The trait that makes some people so frustrating – and alluring

A young person lying on a bed in a cluttered room with a suitcase, laundry basket, chest of drawers and desk, illuminated by window.

TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

For young people, AI is now a second brain – should we worry?

by Rhea Tibrewala

Sketch of a woman in historic attire with hands clasped, head bowed, drawn on gridded paper.

SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE

For the Puritans, embracing God’s will could get dangerous

by Alexandra M Lord

Photo of a hand holding a glass of whisky with ice next to a bottle on a wooden surface, dimly lit setting.

ADDICTION

Does it still make sense to call addiction a ‘brain disease’?

by Chrysanthi Blithikioti & Ioana Alina Cristea

A person using a smartphone, with focus on their finger scrolling the screen. Face partially visible.

In an era of split attention, there is more than one type of ADHD

by Paul Kudlow, Karline Treurnicht Naylor & Elia Abi-Jaoude

Guides

A woman inside wearing sunglasses, with a blurred reflection of people and a red bus moving outside the window.

THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

How to thrive as an adult with ADHD

Use ‘mindful self-coaching’ to help yourself overcome everyday ADHD challenges, from procrastination to feelings of overwhelm

by Lidia Zylowska & Joohee Seo

A person in the air, mid-flip, on a grassy hill with distant hills in the background.

How to check if an argument is valid

In logic, validity is prime. If you want to make valid arguments, or sniff out invalid ones, here’s what you need to do

by Robert Trueman

Life stories

Black and white photo of two men by a waterfront fence, with boats and a hillside town in the background.

PARENTING AND FAMILIES

Stealing my father

I’d long had a rocky relationship with my dad. Then, a predatory caregiver took over his life

by Mark Teich

Editor’s picks

Photo of a person lying in a car boot with legs sticking out, parked cars in background.

SLEEP AND DREAMS

How to nap

Whether it’s to recover after a late night or to boost your learning abilities, there’s a science to napping effectively

by Ruth Leong & Michael Chee

Cartoon scene in a kitchen with a woman wearing an oven mitt and a man standing by a pie on the hob.

VALUES AND BELIEFS

Marge and Homer’s ice cream argument, or why metaethics matters

Metaethics is about the meaning of our moral concepts, which are so consequential for moral debates and behaviour

by Rachel Handley

Latest videos

Illustration of a person with eyes closed, surrounded by colourful waves and geometric shapes on an orange background.

ANXIETY

Stressed about a date or an interview? Video games may offer a surprising salve

Video by the University of California

Photo of an elderly man speaking at a podium with a microphone onstage, wearing a dark suit and glasses.

CREATIVITY

James Earl Jones reads Kurt Vonnegut on why art is central to a meaningful life

Photo of a man holding a hand-drawn sketch of himself on a city street, wearing a blazer with a colourful patch.

PLEASURES AND PASTIMES

Bad art, good laughs – a street portraitist’s lacklustre work animates a city

Photo of a woman with braided hair on a sailboat in open sea, wearing a patterned jumper and colourful scarf, enjoying the sun.

THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

Emma navigates the vast Atlantic and her own mind in this captivating travelogue

Photo of two women in a kitchen, one peeling a potato while smiling the other focused on cooking, with a mortar in view.

HAPPINESS

We’re naturally bad at predicting what will make us happy. Here’s how to adjust

Abstract painting with bold orange, yellow, blue and black curves and shapes overlapping dynamically.

SEX AND SEXUALITY

A kaleidoscope? A milestone? Beyond description? Women put orgasms into words

Collage of animal photos with progressively simplified line drawings of a flamingo, giraffe and cat.

From cave art to subatomic sketches – how drawing has accelerated human progress

Notes to self

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

A photo showing a person holding a bouquet of mixed flowers wrapped in brown paper, viewed from above and behind.

The words that make an apology convincing

by Alice Gregory

A switched-off smartphone on a bright yellow surface with fingerprints and smudges on the black screen.

TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

A brief escape from social media

by Tamur Qutab

Aerial photo of Würzburg, a European cityscape with historic buildings, church spires and a clock tower under a partly cloudy sky.

THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE

Why ‘false authenticity’ is so unsettling

by Sam Dresser

Is it wrong to be good friends with a bad person?

Many think the answer is obvious: we ought to cut immoral people out of our lives. But that isn’t necessarily the best option

by Yiran Hua

How to check if an argument is valid

In logic, validity is prime. If you want to make valid arguments, or sniff out invalid ones, here’s what you need to do

by Robert Trueman

A red bin overflowing with paper coffee cups next to a wall with powerpoints in an office setting.

FOOD AND DRINK

Why we should treat caffeine like the brain-altering drug it is

Like billions of people, I use caffeine. But there is a glaring double standard in the drugs we stigmatise or celebrate

by Jonathan Simone

In an era of split attention, there is more than one type of ADHD

ADHD is typically thought to be wired into the brain early. But many cases may be better seen as products of digital life

by Paul Kudlow, Karline Treurnicht Naylor & Elia Abi-Jaoude

How to thrive as an adult with ADHD

Use ‘mindful self-coaching’ to help yourself overcome everyday ADHD challenges, from procrastination to feelings of overwhelm

by Lidia Zylowska & Joohee Seo

A person in a green shirt and jeans sitting, focused on their hands which are clasped together, the right hand picking at the left hand’s thumbnail.

OCD

What to do if your picking or pulling get out of hand

Understanding the psychology behind excessive skin-picking and hair-pulling can help you resist the urges and begin to heal

by Suzanne Mouton-Odum

TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

For young people, AI is now a second brain – should we worry?

As a resident tutor, I’ve seen how students are using AI as more than a tool. It’s a psychological shift we’ll soon all make

by Rhea Tibrewala

CREATIVITY

James Earl Jones reads Kurt Vonnegut on why art is central to a meaningful life

Video by Letters Live

Explore: Travel

Why ‘false authenticity’ is so unsettling

by Sam Dresser

COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Emma navigates the vast Atlantic and her own mind in this captivating travelogue

Directed by Mattias Olsson

A person wearing a red jacket and a backpack walking on a winding path through lush green fields with hills and trees in the background.

SACRED PLACES

How to plan a pilgrimage

by Oliver Smith

Painting of an outdoor community gathering, with people dancing and playing music near a house with a thatched roof. Many onlookers are seated.

RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Come on this painterly journey to Madagascar’s ‘turning of the dead’

Directed by Bastien Dubois

Photo of a bustling night market with colourful tricycles, a crowded street and illuminated stalls in the background.

The tentacles of language are always on the move

by Klaus M Stiefel

Illustration of a coastal landscape with a yellow tower, green hills, and cacti in the foreground, overlooking a calm sea under a blue sky.