Smokers’ brains light up during smoking scenes in movies and on TV
Brain areas associated with smoking a cigarette are activated when smokers watch an actor light up on screen
A hugger or a tiger mother: battle of the baby-rearing strategies
A series of new books is likely to open up fresh controversy about the way we bring up our children; some demanding strict, regimented parenting, others a more laid-back approach
This column will change your life: Vaguely familiar
Life's too short to spend chasing specific goals all the time; that would be both exhausting and dispiriting. Oliver Burkeman welcomes the opportunity to vague out
Dr Luisa Dillner’s guide to . . . choosing a therapist
You need to ask yourself if you can be open with this person, tell them private things, trust them
The 10 best self-help gurus
Start the new year with some expert guidance
Wake up and smell the mint tea
Tired? Lethargic? In dire need of 40 winks? Join the club, says Grace Dent. But how to boost our energy levels without putting in too much effort? Plus, we ask a doctor, a finance whiz, a radio presenter and a chef how they get by on so little sleep
Abandon resolutions. Stop looking for a soulmate. Reject positive thinking
Oliver Burkeman kicks off our new year issue with advice on how to be a better person in 2011 (and it's not what you think)
Happiness doesn’t increase with growing wealth of nations, finds study
A survey of developed and developing countries suggests citizens' sense of wellbeing does not rise with increasing wealth
This column will change your life: With friends like these…
We all know not to judge a book by its cover, so why do we take people we 'meet' on social networking sites at face value, wonders Oliver Burkeman
This column will change your life: The power of persuasion
Is reasoning your way to a decision, or being convinced by others' arguments, any better than trusting your gut? Oliver Burkeman investigates