Stories

Our words and pictures explore the connections between science, medicine, life and art. Dive into one no matter where in the world you are. (Want to write for us? Here's how.)

Music

Music. The varying frequency of a vibration that's strong enough to make you cry.

Can our sexual desires be transformed?

In the 1950s, many psychiatrists thought that homosexuality could be reformed. Czech psychiatrist Kurt Freund found that it couldn’t – and h…

Drawing the human animal

We might try to deny our animal instincts, but this series of extraordinary 17th-century drawings suggests they are only too apparent.

Night

From rest to restlessness, tranquility to terror, the night is no place for words.

Do good mothers make good democracy?

How do we make ourselves psychologically fit for the democracy that we live in? Does it it all began with the relationship between a mother …

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Good animals, bad humans?

Could an animal be more evolved than a human? Victorian psychologists thought that in some cases the answer could be ‘yes’.

Pores

Pores are important holes that come in different squeezable sizes. Love your pores.

Does mass media pave the way to fascism?

In the aftermath of World War II, psychoanalysts found the psychological roots of authoritarianism closer to home than was comfortable.

Mistakes and perfect medicine

This week our anonymous GP reflects on how a mistake made in a busy, stressful environment could have had serious consequences.

Anger

Don't let anger spoil your posh ice cream.

The smile catchers

From facial recognition to emojis in apps, find out how the monitoring of emotions is used to get more out of workers.