David Robson
@davidarobson.bsky.social
Award-winning science writer and author of The Intelligence Trap, The Expectation Effect, and The Laws of Connection (Canongate/Pegasus).
davidarobson.substack.com
davidarobson.substack.com
Don’t care what the critics are saying, I unashamedly love The Life of A Showgirl, especially the clever play on Father Figure
October 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Don’t care what the critics are saying, I unashamedly love The Life of A Showgirl, especially the clever play on Father Figure
Excited about this!
September 16, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Excited about this!
“While submission is transactional and involves a loss of control, when two people surrender to each other, they feel alive, empowered, accepted. They feel love.”
I hugely enjoyed Love’s Labour by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz. It’s full of wisdom on the nuances and contradictions of romance.
I hugely enjoyed Love’s Labour by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz. It’s full of wisdom on the nuances and contradictions of romance.
September 4, 2025 at 7:15 PM
“While submission is transactional and involves a loss of control, when two people surrender to each other, they feel alive, empowered, accepted. They feel love.”
I hugely enjoyed Love’s Labour by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz. It’s full of wisdom on the nuances and contradictions of romance.
I hugely enjoyed Love’s Labour by psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz. It’s full of wisdom on the nuances and contradictions of romance.
And different forms of meditation may help to tune the brain's position within the "critical zone" (4/5)
September 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
And different forms of meditation may help to tune the brain's position within the "critical zone" (4/5)
It could help us to understand how anaesthetics work (4/5)
September 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
It could help us to understand how anaesthetics work (4/5)
The critical brain theory might explain one of the primary functions of sleep (3/5)
September 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
The critical brain theory might explain one of the primary functions of sleep (3/5)
This critical zone might be crucial for flexible thinking, creativity, and perhaps even consciousness itself. (2/5)
September 2, 2025 at 12:43 PM
This critical zone might be crucial for flexible thinking, creativity, and perhaps even consciousness itself. (2/5)
My latest post examines the fact that employers exploit their most loyal workers, and the reasons that we find it hard to say no to bad ideas open.substack.com/pub/davidaro...
August 23, 2025 at 3:32 PM
My latest post examines the fact that employers exploit their most loyal workers, and the reasons that we find it hard to say no to bad ideas open.substack.com/pub/davidaro...
Huge congratulations to Melissa Hogenboom for this gem!
Breadwinners examines the fascinating psychology of power dynamics at work and in the home - it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to live in a fairer world.
Happy publication day!
Breadwinners examines the fascinating psychology of power dynamics at work and in the home - it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to live in a fairer world.
Happy publication day!
August 14, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Huge congratulations to Melissa Hogenboom for this gem!
Breadwinners examines the fascinating psychology of power dynamics at work and in the home - it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to live in a fairer world.
Happy publication day!
Breadwinners examines the fascinating psychology of power dynamics at work and in the home - it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to live in a fairer world.
Happy publication day!
“The same person who comforts you today might criticise you tomorrow, creating more physiological damage than relationships you can simply categorise as bad and potentially avoid.”
A Q&A with sociologist BK Lee on the reasons “hasslers” accelerate ageing open.substack.com/pub/davidaro...
A Q&A with sociologist BK Lee on the reasons “hasslers” accelerate ageing open.substack.com/pub/davidaro...
August 2, 2025 at 3:50 PM
“The same person who comforts you today might criticise you tomorrow, creating more physiological damage than relationships you can simply categorise as bad and potentially avoid.”
A Q&A with sociologist BK Lee on the reasons “hasslers” accelerate ageing open.substack.com/pub/davidaro...
A Q&A with sociologist BK Lee on the reasons “hasslers” accelerate ageing open.substack.com/pub/davidaro...
Do you have a “hassler” in your social circle? They are the people who bring unnecessary drama - and recent research suggests that the subsequent stress can accelerate our biological ageing.
I’ve just published a Q&A with the scientist behind the study davidarobson.substack.com/p/why-the-ha...
I’ve just published a Q&A with the scientist behind the study davidarobson.substack.com/p/why-the-ha...
August 2, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Do you have a “hassler” in your social circle? They are the people who bring unnecessary drama - and recent research suggests that the subsequent stress can accelerate our biological ageing.
I’ve just published a Q&A with the scientist behind the study davidarobson.substack.com/p/why-the-ha...
I’ve just published a Q&A with the scientist behind the study davidarobson.substack.com/p/why-the-ha...
The @institutocervantes.bsky.social took a candid of me doing my Spanish exam. 😆 It’s been a tough couple of months dealing with some family issues so simply turning up felt like a small triumph.
July 12, 2025 at 8:48 PM
The @institutocervantes.bsky.social took a candid of me doing my Spanish exam. 😆 It’s been a tough couple of months dealing with some family issues so simply turning up felt like a small triumph.
If you drop your wallet in the street, it is more likely to be returned in Nordic countries than the rest of the world
June 28, 2025 at 6:56 AM
If you drop your wallet in the street, it is more likely to be returned in Nordic countries than the rest of the world
S.K. is successful in her job, is physically attractive, and is quite extroverted. For the past 4 weeks or so, this person has felt quite sadder than normal and could not get to sleep as well as they would have in the past.
Would you consider this to be depression? (1/2)
Would you consider this to be depression? (1/2)
June 21, 2025 at 12:56 PM
S.K. is successful in her job, is physically attractive, and is quite extroverted. For the past 4 weeks or so, this person has felt quite sadder than normal and could not get to sleep as well as they would have in the past.
Would you consider this to be depression? (1/2)
Would you consider this to be depression? (1/2)
Spending an hour after work to either read, or listen to an audiobook, is one of the greatest pleasures I know.
June 10, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Spending an hour after work to either read, or listen to an audiobook, is one of the greatest pleasures I know.
📚It’s paperback publication day of The Laws of Connection!📚
Same words, but lower price, with some bonus FAQs.
Thanks, as ever, to the lovely team at Canongate for bringing this into the world! And to everyone who has read it so far - I’ve loved hearing your experiences.
Same words, but lower price, with some bonus FAQs.
Thanks, as ever, to the lovely team at Canongate for bringing this into the world! And to everyone who has read it so far - I’ve loved hearing your experiences.
June 5, 2025 at 10:18 AM
📚It’s paperback publication day of The Laws of Connection!📚
Same words, but lower price, with some bonus FAQs.
Thanks, as ever, to the lovely team at Canongate for bringing this into the world! And to everyone who has read it so far - I’ve loved hearing your experiences.
Same words, but lower price, with some bonus FAQs.
Thanks, as ever, to the lovely team at Canongate for bringing this into the world! And to everyone who has read it so far - I’ve loved hearing your experiences.
“Echoism” - named after a figure from Ovid’s Metamorphoses - is the silenced self-voice that can be the consequence of living with a narcissist. I’ve written a little about the concept in my newsletter.
May 24, 2025 at 7:47 AM
“Echoism” - named after a figure from Ovid’s Metamorphoses - is the silenced self-voice that can be the consequence of living with a narcissist. I’ve written a little about the concept in my newsletter.
This study, in particular, gave me pause:
May 12, 2025 at 9:22 AM
This study, in particular, gave me pause:
Our beliefs about emotions - whether they are under our control or not - become self-fulfilling prophecies.
davidarobson.substack.com/p/how-to-mas...
davidarobson.substack.com/p/how-to-mas...
May 10, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Our beliefs about emotions - whether they are under our control or not - become self-fulfilling prophecies.
davidarobson.substack.com/p/how-to-mas...
davidarobson.substack.com/p/how-to-mas...
“I’d led a pretty hedonistic and meaningless life and was unhappy in my younger years. I was very old at 20 and feel quite young at 87… For me, this mindset has a lot to do with a change in my attitude and living a purpose-driven life.”
My newsletter examines why meaning helps us live longer.
My newsletter examines why meaning helps us live longer.
May 3, 2025 at 1:38 PM
“I’d led a pretty hedonistic and meaningless life and was unhappy in my younger years. I was very old at 20 and feel quite young at 87… For me, this mindset has a lot to do with a change in my attitude and living a purpose-driven life.”
My newsletter examines why meaning helps us live longer.
My newsletter examines why meaning helps us live longer.
Do you see something meaningful in this image? If so, you might have more creative potential that you realise.
You can find out more in my newsletter, link below, which examines the neuroscience behind Leonardo da Vinci’s method of “speculative invention”: davidarobson.substack.com/p/da-vincis-...
You can find out more in my newsletter, link below, which examines the neuroscience behind Leonardo da Vinci’s method of “speculative invention”: davidarobson.substack.com/p/da-vincis-...
April 26, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Do you see something meaningful in this image? If so, you might have more creative potential that you realise.
You can find out more in my newsletter, link below, which examines the neuroscience behind Leonardo da Vinci’s method of “speculative invention”: davidarobson.substack.com/p/da-vincis-...
You can find out more in my newsletter, link below, which examines the neuroscience behind Leonardo da Vinci’s method of “speculative invention”: davidarobson.substack.com/p/da-vincis-...
(In other book news, my friend and former editor Meredith Turits has written a novel, Just Want Your Here that’s funny and heart-breaking and perfectly captures the uncertainty of our quarter-life crises.)
April 13, 2025 at 8:06 AM
(In other book news, my friend and former editor Meredith Turits has written a novel, Just Want Your Here that’s funny and heart-breaking and perfectly captures the uncertainty of our quarter-life crises.)
It was inspired by Caroline Williams’ excellent new book, Inner Sense - which makes a strong case that interoception is one of the most important scientific concepts to emerge in past few decades.
April 13, 2025 at 6:35 AM
It was inspired by Caroline Williams’ excellent new book, Inner Sense - which makes a strong case that interoception is one of the most important scientific concepts to emerge in past few decades.
My latest newsletter is all about interoception - the sense of what’s going on inside our bodies that drives our decisions, emotions and empathy, and which has big implications for mental health.
davidarobson.substack.com/p/the-secret...
davidarobson.substack.com/p/the-secret...
April 13, 2025 at 6:35 AM
My latest newsletter is all about interoception - the sense of what’s going on inside our bodies that drives our decisions, emotions and empathy, and which has big implications for mental health.
davidarobson.substack.com/p/the-secret...
davidarobson.substack.com/p/the-secret...