Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic ...

Other practices like sermons, yoga and retreats can also trigger ‘spiritual boredom’. Here’s why it’s normal and even useful ...

The metamorphosis of this special bond from feudal to modern times reveals much about the aspirations of different societies ...

Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder ...

Some musical rhythms are built to get us bobbing, foot-tapping or dancing. Researchers show how rhythmic complexity matters ...

If an outright refusal feels rude but you don’t want to have to explain, here’s how to say ‘no’ the Japanese way ...

What studying people without a ‘mind’s eye’ reveals about the role of imagery in the experience of emotion and memory ...

Swapping office work for the herding life, Adham finds a sublime freedom in the rugged terrain of the Pyrenees ...

The colour violet was largely missing from art before the Impressionists, and is seen differently by different cultures. Why?

Pseudophilosophy can result from simple misunderstanding or wilful obscurity. The cure is basic critical thinking skills ...

Aphantasia veils the past and the future from the mind’s eye. That can be a gift to philosophers like Derek Parfit and me ...

From the docks of 12th-century Genoa to the gambling tables of today, risk is a story that we tell ourselves about the future Mediterranean shipping could be enormously profitable, but it was risky. A ...