The average Facebook user now has about 338 friends, though the median number is quite a bit lower: 200. This means that while half of all Facebook users have 200 […]
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In product design and life, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. All too often, we contrive complex, Rube Goldberg-like reasons for why things are or are not working. […]
It is in our nature to need stories. We naturally think in story-logic. They’re a kind of people-physics. They’re biologically active, configuring how we feel in ways essential for our survival. […]
Life expectancy has hit a new high in the United States: 76.4 for men, 81.4 for women. But it’s important to remember that certain demographics have widely varying expectancies due to several major variables.
The discovery of the brain’s “GPS,” which netted three scientists the Nobel Prize for Medicine, will allow researchers to study the process by which dementia steals control of the body from the afflicted.
“If you love someone,” pop star Stingsang years ago, “set them free.” Sometimes the first rule of love is forgetting all the rules that constrain the object of one’s affection, […]
It’s been 78 days since my last blog post. It’s shameful to admit, but I wasn’t sure how else to break the silence. Did I get lost on my […]
If you’re hoping to wipe low-income fish from your dating pool, Luxy may be the app for you. Swipe right for a peek into his or her Swiss Bank Account.
There are two reasons why President Grímsson considers the Arctic the next major environmental, political, and economic playing field: climate change and the region’s untapped natural resources.
It might not sound impressive, but the physics behind it — and the power of its applications — are literally world-changing. Image credit: Orphek LEDs, via http://orphek.com/about/aquarium-led-lighting/. “Everyone must leave something behind when he […]
On 18 September, Scotland voted to stay in the UK by 55% to 45%: a wider margin than most expected, but still close enough to warrant the constitutional re-think promised […]
Dollar A Day enables its subscribers to support a different non-profit organization every day — automatically. Subscribers are charged $30 each month (all tax-deductible) and the money is distributed evenly to a portfolio of non-profits registered in the U.S.
The High Fidelity and Fever Pitch author recently told Cheltenham Festival attendees that no one should have to pridefully trudge through highbrow novels or force children to labor through books they find boring. Doing so sets a bad precedent.
Data and tech are invading sports arenas at a relentless pace with major emphasis being placed on advanced metrics. On one hand, incorporating new information can help revolutionize a sport. On the other, invasive testing could instigate a conflict between executives and athletes.
We are stardustWe are goldenAnd we’ve got to get ourselvesBack to the garden Oh, how those words from Joni Mitchell touched me in the Woodstock days. Listening to her sweet […]
There are countless opportunities in this world for one to give of him- or herself. And doing so, says WuDunn, helps more than just the receiver, even if it’s not immediately apparent.
Facebook recently announced that it will display warnings beside satirical content. In this post we look at the flaws and implications of recent research on the spread of false information on Facebook.
“What is a scientist after all? It is a curious person looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what’s going on.”
Earlier this year, doctors at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine successfully implanted lab-grown vaginas in four patients with underdeveloped sex organs. Now the team is looking to replicate that success with men via lab-grown penises.
Modern workers subscribe more and more to the axiom “time is more valuable than money.” How will the business world acclimate to accommodate this trend?
With a planetary nebula, over 80,000 stars and a distance of only 10,000 light-years, it’s one of the most rewarding globulars of all! Image credit: R. Columbari, via http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=31833. “I […]
Whether it’s berries or mushrooms or any other sort of free-growing food, the most important thing to learn is which types are safe to eat and which ones are better left alone.
Perel, a world-renowned psychologist and relationship expert, defines the division between sexuality and eroticism as similar to the difference between animals and human beings.
In my motley career I have had long conversations with heads of state and Nobel Prize winners. I have hiked north of the Arctic Circle and watched humpback whales amble […]
Make the world a better place — fighting disease and poverty while helping move science forward — with your computer’s spare time! Image credit: The Charity Engine, via slideshare.net. “While we do our good […]
There are many misconceptions about the nature of stress. Perhaps most notable among these misconceptions is that stress is always bad for you. In fact, some research suggests that a little stress in one’s life leads to greater health.
Arika Okrent of The Week recently shared eleven facts about everyone’s favorite Germanic diaeresis.
The rise of smartphones and social media has made it easier for people in committed relationships to maintain contact with old flames, have emotional affairs, and keep a spare close by in case things don’t work out.
The malware — called BadUSB — doesn’t attack devices’ memories, but rather takes advantage of a fundamental structural flaw in how they operate. Everything from USB keyboards to iPad chargers are susceptible.
To be successful in whatever you do, you’ve got to be good at failing. To be good at failing, it helps to be optimistic about taking the next step.