The Best of The Conversation

Procrastination is linked to a preference for the status quo.

New research highlights how anyone can train their creative muscles by rethinking the anxiety, frustration and anger they encounter in daily life.

«Creativity is often defined as the generation of ideas or insights that are novel and useful. That is, creative thoughts are original and unexpected, but also feasible and useful.»

Zhuangzi was the gadfly of ancient Chinese philosophy. His paradoxical writings encourage a stance of therapeutic scepticism towards the world.

«or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man»

Why, with new global standards and advanced technology in place, has the aviation industry continued to ban the use of mobile phones?

Online reviews have a big impact on buying decisions – but how can shoppers sort the real ones from the fakes?

You've no one to blame but yourself, according to science.

Addiction has multiple causes and just chalking it up to someone's personality probably isn't very helpful in dealing with it.

Although medication and therapy can be effective treatments for ADHD, they’re not the only way to manage the disorder or its symptoms. Creating a daily routine is critical too.

By adulthood, ADHD symptoms may be more internalised but they can also cause grown up problems.

An English professor takes a critical look at why today’s students are assigned the same books that were assigned decades ago – and why American school curricula are so difficult to change.

Grades don’t actually measure learning, and they can increase students’ stress and decrease their motivation. A college professor explains an alternative to grading students’ work.

«First, I wanted my students to focus on the feedback I provided on their writing. I had a sense, since backed up by research, that when I put a grade on a piece of writing, students focused solely on that. Removing the grade forced students to pay attention to my comments.»

Noise pollution is a serious problem, and cars make a lot of it. But roads are also a factor.

Even if all passenger vehicles sold today were electric, it would take more than ten years for the Australian road fleet to be fully electric.

From take-make-waste to reuse, repair and remanufacture.

Honey bees are under extreme pressure. Beekeepers in the US have been losing and then replacing an average of 40 percent of their honey bee colonies every year since 2010, a rate that is probably…

Cellular and microbial agriculture can make the same amount of food on a fraction of the land.

In the early 20th century, women's food started being described as 'dainty,' meaning fanciful but not filling.

A new shows there’s no clear evidence that depression is caused by abnormally low levels of serotonin in the brain.

«drug trials show that antidepressants are barely distinguishable from a placebo (dummy pill) when it comes to treating depression.»

A new study found those who reported walking faster were less likely to die prematurely.

«Long term-health benefits aside, a faster pace will get us to our destination faster and free up time for all those other things that can make our daily routines special, such as spending time with loved ones or reading a good book.»

Recent protests on racial justice have also questioned the portrayal of Jesus as a white man. An art historian explains how this image appeared and came to be marketed worldwide.

We may imagine Jesus in long robes with baggy sleeves, but this is far from how he would have dressed.

The evolution of reading clearly demonstrates that nature and nurture are intimately linked.

New research finds nearly 30% of land animals could disappear form their local area by 2100 due to climate change and habitat destruction. This is more than double previous predictions.

Understanding and changing the environment in which habits form is a critical step when it comes to breaking unwanted behaviors and forming healthy ones.

«Instead, we concoct more compelling explanations, like saying we drink coffee to ease our morning fog.»

The brain’s somatosensory cortex may help enrich our emotional experiences and improve our mental health. Mindfulness and dance movement therapy may be effective ways to activate it.

«Those factors can enhance overall self-awareness, which contributes to improvement of mental health through potential reorganization of the somatosensory cortex.»

Social media ads are set to change under new content marketing regulations.

An anthropologist explains why we all have some irrational beliefs and the reason they give us comfort.

Here are some reasons for the natural human tendency to avoid or reject new information that runs counter to what you already know – and some tips on how to do better.

«confirmation bias. It’s the natural tendency to seek out information or interpret things in a way that supports your existing beliefs.»