Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do” — Bertrand Russell

What “Sick With Grief” Means

Katherine Shear

Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University School of Social Work

Is grief an illness? When does “normal” grief become clinical? Columbia's Dr. Katherine Shear shares insights from her groundbreaking research.

In Health & Medicine, Life & Death

Featured Blogs

Global Pedestrian

Vietnam
November 22, 2009 — 4:45 AM

What Will Vietnam Think of Army Combat Photographer's New My Lai Revelation?

David Quigg

The story by Evelyn Theiss of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer has been online since Friday and I can't stop wondering how Vietnam will react to it. The headline: "My Lai photographer Ron Haeberle admits he destroyed pictures of soldiers in the act of killing." The story also ran on the Ohio paper's front page. Unless I'm Googling wrong, America seems to have shrugged off or simply missed this brand-new footnote to 1968's slaughter of hundreds of men, women, and children by U.S. soldiers. Read more

The View From Europe

Galileo_by_leoni
November 21, 2009 — 10:22 PM

Going Tooth and Nail For Galileo

Carrie Battan

When Pope John Paul II rehabilitated Galileo in the 1990's and revoked the Church's original condemnation of his discoveries, he admitted that the "Church had erred." Almost as telling of the astronomer's status in Italy (and the world) is the fact that Italian museum curators are bursting with excitement at the rediscovery of one of his teeth and two of his fingers. Read more

The View From Europe

Herman_van_rompuy
November 21, 2009 — 1:10 AM

The New European Union: Off To An Abysmal Start

Carrie Battan

In yet another baffling sequence of events, European heads of state have chosen two no-name leaders for the Union's top positions. Read more

Politeia

800px-obamas_and_bidens_at_lincoln_memorial_1-18-09_hires_090118-n-9954t-057
November 20, 2009 — 5:08 PM

Obama's Unemployment Problem

Robert de Neufville

For the first time, according to Gallup's latest tracking poll, less than fifty percent of Americans approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as President. That's down from 60% in July. As Greg Sargent says, this just confirms what Quinnipiac and Fox polls showed earlier in the week. And Obama's approval ratings have been hovering just over 50% for a while now. While there is nothing magic about the 50% threshold, it is a sign that the bloom is off Obama's political rose just ten months into his presidency. Read more

Mind Matters

Obesity-waist_circumference
November 20, 2009 — 12:42 PM

One More Reason to Skip Dessert

David Berreby

Creepiest incentive ever to exercise: Peruvian cops have arrested a gang that, they say, kills people for their fat. Read more

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