Does torture actually work, and can its use ever be justified? Read more
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Torture
Does torture actually work, and can its use ever be justified?
Hypochondria
What is hypochondria, and why don鈥檛 we take this misunderstood malaise more seriously?
Smiling
Whether a toothy grin, a megawatt beam or a faint curve of the lips, why do we smile?
Stammering
Why does this speech disorder cause so much shame amongst the millions affected by it?
Listening
Why is listening different from hearing? And how can we develop that skill?
Hands
Whether it is making or fixing something, why do we enjoy working with our hands?
Why I鈥檓 Not Just Blind
Lee Kumutat asks why blind people must either be inspirational or deserving pity
Yoga
Valley Fontaine asks why do we do yoga, and how has it become so popular?
Why do Men Want Six Packs?
Why do men all over the world crave these six bumps on their stomach?
Clapping
Becky Milligan uncovers the secrets of applause and how it can be used to infect us all.
Underground
What lures people to delve deep beneath the earth, into the dark recesses underground?
Why Words Matter
Lane Greene explains how the words we choose can tell us a great deal about ourselves.
Short
Why do some short people lie about their height?
Habits
Shiulie Ghosh explains why we are all creatures of habits.
Goths
Why would anyone be a goth? What is the appeal of this dark and spooky subculture?
Are you a numbers person?
Are you a numbers person? Timandra Harkness explains how we get intimidated by numbers.
Thankless Tasks
Dotun Adebayo discovers why anyone does a job where lots of people hate you
Why Do We Talk To Ourselves?
In this Why Factor, Matthew Sweet asks who are we talking to when we talk to ourselves
Self-Harm
Why do some people cause physical pain to themselves as a way to manage their emotions?
Exams
Are exams a fair judge of ability and understanding, or just a memory test?
Returning Home
Why do foreign migrants yearn to go home and does returning make them happy if they do?
Polygamy
Why would anyone share their husband or wife with another partner?
The kiss
Why do humans kiss?
Childlessness
Why do some people choose to remain childless?
Male Violence
Why are men more violent than women?
Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?
Why do some people crave the limelight and what does it do to our bodies?
Sign Language
Lee Kumutat explores why deaf people are divided on the significance of Sign Language
Why Raise Other People's Children?
Raising children is demanding, so why do we choose to raise other people鈥檚 children?
Eavesdropping
Why do we eavesdrop?
News
News has a powerful effect on people. But why do we have it? And what's it for?
Human Remains in Museums
Why is storing and displaying human remains in museums contentious?