Is mindfulness truly effective for anxiety and stress? Discover the research-backed benefits and how to start incorporating mindfulness into your life.
Imposter Syndrome: Feeling Like a Fraud Despite Your Success
Do you often feel like a fake, even when you achieve success? Explore imposter syndrome – the psychological phenomenon of doubting your abilities and feeling undeserving.
The Sneaky Psychology of the Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Learn how the foot-in-the-door technique subtly influences people to agree to larger requests. Discover how it works and how to recognize it.
Can Smiling Make You Happier? The Science of Mood Boosts
Is it true that smiling can make you happier? Discover the fascinating feedback loop between how you feel and your facial expressions.
Pareidolia: Why We See Faces in Everything (Even Toast!)
Ever seen a face in a cloud or a smile on your car bumper? It’s called pareidolia. Discover the science behind why our brains find faces everywhere.
Boost Happiness with Gratitude: The Science Behind It
Can a simple practice like gratitude really make you happier? Discover the research-backed benefits of gratitude and how to incorporate it into your life.
The Anchoring Effect: How First Impressions Shape Your Decisions
Discover how the anchoring effect subtly influences your choices. Learn how this psychological bias works and ways to make more informed decisions.
Your Memory Isn’t a Camera: How the Brain Reconstructs the Past
Forget the camera analogy! Learn how your memory actually works – a fascinating reconstructive process that shapes how you recall the past.
Oxytocin: The “Love Hormone” That Builds Our Social World
Explore how oxytocin, the “love hormone,” influences relationships, trust, and connection. Learn how it shapes family bonds, friendships, and even our wider social circles.
Why Time Flies as You Age: The Science Behind a Puzzling Phenomenon
Ever feel like the years are whizzing by? There’s a scientific reason why time feels faster as you age. Discover the proportionality theory of time perception.
Recent Posts
The Storybook Origins of Your Smartphone
Ever wonder where innovation comes from? Explore how asking “Imagine what if” – a practice rooted in literature – has shaped our reality, from technology to social change, and how you can use it to rewrite your own world.
The Ghost in the Machine: Can AI Write a Novel That Makes You Cry?
A deep dive into the intersection of AI and literature. We explore if AI can be truly creative, the philosophical questions of authorship, and how AI might augment—not replace—human writers.
How to Start a Reading Habit | Listening Comprehension
Develop a reading habit and improve your English listening! A friendly librarian gives five practical tips. Includes script, vocabulary, and a 10-question quiz for exam prep.
The Story of Literature EP10 | The Global Bookshelf: Migration, Identity, and the 21st-Century Story
In our final episode, we look at the state of literature in our interconnected world. We explore how themes of migration, diaspora, and hybrid identities have come to the forefront. Featuring authors from Oceania, the Caribbean, and the global diaspora, we discuss how technology and globalization are shaping the future of storytelling and creating a truly “world” literature.
The Story of Literature EP9 | The Griot’s Legacy: Oral Traditions and Post-Colonial Voices of Africa
This episode celebrates the immense diversity of African literature, from the ancient oral storytelling traditions of the Griots to the powerful emergence of post-colonial writing. We’ll discuss how authors like Chinua Achebe, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie have used literature to reclaim their history, grapple with the legacy of colonialism, and forge new identities.
The Story of Literature EP8 | Magic and Memory: The Boom of Latin American Literature
We explore the vibrant and revolutionary literature of Latin America in the 20th century. This episode discusses how a generation of writers like Borges, García Márquez, and Allende blended indigenous mythology, political turmoil, and surrealism to create “Magical Realism”—a unique literary style that captured the complex reality of a continent.