Chimpanzees favour the colour red. Junglefowl prefer symmetry. Our shared capacity for aesthetic pleasure is cause for wonder ...

If an outright refusal feels rude but you don’t want to have to explain, here’s how to say ‘no’ the Japanese way ...

A Norwegian filmmaker turns the lens on herself to reflect on the complications of grieving her estranged, abusive father ...

What studying people without a ‘mind’s eye’ reveals about the role of imagery in the experience of emotion and memory ...

Knowing the reasons people opt not to know – and the consequences of that choice – could help us see when it’s problematic ...

Swapping office work for the herding life, Adham finds a sublime freedom in the rugged terrain of the Pyrenees ...

How to gain more from your reading There’s more to words than meets the eye. Deepen your appreciation of literature through the art of slow, attentive reading by Robert DiYanni ...

Other practices like sermons, yoga and retreats can also trigger ‘spiritual boredom’. Here’s why it’s normal and even useful ...

Some musical rhythms are built to get us bobbing, foot-tapping or dancing. Researchers show how rhythmic complexity matters ...

Thomas Goetz is professor of psychology at the University of Vienna, Austria. His research focuses on emotions, with a particular emphasis on the experience of boredom.

Derek van Zoonen is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo, Norway.