Philosophy & Psychology
Why magical thinking is so widespread
Growing up in Greece, I spent my summers at my grandparents’ home in a small coastal village in the region …
Democracy and inequality of epistemic power
Many hold that growing inequality is one of the most serious problems we face. But there are others who hold …
Has the pandemic changed our personalities?
For many of us, some personality traits stay the same throughout our lives while others change only gradually. However, evidence shows that significant events in …
Why we should trust science
Many of us accept science is a reliable guide to what we ought to believe – but not all of …
Salman Rushdie and freedom of speech
Salman Rushdie was assailed by 24-year-old Muslim fanatic Hadi Matar on 12 August as he was about to give a …
Why do we mourn people we don’t know?
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted public displays of grief around the world – from public gatherings at …
Inflationary psychology could make things worse
With the world experiencing inflation levels not seen since the 1980s, central banks are caught between warning of the dangers …
Uncertainty and the pull of magical beliefs
Magic has a seemingly universal allure. It’s interwoven in some of the most popular narratives for children and adults, from …
Big data: Unlocking insights into psychology
People aren’t like rocks, and that has long been a problem for psychological scientists. If you are experimenting on a …
Why conspiracy theories are exciting – and dangerous
Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries, from witch trials and antisemitic campaigns to beliefs that Freemasons were trying to …
How cults corrupt our desire for love and connection
Project Mayhem is an all-male cult – but unlike the real cults that Sarah Steel writes about in Do As …
Karl Marx’s philosophy explained
In 1845, Karl Marx declared: “philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it”. …