Longreads

Richard Dawkins … Often seen by those of vague faith as an aggressive pest. Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of secularism. All the…

Soon after 9/11, conspiracy theorists began to question the origins of the tragedyI remember precisely where I was and what I was doing when I heard: I was about three weeks into my first year…

Forty years later, the Stanford Prison Experiment remains among the most notable—and notorious—research projects ever carried out at the University. For six days, half the study's participants endured cruel and dehumanizing abuse at the hands of their peers. At various times, they were taunted, stripped naked, deprived of sleep and forced to use plastic buckets as toilets. Some of them rebelled violently; others became hysterical or withdrew into despair. As the situation descended into chaos, the researchers stood by and watched—until one of their colleagues finally spoke out.