psychology
Optimizing Machines Is Perilous. Consider ‘Creatively Adequate’ AI.
The future of artificial intelligence needs less data and can tolerate ambiguity.
Feeling Overwhelmed? Start a Someday-Maybe-Later List
Replace that endless to-do list with a system that helps you prioritize your goals and dreams.
The Best Apps for Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions
New year, new chance to get off the emotional roller coaster of the past two years.
The Creepy TikTok Algorithm Doesn’t Know You
The uncanny, addictive AI has turned math into a mystical force—and flattened humanity into a series of codes.
Why Is It So Hard to Believe In Other People’s Pain?
People—and groups—who are suffering are often dismissed. Scarry’s axiom might help us understand why.
How to Deal With Difficult Family During the Holidays
If you have strained relationships with your family, you're not alone. These resources can help.
Body Language Pseudoscience Is Flourishing on YouTube
In celebrity interviews and homicide cases, video sleuths are searching for the truth—but what if the signals are all wrong?
Big Tech's Psychedelics Grift
There's no need for expensive clinics with woo accoutrements—real transformation means access for all.
Bodies Are Canceled
It's almost inevitable that Instagram forces us to see ourselves as objects—so why not opt out of the human image?
What Can Convince People to Just Get Vaccinated Already?
Researchers are struggling to figure out why people don’t get their Covid shots, and what language might persuade them. Saying “You gotta” seems to work.
How to Actually Remember People's Names
These tips can keep you from greeting someone with "Hey ... you!" ever again.
Feeling Climate Dread? You’re Not Alone
It’s called eco-anxiety, a completely natural response to a world gone haywire. And it’s way more prevalent than you think, especially among young adults.
Why Skincare That Burns Is So Satisfying
A couple times a month, I reach for a face mask that causes me pain—and makes me feel better. The science of masochism helps explain why.
Psychologists Are Learning What Religion Has Known for Years
Social scientists are researching what humans can do to improve their quality of life. Their findings echo what religious practices perfected centuries ago.
You’re Not Alone: Monkeys Choke Under Pressure Too
Now you can blame the primate brain. And neuroscientists are eager for a deeper look.
How to Prepare for Your Eventual Return to the Office
Whether your company wants you back sooner or later, these tips will help you make the adjustment smoothly.
How to Turn Online Friends Into IRL Ones
If you're struggling to make new friends, you're not alone. But tech and little tenacity can help you can find—or build—community. Here's how.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Meditation App
The brain's default mode is set to mind-wandering. Your meditation app can bring you back into the now.
Hundreds of Ways to Get S#!+ Done—and We Still Don’t
You want to be productive. Software wants to help. But even with a glut of tools claiming to make us all into taskmasters, we almost never master our tasks.
Stop Doomscrolling and Grab a Game Controller Instead
Before you think this is about trading one unhealthy habit for another, it’s not like that. Here’s why.
The Pandemic Changed Sleep Habits. Maybe That’s a Good Thing
A growing body of research shows that to optimize health and productivity, workers should adjust their workdays to their sleep schedules.
The Miami Tower Collapse and Humanity’s Fight for the Future
From the fallen Champlain Tower to climate change, humans haven’t yet learned to avoid catastrophes they know are coming.
What Gaming Does to Your Brain—and How You Might Benefit
Here are some ways to think about addiction, improved neurological function, and your overall relationship with video games on a better, more intuitive level.