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Why almost everyone believes in an afterlife – even atheists

Most people hold curiously similar ideas about life after death, suggesting there is more to it than religion, fear or an inability to imagine not existing

������ýs studied a ‘haunted house’ to understand why we love horror

To understand why many of us enjoy being scared, a team of scientists studied the people visiting a haunted house set in a dilapidated factory

Why the line between life and death is now more blurred than ever

Brains resurrected after death, communications with people in comas and advances in cryogenics all suggest that life's end is less final than we thought

The surprising evolutionary history of pumpkins and squashes

Shops are stocking up on pumpkins for Halloween. While I haven't always been a fan of squashes, I've been charmed by how such unlikely fruits came to spread worldwide, says Penny Sarchet

Nightmare Fuel review: The psychology that underpins horror films

Scary movies really get under our skin, but why is this the case and how do film-makers know what will scare us? A new book has some interesting answers

Ball lightning is so strange it might just come from another dimension

Mysterious floating orbs of light have puzzled scientists for centuries, inspiring no end of creative explanations. A new idea suggests they aren't entirely of this world

The strange plant that just might be the worst smell on the planet

Corpse flowers rarely bloom but if one does when you’re nearby you’ll know about it. Though many botanical gardens have their own corpse flowers, the plant's mysteries still abound