Skip to main content

Human Behavior

Two bare female legs step into a pond of frozen water in a snowy field.

A dive into cold water

There's no hard science on icy plunges, but there are sound reasons to believe cold water swimming could ease depression.
By Adam Boggon
Illustration: A woman, dressed in blue, sits on an oversized pill in the left foreground. In the top right, a group of doctors stand with their arms crossed. The illustrations are on a dark blue static background.

Who is a “difficult” patient?

Addiction treatment remains scarce, so why don’t more doctors treat it? Medical student John Messinger says stigma is a major barrier.
By John C. Messinger
Tyler VanderWeele in khaki pants, a blue blazer, white shirt and tie with his hands clasped and smiling off into the distance. He stands in front of a paisley patterned background, colored from pink to blue.

The science of life satisfaction

Flourishing expert Tyler VanderWeele contemplates how individuals and communities can move forward after two years of pandemic grief
By Amy Roeder