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The rise of computer-generated, artificially intelligent influencers

8 June 2022

Virtual humans are gaining popularity on social media, with some amassing millions of young followers. But what psychological impact are they having?

What psychology is revealing about 'ghosting' and the pain it causes

20 April 2022

Ending a relationship by disappearing without explanation, known as “ghosting”, seems to be a distinct form of social rejection – and psychologists are discovering why it is so painful

The metaverse: What is it, will it work, and does anyone want it?

5 January 2022

Since its rebrand as “Meta”, Facebook has been throwing its considerable weight behind the idea of an immersive virtual reality world. Here’s everything you need to know

Facebook vs Australia and the new battle to cut big tech down to size

28 April 2021

The public spat between Facebook and Australia earlier this year presages a new effort to regulate big tech companies – but could that threaten the whole future of the web?

'Ums' and 'ers' are a hidden code that helped complex language evolve

14 October 2020

Filler words such as uh, mmm and huh may seem inarticulate, but without them human communication would be far less sophisticated

A new wave of apps say they can improve your friendships – can they?

25 March 2020

Always forgetting birthdays? Terrible at staying in touch? New tech promises to turn you into the best buddy ever. We put it to the test

Gamifying hate: How alt-right extremists recruit and mobilise online

4 March 2020

Julia Ebner infiltrated the hidden forums that extremists use. Her experiences lay bare how they hijack social media and video games to spread hate – and how to beat them

In the age of fake news and manipulation, you are the new battlefield

16 October 2019

With states, political parties and individuals jockeying for ever-greater influence online, you and your clicks are now the front line in the information war

Richard Dawkins: How we can outgrow God and religion

18 September 2019

We met with the renowned evolutionary biologist and controversial atheist to hear about science and beauty, Twitter, vegetarianism, pernicious religions, and his cautious sense of optimism