All In The Mind

Criminal lawyer Sarah Hopkins' novel The Subjects is about the overcriminalisation and overmedicalisation of young people—and her innovative ideas for youth justice. The protagonist, Daniel, is 16-years-old and has just arrived at a Juvie delinquent centre—but there’s no medication and he doesn’t have to stay. Then he gets the eerie sense that he’s part of an experiment.

When you’re waiting in a queue there are various ways to bide your time: chat to someone, gaze off into the distance, or check your phone. The science of human interaction tells us that the impact on your brain and body is vastly different depending on your choice. Live person-to-person connection changes us and the society we live in, so it’s in our best interests to use technology sensibly.

It could be that the profession of psychiatry needs a revolution. A UK medical doctor with experience in mental health feels that we’re still trying to understand and come to terms with mental health issues—and how best to provide treatment. He talks with two psychiatrists, a historian, and a service user. They all can imagine a different future for psychiatry.

At night our brain can have adventures. Even if they're fully asleep, some people end up sleep walking or even sleep driving! The neuroscience of nightmares and dreaming—and what they can tell us about the workings of our brain. 

What ultimately drives human behaviour? A leading professor of psychology, Michele Gelfand, suggests that culture is one of the last uncharted frontiers. From her pioneering research into cultural and social norms she’s found an important distinction between tight and loose cultures, and their tendency to make or break rules. These social norms or informal rules of conduct determine whether we co-operate or come into conflict, at both the collective and individual levels.