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Melissa Dahl

Melissa Dahl is a health journalist covering psychology, fitness, women's health, and more. Previously, she was the executive lifestyle and wellness director for Bustle Digital Group. Before that, she held a range of titles at the Cut, including executive editor. She is also the author of Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, published by Penguin Random House.

  1. parenting
    Is a Sick Kid Better Than an Absent Kid?Health policies have grown more lax in an attempt to improve school attendance. Parents and teachers are split on whether it’s working.
  2. science of us
    How to Get Through a Workday on No SleepReluctant advice from sleep researchers.
  3. science of us
    Are You Good at Recognizing Faces?Also: What it means to be uncommonly skilled at face perception.
  4. science of us
    Apparently There Are 4 Kinds of IntroversionThere’s more than one way to be quiet.
  5. science of us
    African American woman lying in bed and looking at camera.
    What Does It Mean If You’re Easily Bored?What being highly boredom-prone suggests about your personality.
  6. science of us
    How to Stop Reliving Embarrassing MemoriesThe science and psychology of the cringe attack.
  7. science of us
    ‘Light Is My New Drug’The actually convincing science of photomedicine.
  8. that feeling when
    If You Can Say It, You Can Feel ItSome scientists believe we have infinite emotions, so long as we can name them.
  9. fan mail
    I Know About Plants NowIn praise of iNaturalist, the app that introduced me to my neighbors (plants).
  10. science of us
    Eula Biss on Why There’s No Such Thing As an Anti-VaxxerThe term is misleading, she says, because it obscures the real problem.
  11. the cut opinion pages
    I Think I’ve Identified Email’s Fundamental FlawWhy don’t we just tell each other when we’re expecting a reply?
  12. health chats
    What Is This Exercise Tool and How Do I Get One?Meet the Attitube and its variants.
  13. science of us
    The Best Health and Science Books of 2018Featuring dreams and social anxiety and psychedelic drugs.
  14. gratitude
    5 Reasons Giving Thanks Can Improve Your LifeSappy, but psychologically effective.
  15. what would jesus do
    4 Ex-Evangelical Women on Their Memories of Hell HousesHalloween, but make it Christian.
  16. science of us
    The Bleeding Edge Is 2018’s Best Horror FilmI can’t stop thinking about one detail in particular.
  17. science of us
    Three Identical Strangers Is the Best Documentary I’ve Ever HatedIt’s ultimately infuriating.
  18. new mom
    100 Women on the Wildest Ways Pregnancy Changed Their BodiesBecause there isn’t a lot of good research tracking these changes.
  19. science of us
    What It’s Like to Be an Abortion-Rights Activist in IrelandAhead of the abortion referendum later this week.
  20. hope this helps
    The Painfully Obvious Productivity Advice I Guess I Needed to HearDo less.
  21. how to raise a boy
    7 Insights From Social Science on Raising a BoyFrom infancy to adolescence.
  22. science of us
    Self-Promotion Advice for the Extremely Self-ConsciousHow to brag about yourself when you hate talking about yourself.
  23. science of us
    The Maybe-Not-Surprising Link Between Depression and AcnePeople with the skin condition are more likely to develop depression.
  24. science of us
    So Many Young Women Are Being Prescribed ADHD MedsSince 2003, the CDC found a 700 percent increase in prescriptions for women ages 25 to 29.
  25. science of us
    The Infuriating Psychology That Helps Explain White Women Showing Up for Moore“This isn’t a partisan thing — it’s a human thing.”
  26. 10% better
    How to Get a Tiny Bit More SleepConsider your “sleep opportunity.”
  27. Was Anyone Else Worried They Were Going to Look Directly at the Eclipse?It’s like the inexplicable urge to jump off a bridge.
  28. skincare
    The Science of How Your Feelings Affect Your FaceWelcome to the world of psychodermatology.
  29. How to Speed-Listen to Podcasts Without Confusing Your BrainIf you must do this, here’s the way to do it without sacrificing comprehension.
  30. How to Speed-Listen to Podcasts Without Confusing Your BrainIf you must do this, here’s the way to do it without sacrificing comprehension.
  31. Why You Want a Surprise Proposal Even If You Know You’re Getting MarriedDeconstructing a choreographed ritual.
  32. Not Everyone Wants to Silence the Voices in Their HeadsSome argue that you can listen to those voices in a healthy way.
  33. Not Everyone Wants to Silence the Voices in Their HeadsSome argue that you can listen to those voices in a healthy way.
  34. summer friday
    A Study Encourages You to Have Fun First and Finish Your Work LaterGood call on a summer Friday.
  35. A Study Encourages You to Have Fun First and Finish Your Work LaterGood call on a summer Friday.
  36. A Study Encourages You to Have Fun First and Finish Your Work LaterGood call on a summer Friday.
  37. The Psychological Trait That Will Help You Brush Off CriticismThat’s not necessarily a good thing.
  38. The Psychological Trait That Will Help You Brush Off CriticismThat’s not necessarily a good thing.
  39. The Accidental-Death Rate Is Rising, in Part Because of Our Wandering MindsThe general assumption is that we are living in a safety-crazed era, but the numbers suggest a different story.
  40. The Accidental-Death Rate Is Rising, in Part Because of Our Wandering MindsThe general assumption is that we are living in a safety-crazed era, but the numbers suggest a different story.
  41. unsolicited advice
    How to Make Yourself Work When You Really Don’t Feel Like ItBoss yourself around.
  42. unsolicited advice
    How to Make Yourself Work When You Really Don’t Feel Like ItBoss yourself around.
  43. unsolicited advice
    People Will Like You More If You Ask Them QuestionsAdvice that should be obvious, but that most people don’t follow.
  44. unsolicited advice
    People Will Like You More If You Ask Them QuestionsAdvice that should be obvious, but that most people don’t follow.
  45. People Feel Drunker If You Tell Them They’re Drinking a Vodka Red BullPerhaps these intrepid scientists will study Fireball next.
  46. People Feel Drunker If You Tell Them They’re Drinking a Vodka Red BullPerhaps these intrepid scientists will study Fireball next.
  47. the brain
    Growing Up Poor Sparks a ‘Vicious Cycle’ in a Child’s Brain“This is not some liberal bullsh*t.”
  48. the brain
    Growing Up Poor Sparks a ‘Vicious Cycle’ in a Child’s Brain“This is not some liberal bullsh*t.”
  49. Getting Really Good at Wine Tasting Will Help You Learn How to Trust YourselfDrinking with the author of Cork Dork, a new book about the obsessive world of wine.
  50. Getting Really Good at Wine Tasting Will Help You Learn How to Trust YourselfDrinking with the author of Cork Dork, a new book about the obsessive world of wine.
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