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Is It Better to Be Polite or Frank?

Adults Human
We live in an age that thinks highly of frankness and directness. But there are - nevertheless - a few reasons why politeness remains a hugely important quality.

Why You Shouldn't Trust Your Feelings

Adults Human
It can be very hard to detect just how much our judgement is constantly affected by our feelings. We should - at points - take care to be very sceptical of our first impulses.

Why We Feel Lonely and Odd

Adults Human
We feel lonely and odd because we mistakenly assume that the kind of thoughts and fears we have will have no echo in other people. They do; it's just we haven't found a way to speak to one another honestly about who we are.

6 scientific tricks for falling asleep

Adults Human
Can't sleep? Don't just lie there in bed and stress about it. These tricks will have you snoozing in no time.

5 useless human body parts left over from evolution

Adults Human
Your body is walking proof of evolution, but some parts have grown unnecessary over time. Here are five useless body parts left over from evolution.

Do You Really Have Two Brains?

Adults Human
Are you a left-brained person or a right-brained person? Spoiler: You're neither. Each of us uses both sides of our brain for most of what we do. But still, there are a number of brain functions that do show lateralization, where they are localized to one side or another. Why is this? And how does it influence our definition of consciousness? People with "split brains" can help us figure it out.

Is Reality Real? The Simulation Argument

Adults Human
What if we are not creators, but creations?

Why do we dream? - Amy Adkins

Adults Human
In the 3rd millennium BCE, Mesopotamian kings recorded and interpreted their dreams on wax tablets. In the years since, we haven't paused in our quest to understand why we dream. And while we still don't have any definitive answers, we have some theories. Amy Adkins reveals the top seven reasons why we might dream.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Adults Human
Many of humanity's greatest problems stem not from a shortfall of technical or financial intelligence, but what we term emotional intelligence. It is through the acquisition of Emotional Intelligence that we stand to become better lovers, workers, friends and citizens. We are rarely systematically taught Emotional Intelligence and pay a heavy price for this gap in learning. The School of Life is dedicated to fostering Emotional Intelligence.

Ancient Humans & Neanderthals Had Sex, Here's How It Changed Us Forever

Adults Human
We've known for a while that ancient humans got busy with Neanderthals, but how exactly did that Neanderthal DNA affect modern humans?

How To Be A Genius

Adults Human
"We hear a lot about genius. We are taught to admire the minds of those infinite, baffling but astonishing geniuses like Einstein, Tolstoy or Picasso. Quite what genius might actually be is left a little vague. It's a codeword for 'brilliant but perhaps too other-worldly ever really to fathom.' We are invited to stand in awe at the achievements of geniuses but also to feel that their thought processes might be quasi-magical and that it is ultimately simply mysterious how they were ever able to come up with the ideas they have had..."

Our Little Superhero Made Of Glass | Living Differently

Adults Human
Kaden Casebolt, 5, has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, meaning his bones can break from sneezing. Despite his fragility, the superhero-obsessed boy loves dressing up as his heroes.

The left brain vs. right brain myth - Elizabeth Waters

Adults Human
The human brain is visibly split into a left and right side. This structure has inspired one of the most pervasive ideas about the brain: that the left side controls logic and the right side controls creativity. And yet, this is a myth, unsupported by scientific evidence. So how did this idea come about, and what does it get wrong? Elizabeth Waters looks into this long held misconception.

Why We Only Learn When We Repeat

Adults Human
Our education system is based on the idea that we can learn things once, and that they'll then stay in our minds throughout our lives. That's far too optimistic. Our brains are like sieves. If anything is going to remain in them, we need regular reminders of what really matters. Fascinatingly, religions always understood that.

The Dangers of the Good Child

Adults Human
Good children don't cause problems; they always do what others expect. They seem to be on track. But there are real problems with people who never have a chance to be a little bad.

The Problem With Perfectionism

Adults Human
We aim for perfection without a correct idea of what perfection might demand from us. To strengthen our resolve, we need to improve our picture of what sacrifices any achievement will demand.

The myth of race, debunked in 3 minutes

Adults Human
You may know exactly what race you are, but how would you prove it if somebody disagreed with you?