The Dangers of Thinking Too Much; And Thinking Too Little
AdultsHumanPsychologySelf...There are dangers associated both with thinking too much - and thinking too little. The trick is to use our minds to access our most sincere, authentic and original thoughts.
How long will human impacts last? - David Biello
AdultsGlobal WarmingHumanNature...Imagine aliens land on Earth a million years from now. What will these curious searchers find of us? They will find what geologists, scientists, and other experts are increasingly calling the Anthropocene, or new age of mankind. David Biello explains how the impacts that humans have made have become so pervasive, profound, and permanent that some geologists believe we merit our own epoch.
How does your body know you're full? - Hilary Coller
AdultsHumanNeuroscienceHealth...Hunger claws at your belly. It tugs at your intestines, which begin to writhe, aching to be fed. Being hungry generates a powerful and often unpleasant physical sensation that's almost impossible to ignore. After you've reacted by gorging on your morning pancakes, you start to experience an opposing force: fullness. But how does your body actually know when you're full? Hilary Coller explains.
Why You Shouldn't Trust Your Feelings
AdultsHumanPsychologyMental HealthIt 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.
How We Lie to Ourselves
AdultsHumanPsychologySociety...We are masters at knowing how to lie to ourselves. We pay a heavy price for this self-deception.
Why We Feel Lonely and Odd
AdultsHumanPsychologyMental Health...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
AdultsHumanPsychologyScience...Can't sleep? Don't just lie there in bed and stress about it. These tricks will have you snoozing in no time.
Do You Really Have Two Brains?
AdultsBiologyHumanNeuroscience...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
AdultsHumanSciencePhilosophy...What if we are not creators, but creations?
How to Process Your Emotions
AdultsHumanPsychologyMental Health...In order to be calm and at ease with ourselves, we need regular periods where we do something rather strange-sounding: process our emotions. Here is a guide to this essential psychological move.
Why do we dream? - Amy Adkins
AdultsHumanPsychologyScienceIn 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?
AdultsHumanPsychologyRelationships...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.