The Mind
The Psychology Behind the Habits That Actually Stick
Forget the 21-day rule. The science of habit says the real work is slower, kinder and more about where you are than who you are, and that one missed day doesn’t undo anything.
The Mind
Memory, habit, perception and the curious machinery of human thought and behaviour.
8 stories
Health
The Fascinating Connection Between Exercise and the Ageing Brain
A study of nearly 46,000 older Britons wearing wrist trackers finds that more brisk activity goes with sharper thinking and fuller brains, and hints that the time of day may matter too.
Health
Why Sleep Might Be the Most Underrated Part of Your Health
We count steps and calories but treat sleep as the thing we do when everything else is finished. The science suggests it deserves a far better seat at the table.
Hearing & Sound
Why Some People Struggle to Understand Speech Even When They Can Hear Sounds
Being able to hear a voice but not make out the words is one of the commonest complaints in audiology. Science is finally explaining why the ears and the brain can disagree.
The Mind
Why the Brain Is So Good at Recognising Familiar Voices
A single word down a crackly phone line is often enough to tell you who is calling. Behind that everyday feat lies a dedicated network in the brain, and a surprising benefit for ageing ears.
Wellbeing
Why Staying Social Matters as We Get Older
Friendship is usually filed under pleasure, not health. Eight decades of research, and a new warning from the World Health Organization, suggest it belongs in both.
The Mind
The Curious Relationship Between Sleep and Memory
While you sleep, your brain replays the day, files it away and tunes it with exquisite timing. Scientists have even learned to nudge the process with a scent or a sound.
Technology
How Scientists Are Teaching Machines to Understand Human Speech
In 1952 a machine at Bell Labs could recognise the digits zero to nine, spoken by one man. Seventy years on, software transcribes almost anyone, in almost any language. Almost is the interesting part.