Adrienne Matei

Many linguists believe the words we speak have an influence on our thoughts and feelings. Each language contains terms with no direct equivalent that give us a glimpse into the intimate elements of a culture’s distinct character. Every time a new word is created, it reflects a society’s need for that word; it fills a previously inarticulable void with a neologism that encapsulates a unique feeling, object, action—or malady.

University of Washington psychology professor Peter Kahn has spent much of his career analyzing the relationship humans have with nature—and he thinks that relationship is more fragile than many of us realize.

In order to feel good, humans require interaction with nature. We have a genetically based affiliation with the natural world—a primal desire for the outdoors known as biophilia. This phenomenon describes our urge to connect with other life forms and manifests itself in our love of gardening and camping to owning pets, gifting flowers, and even selecting waterfall wallpapers for our smartphone backgrounds.

Imagine debating the interpretation of a Shakespearean sonnet and being able to clarify its meaning with the bard himself. Or sitting in history class and being able to ask George Washington questions about the Constitution, no soul-conjuring witchcraft required.

Imagine you have a close friend you frequently communicate with via text. One day, they suddenly die. You reel, you cry, you attend their funeral. Then you decide to pick up your phone and send them a message, just like old times.

Bracing oneself for the holidays is practically a tradition unto itself. As Tolstoy observed, “Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,”

From Norman Bates to Patrick Bateman to Hannibal Lector and Dexter Morgan, pop culture’s fascination with psychopathy has made us familiar with the condition’s telltale traits. Psychopaths, we have been told, have little empathy and remorse; they are impulsive, manipulative liars with swollen egos and charm to spare.

Throughout her career as a female politician, Clinton has often been chastised for failing to smile.

Traditional literary tropes have struggled to describe China’s day-to-day corruption, warp-speed modernization, supersonic development, and political oppression. Mystery, satire, horror—none feel quite expansive enough to begin encompassing the stories of the world’s most simultaneously populous yet secretive country.

Classrooms are known to double as petri dishes. But a new study from the University of British Columbia suggests elementary schools spread more than chicken pox and common colds. Stress, it seems, is contagious in the classroom—and it’s particularly virulent when transferred between teachers and students.