Happiness reports aim to teach us about how we are feeling. But a reliance on self-reporting makes such polls problematic. Photo: Simon Maage / Unsplash
Why happiness reports deserve more scrutiny

When it comes to surveys about well-being, it is best to read the fine print

April 10, 2024, 7:35 AM
Depeche Mode perform live at Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich. Singer and songwriter Dave Gahan on stage with guitarist Martin Gore, Switzerland, June 2017. Getty Images
Whether you heard it or not, the lockdown had a soundtrack

The noise on social media was offset by silent streets

May 25, 2020, 12:28 PM
 Alamy stock photo
It's all your fault: why we're so quick to blame others

The Covid-19 crisis seems to have turned into the Olympic Games of finger pointing

May 14, 2020, 10:53 AM
Doug Hassebroek eats breakfast while on a video conference call working from home during the outbreak of the coronavirus in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, US, April 24. Caitlin Ochs / Reuters
How to keep your brain healthy during lockdown

Acute isolation causes social craving – similar to hunger

May 13, 2020, 10:57 AM
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 6, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
In a pandemic, effective communication is everything

During crises especially, there is good reason for heads of states to be well informed and precise in their communication

April 08, 2020, 2:47 PM
In Paris, all non-essential public places including restaurants and cafes have been closed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19. AFP 
We can combat the virus by equipping governments with an arsenal of neurotech

Authorities are right to leverage biology in the current crisis but they should not ignore the benefits of neuroscience

March 17, 2020, 8:13 AM
The key to happy employees may lie in tailoring workloads to their mental and physical states. Getty
How can we make the workplace adapt to us, instead of the other way around?

Neuroscience is finding new ways to regulate our workloads based on our attention spans

March 03, 2020, 5:45 AM
In judo, your hands are your eyes because your opponent is sometimes too close for vision to be your main source of information. EPA
How a judo champion gave me an early lesson in the science of physical contact

At the start of a fight, it was like Bernard Tchoullouyan was barely touching you. Then, out of nowhere, you would feel the grip

March 01, 2020, 3:56 PM
It’s time for everyone to embrace what experts have been repeating for years: there is no health without brain health. Fred Tanneau / AFP
Why brains are top of the agenda at Davos this year

Most of us understand the need to take care of our physical health but far fewer of us have the same approach to our brains

January 24, 2019, 12:53 PM
Crosswords and Sudoku might be pleasurable pursuits but there is no guarantee of stopping a mental decline. Stock photo: Monkey Business Images / Rex
'Use it or lose it' might not be backed by science but don't give up Sudoku just yet

A recent study found intellectual pursuits are unlikely to stave off mental decline – but that shouldn't deter enthusiasts from sharpening their cognitive skills

January 15, 2019, 3:05 PM
Fruit and vegetables are a joy to eat and don't need to be accompanied by a rare steak. Getty Images
As a life-long carnivore, I'm now embracing Meatless Mondays

Cutting down on the amount of animal protein we eat is good for our health and the environment. It also give you a new-found appreciation of vegetables

January 08, 2019, 10:35 AM
The sense of smell is being increasingly targeted in marketing. Getty Images
It's the season for the science of scent

Smell is the most evocative of our senses – no wonder retailers are finding new ways to make the most of it

December 25, 2018, 1:02 PM
Starbucks offers more than 80,000 drink combinations. Mark Abramson/Bloomberg
Are you paralysed by indecision? Greater choice doesn't always mean a better selection

It's no wonder we can feel frozen when a simple coffee order involves making a one-in-80,000 choice

December 18, 2018, 11:44 AM
A woman looks at a work of art titled Portrait of Edmond Belamy, created by artificial intelligence. AFP
Instead of replicating the past, artificial intelligence should be used to create the art of the future

Technology could offer a truly personalised sensory experience, in which we can all smell colours, see music and hear scents

December 11, 2018, 9:21 AM
A woman exhales vapour from an e-cigarette. Vaping has been marketed as a better alternative to smoking. Phil Noble / Reuters
The neuroscience behind the appeal of vaping

Marketeers have created the vapers' equivalent of Instagramming dishes in restaurants

December 04, 2018, 3:44 PM