Doomscrolling, one of those perfect words that explains itself without much thought. Yes, we're all doomscrolling these days. As the world looks worse by the day, people are endlessly scrolling through their smartphones confronting themselves with all that is wrong with the world. Aimless scrolling on smartphones is
Humans are a funny bunch. We don't seem to agree on very much, especially when it comes to scientific research. Among us are people that think global warming is a hoax, that vaccines are dangerous, and that putting fluoride in water and genetically modified foods is a form
How often do you have a ruddy good cry? For me, crying is like Christmas, it happens once a year and the build-up is always better than the aftermath. But, say psychologists, it should be a more regular part of our daily lives. It turns out our bodies three kinds
Here's something to chew on over the weekend. Can we change who we are? Sure, we can change our hair colour, our jobs, where we live, our friends. These are all fairly easy things to do. But can we change how we are in the world, how we
When I was a kid, I was told repeatedly, "TV rots your brain". More recently, that media rotting our brains idea has been redirected at the internet. We're all aware of the effects too much of anything will probably turn to a bad thing, but more
When was the last time you fretted and worried about someone noticing something about you? That stain on your top you picked up at breakfast? That thing you said to your friend over the weekend? That thing you didn't say to your friend over the weekend? The truth
Now that lockdown is relaxing an eeny wheeny titsy bit, no doubt your calendar is popping off with invites for some top social gathering. But, before you start filling your diary, it's worth casting your minds back to the distant past, otherwise known as 2019. Back then, life
Who you are, or rather, who you think you are, relies on who other people think you are. Here is a completely unscientific anecdote to demonstrate this. When I got to secondary school, a certain art teacher (who will remain nameless) took a disliking to me. Side note: the disliking
I love a Plan B. And a Plan C. And a Plan D. I am someone with an eternal number of alternate plans. But, says two business professors, this hedging of plans might have negative consequences. Jihae Shin of the University of Wisconsin and the University of Pennsylvania’s Katherine
That's a weird idea, isn't it? That our charitable side comes out more often when we're less aware of it. But that's the thinking behind a paper in Psychological Science. In it, David G. Rand, an associate professor of psychology, management, and
Are you finding the thought of meeting up with friends, family, and acquaintances a daunting experience? Or have you already done so and now you're calling for a return of lockdown so you can recover from the bombardment of social gatherings? You're not alone. One of
When was the last time you told someone about a dream you had? For me it was last week, and it involved being chased by a giant gut down the street and me not being able to get away from it. I concede this is also very similar to a