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Humankind review: A compelling case for believing people are good

Humankind review: A compelling case for believing people are good

10 June 2020

Rutger Bregman’s new book Humankind argues that people are innately good, and that if we assume this to be true, the whole world could benefit


Bored in lockdown? Try a guide to the science of this familiar state

Bored in lockdown? Try a guide to the science of this familiar state

3 June 2020

Many people are experiencing boredom during lockdown. Book Out of My Skull brings together decades of research on this familiar yet elusive feeling, writes Elle Hunt


Why the human race may be less gullible than you think

Why the human race may be less gullible than you think

19 February 2020

Many classic psychology experiments have found humans to be pretty gullible. But book Not Born Yesterday argues that such a trait runs against the logic of natural selection


city

Don't miss: Primordial cities, a new Star Wars and the power of bad

11 December 2019

This week, learn how nature can inspire resilient urban design, catch the latest chapter of the Star Wars saga, and read about negativity bias


MU artspace, Eindhoven

Don't miss: Bio-art, poetic elements, and Detroit's fate in your hands

20 November 2019

This week, visit an exhibition of brave biological art, unpack strange stories of the elements and play wisely to save a city of the future


T shirt slogan

How the science of happiness became an industry worth billions

28 August 2019

Fuelled by government and corporate dollars, being happy has become near mandatory. A controversial new book, Manufacturing Happy Citizens, explains the rise of positive psychology


magic exhibition

The psychology of magic and how it plays with our minds

1 May 2019

We need to think our brain doesn't lie to get us through the day, but as a new London exhibition called Smoke and Mirrors shows, magic relies on the fact that it does


Arcas path game

Don't miss: delusions, a prototype construction robot and a VR game

28 November 2018

Glimpse the future of construction at a museum exhibition, listen to a radio series about delusions and read what animals can tell us about nutrition


thoughts

Your mind is not an iceberg – there's nothing under the surface

11 April 2018

We make up our minds one thought at a time, according to a new book. But challenging the entrenched idea that our thoughts run “deep” will take strong, new arguments


Hands holding book

From statistics to surgery to psychology: Our favourite reads

10 August 2017

A visit to the bookstore turns up a trove of smart scientific (and not-so-scientific) thinking


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