Social Change Archives

Six brain MRI scan images are arranged in two rows, showing various cross-sectional views of the human brain, with the bottom row featuring a blue and pink color overlay.

3mins

Perception Box

Can you measure love? 3 experts discuss

From neuroscience to philosophy, experts reveal why compassion may be the most important human skill we have.

Meghan Sullivan

Unlikely Collaborators

3mins

Perception Box

Is free will a fallacy? Science and philosophy explain.

Philosophy asks if free will is real. Neuroscience reveals why the answer is more complicated than we expected.

Daniel C. Dennett

Unlikely Collaborators

A split image showing a brain scan on the left and hands using a smartphone on the right.

6mins

Perception Box

Addictions and habits, explained by a neuroscientist, a psychologist, and a journalist

Daily habits can help you thrive or quietly turn into addictions. The difference is how your brain handles cues, routines, and rewards. Three experts explain how to work with your wiring instead of against it.

Carl Hart

Unlikely Collaborators

A human hand is positioned palm up below a floating anatomical model of a human brain against a plain light blue background.

3mins

Perception Box

How humans create reality through language and beliefs

Language is a huge part of human development, even the language we keep to ourselves. Three experts explain how words and beliefs can change our brains and our lives:

Agustín Fuentes

Unlikely Collaborators

A digital illustration of a human brain next to a crescent moon on a dark background.

3mins

Perception Box

How REM sleep unlocks human function

Sleeping better helps you think better, which helps you live better. Three experts explain why quality sleep is imperative to brain function, problem solving, communication, and more.

Patrick McNamara

Unlikely Collaborators

Abstract image split in two: the top half shows blue neural-like network lines, while the bottom half displays orange flames and sparks against a dark background.

7mins

Perception Box

Experts from 4 different fields define consciousness

How can the brain — a piece of matter — love? Physics and chemistry explain the material world, but they can’t explain why it feels like something to be alive. This is the mystery of consciousness, according to these experts.

Christof Koch

Unlikely Collaborators

Three semi-transparent human brains, side by side, over a gradient background transitioning from red to blue, with rounded corners.

2mins

Perception Box

Stress is inevitable, but suffering isn’t. 3 experts explain.

A physician, a psychologist, and a mindfulness teacher explain what stress does to your body and mind, and how to use it to get smarter and stronger.

Dr. Aditi Nerurkar

Unlikely Collaborators

Close-up split image showing the left half of a human eye and the right half of a purple flower, highlighting the detail and texture of both subjects.

3mins

Perception Box

Fearing death keeps us from living. 3 experts explain.

Biologist Tyler Volk PhD, psychiatrist Bruce Greyson MD, and palliative care physician BJ Miller MD, reveal how confronting mortality can improve the way we live.

Tyler Volk

Unlikely Collaborators

Close-up of a person's face with brown eyes and freckles, next to an abstract blue and white pattern resembling tree branches and lightning.

7mins

Perception Box

How our expectations shape what we see, hear, and feel

A neuroscientist, a psychologist, and a psychotherapist discuss how emotions are stories built from old experiences.

Paul Ekman

Unlikely Collaborators

A person with long blonde hair wearing a beanie and plaid jacket looks upward outdoors; a transparent geometric square overlay is centered on the image.

2mins

Perception Box

3 experts explain how to escape the happiness paradox

Happiness researchers Robert Waldinger MD, Tal Ben-Shahar PhD, and Peter Baumann explain why the happiest people aren’t happy all the time.

Robert Waldinger

Unlikely Collaborators

A digital illustration of a human brain with glowing neon lines and a translucent geometric cube overlay at the center.

3mins

Perception Box

The science of spirituality, and how it can change your brain

Humans have always had religion. What does this say about our minds? Reza Aslan PhD, Lisa Miller PhD, and Rob Bell MDiv explain.

Lisa Miller

Unlikely Collaborators

Close-up view of mushroom gills with overlaid chemical structure diagrams, including molecular formulas and lines, set against a blue-tinted background.

5mins

Perception Box

3 experts reveal how psychedelics can expand the walls of perception

What happens when the boundaries of “you” disappear? James Fadiman, PhD, Jamie Wheal, and Matthew Johnson, PhD explore how supported experiences with psychoactive drugs can dissolve identity and reveal a deeper reality.

Jamie Wheal

Unlikely Collaborators

Close-up of a person's eyes looking up, with white abstract doodles and lines superimposed over their forehead, symbolizing thoughts or imagination.

2mins

Perception Box

How to expand your influence, according to 2 experts

Your body language sends messages before your mouth does. Author Robert Greene and negotiation expert Daniel Shapiro PhD explain the key characteristics of nonverbal power and emotional presence that shape how others perceive you.

Robert Greene

Unlikely Collaborators

Illustration of a brain with highlighted regions overlaid on a close-up image of blue synapses and neurons, representing neural communication.

2mins

Perception Box

How and why your memories shift over time, explained by neuroscience

Your brain changes when you experience something, and it changes again when you remember it. Two neuroscientists explain what that means for memory, perception, and identity.

André Fenton

Unlikely Collaborators