Shunning people who ‘look homeless’ is an aesthetic injustice
Society owes unhoused people access to haircuts, showers and clean clothes, not as charity, but as a matter of justice
by Giacomo Floris
Eye on the mark
Bob Nygaard, a retired New York policeman, exposes fortune-tellers who profit from turning ordinary human longing into vulnerability. What makes him so good at it?
by Shayla Love
Why ‘patient influencers’ should come with a health warning
People who share their health experiences usually mean well. But their posts could be shaping your symptoms and identity
by Zoe Cunniffe
Ideas
View allGuides
View allHow to help someone whose thinking seems delusional
If their beliefs appear strange and fixed, you don’t need to prove them wrong. A clinical psychologist shows a gentler way
by Laura Yoviene Sykes
How to take notes that actually help you learn
If you want to remember and understand, copying isn’t enough. An expert on learning shares how to make notes work for you
by Cynthia Nebel
Life stories
View allThe bookshelf builder
Ellah Wakatama is editor, agent, publisher and mentor, all rolled into one. Her mission: to put the work of gifted Black writers into the literary canon
by Carey Baraka
Editor’s picks
How to plan a research project
Whether for a paper or a thesis, define your question, review the work of others – and leave yourself open to discovery
by Brooke Harrington
Why ancient Mesopotamians buried their dead beneath the floor
In an age before photos or audio recordings, people found other ways to stay sensorially connected to their deceased
by Nicola Laneri
Latest videos
View allA grand filmmaking experiment traces intersecting lives in Los Angeles
Directed by Sue Ding and Sarah Garrahan
To break a bad habit, try telling yourself a different story
‘In my dreams, I can see’ – a blind woman’s rich sensory world
Why we see faces in unexpected places, and what it says about us
One man’s 10-year mission to film a plane engulfed by the Moon
Encounters with awe have profound benefits. Here’s how to have more
‘I take silly very seriously’ – a kinetic sculptor’s credo of creation
Notes to self
View allPopular
What life in Denmark shows about the power of emotional safety
A deep sense of ease – what the Danes call ‘tryg’ – is a collective responsibility that allows individuals to flourish
by Ruth Aharoni Nielsen
How to overcome task paralysis
If you have ADHD or you’re stressed, tired and stuck, goal management training can help you get started and keep going
by Joe Wilner
Why romantic relationships matter more to men than to women
For too long, men were told to be self-sufficient. The research shows they’re more likely to thrive in a loving couple
by Iris Wahring
When giving up teaches you more than persevering ever could
Grit is all well and good, but sometimes abandoning your goals can be crucial to discovering who you are
by Mario I Juarez-Garcia
How to take notes that actually help you learn
If you want to remember and understand, copying isn’t enough. An expert on learning shares how to make notes work for you
by Cynthia Nebel
How to handle jealous feelings
Jealousy can be a useful, insightful emotion – if you manage it well. Get curious about your jealousy to get a grip on it
by Carla Marie Manly
That feeling of values crumbling has a name: civic grief
Fairness, dignity and shared obligation are precious. Grieving their loss is a first step toward doing something about it
by Rebecca Lewandowski
What is hidden in the photographs we keep of each other?
Returning to family photo albums in my mother’s apartment in Japan, I was struck by the stories the images didn’t tell
by Sawa Kurotani