BBC

How texting makes stress worse

2021-02-22

If group chats give us solace and connection in a crisis, why do some of us feel burnt out and overwhelmed by them?

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The unseen 'slow violence' that affects millions

2021-02-08

Not all violence is fast. Hidden in plain sight across society, there is a kind of harm that happens too slowly to see, says Richard Fisher.

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The hidden victims of gaslighting

2020-12-13

When “gaslighting” was coined it referred to misogynistic emotional abuse, but it is clear far more of us are suffering than we may realise.

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The intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

2020-11-19

What if major elections, wars and events had turned out differently? Samuel Arbesman explores the detail and delights of maps that plot alternative worlds to our own.

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The truth about British stoicism

2020-11-09

Brits, according to many outsiders, are reserved, repressed, resilient, unemotional and self-controlled. But how did the stiff upper lip become so closely associated with Britain?

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The grim fate that could be ‘worse than extinction’

2020-10-25

What would it take for a global totalitarian government to rise to power indefinitely? This nightmare scenario may be closer than first appears.

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Why arrogance is dangerously contagious

2020-10-18

Overconfidence can delude us into dangerous thought or actions – and that same arrogance can also spread to others like wildfire, too.

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The deadly viruses that vanished without trace

2020-10-01

Scientists are only just starting to unravel why some viruses disappear, while others can linger and cause disease for centuries.

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Is there such a thing as a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ recession?

2020-08-24

How can the economic outlook appear so bleak, while economists remain upbeat? Not all recessions affect people equally.

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The mindset you need to succeed at every goal

2020-08-08

Boosting your metacognition helps you reach your goals more easily. All it takes is developing a strategic mindset – something anyone can do.

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How the world’s smelliest fruit could power your phone

2020-08-03

The lithium-ion batteries in our devices degrade over time and come with a large environmental cost. Are there better ways to store and carry energy that are kinder to the planet?

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The people with hidden immunity against Covid-19

2020-07-29

While the latest research suggests that antibodies against Covid-19 could be lost in just three months, a new hope has appeared on the horizon: the enigmatic T cell.

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What makes people stop caring?

2020-07-21

The death of an individual can have a powerful effect on our emotions, but as numbers rise so does our indifference. Why?

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What if all viruses disappeared?

2020-06-22

If all viruses disappeared, the world would be very different — and not necessarily for the better. But what exactly would happen?

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The learning opportunities hiding in our failures

2020-06-20

Failure is often seen as a source of shame. But if we studied and shared our failures, we could learn a lot from them.

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Unemployment during coronavirus: The psychology of job loss

2020-04-05

Millions of people around the world have lost their jobs amid the current Covid-19 crisis. How should you handle your emotional reaction?

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The science of creating a dream team

2020-03-25

Why do teams of talented individuals so often underperform? The emerging science of collective intelligence may have the answers.

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Coronavirus: The psychology of panic buying

2020-03-12

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, people are flocking to supermarkets worldwide – but are they simply preparing, or irrationally panicking?

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Could we live in a world without rules?

2020-03-07

We might dream of a world where there are no rules, but how practical would it be?

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What you can learn from the most persuasive adverts

2020-03-02

The most effective adverts we encounter on a daily basis share similar traits that most of us pass over without noticing.

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One mans 10-year experiment to record every moment

2019-12-11

A Spanish scientist records all his activities so he can learn how to live more effectively. But what do you gain from forensically tracking every part of your day?

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In deprived areas, depression hits men harder

2019-12-01

One study suggests in low income areas, males have poorer mental health than women.

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The bias that can cause catastrophe

2019-11-28

The outcome bias erodes your sense of risk and makes you blind to error, explaining everything from fatal plane crashes to the Columbia crash and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

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The fight to keep the internet free and open for everyone

2019-11-04

Connecting the world is seen as a humanitarian mission for some technology evangelists – but ensuring a free and open web is a harder problem to solve.

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