Kirsty McGhee did a PhD in condensed-matter physics at the University of Sheffield, UK, and a postdoc at the University of Leipzig, Germany, before becoming a science writer at the quantum-software ...

In conversation with professor Alia Crum, Sakamoto explores the psychology of how our everyday mindsets shape meaning.

I t was early summer, and Eric Li, who had just finished seventh grade, had two camps to attend in the coming weeks. One was a classic camp in the woods of New Hampshire. The other was the Center for ...

Illinois Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin clashed with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Trump administration's plan to send federal troops to Chicago: ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI: I am not going to discuss ...

When it comes to dog breeds, the diversity is vast and constantly expanding, with an endless number of mixed-breed possibilities. The American Kennel Club said that, despite recognizing nearly 200 ...

Many stereotypes come with growing up in the Midwest. As a born-and-raised Californian, there are some things my best friend, a proud Midwesterner, does that I am not used to. She always goes on and ...

A guy I know is the ultimate devil’s advocate. Have an idea? He instantly has reasons it won’t work. Have a belief? He instantly has reasons it’s unfounded. Enjoy something? He instantly critiques it ...

DEAR ERIC: I have a friend I’ve known since high school. We are now in our 30s. Although we are different and have different interests, we have enough common ground to maintain our friendship. I’ve ...

Ah, the age-old question, one that’s driven people to pluck does-she-doesn’t-she daisy petals for almost forever: How to tell if a girl likes you. Flirting tends to come with sometimes aggravatingly ...

Dear Savvy Senior: I’ve read that the Social Security Administration offers a lump-sum payment to new retirees who need extra cash. I haven’t yet filed for my retirement benefits and would like to ...

In the age of social media, the online landscape is more challenging than ever for civil society. It’s a far cry from what the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, intended to create. He ...

You’re reading Open Questions, Joshua Rothman’s weekly column exploring what it means to be human. This summer, I reread the novel “Aurora,” by Kim Stanley Robinson, a science-fiction writer whom I ...