video
Social psychology
Do you feel like a fraud after a success? It can mean you’re doing something well
4 minutes
essay
Death
This mortal coil
The fear of death drives many evils, from addiction to prejudice and war. Can it also be harnessed as a force for good?
Jeff Greenberg
video
Childhood and adolescence
‘I want to take the bullet and save my friends’ – the grim reality of safety drills in US schools
3 minutes
video
Human rights and justice
‘They told us to stay put’: the South Korean ferry disaster that sank lives and trust
29 minutes