For Amazon, a publishing program is the next logical step in its long-term business strategy. For the rest of the book industry, it’s cause for a bad case of nerves. […]
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Lack of trust is at the root of many of the world’s problems, says the neuroeconomist Paul Zak, who claims to have found the brain chemical, oxytocin, responsible for empathy.
A few updates! First, Lessons from Sherlock Holmes is moving to a new home on Scientific American. So, Holmes fans can now read the column in a more continuous fashion. The […]
Influential neurologist Vilayanur S. Ramachandran explains some mirror experiments you can try at home to better understand how your brain perceives the world around it.
Decision fatigue is the newest discovery involving a phenomenon called ego depletion, a term coined by the social psychologist Roy Baumeister in homage to a Freudian hypothesis.
Here we find a most lucid talk on the ethics of the uninhibited pursuit of indefinite longevity. The speaker (Mr. Stolyarov) criticizes me, David Brooks, and Daniel Callahan for being pro-death, which is […]
The most recent research indicates that smoking marijuana causes no long term cognitive impairment and can actually improve performance on some mental tests.
A new study has discovered that differences between men and women can be found even among mental illnesses, with certain disorders being more common to specific genders.
For decades, Mars has been the focus of intense interest and here are some of those updates that have recently transpired. NASA is preparing to launch its latest Mars probe, Curiosity (or the Mars Science […]
He made more money as a handyman than as an artist, but Vincenzo Peruggia’s personally responsible for making the Mona Lisa what it is today. Leonardo da Vinci painted Lisa […]
Verizon workers called off their strike after the company agreed to temporarily extend their contract and return to the bargaining table. Forty-five thousand workers will return to their jobs on […]
2011 is the summer of the “hand heart” as everyone from sports figures to politicians to rock star wannabes press thumbs and fingers together to communicate “I love you!” to […]
Lawmakers and doctors are rushing to find remedies for critical shortages of drugs that treat life-threatening illnesses like bacterial infection and several forms of cancer.
Nutrition experts are attacking a diet book intended for a six-year-old audience which features an overweight girl on its cover holding up a skimpy dress in front of a mirror.
Using publicly accessible databases, researchers have developed a method to predict how existing drugs might be repurposed to treat seemingly unrelated diseases.
Modified ecstasy could one day have a role to play in fighting some blood cancers, according to scientists. The drug is already known to effectively kill cancer cells isolated in test tubes.
A major study on women and smoking released by the World Health Organization last week provides further surprising evidence about how gender differences can affect health.
In an advancement in biotechnology, a new microscope has allowed researchers to watch molecules move within a cell on a millisecond-by-millisecond time scale for the first time.
Political scientists David Campbell and Robert Putnam published an op-ed in The New York Times this week arguing that the common idea about where the Tea Party comes from and […]
Sophal Ear describes a school turned torture-chamber by the Khmer Rouge.
“When All-American Girl was cancelled, I was devastated. I thought that was my only shot at show business.” Margaret Cho opens up about fame, letting go, and how life’s biggest setbacks can actually be a step forward.
When President Bashar al Assad was elected (unopposed) in 2000, many in the West heralded this as progress. Assad’s father in law, Fahwaz – who I came to know – […]
Here’s the information on our final conference of three funded by the University of Chicago: 2pm THURSDAY will feature a high successful and stunningly philosophical transplant nephrologist (kidney doctor) defending, based […]
Sophal Ear describes his family’s relocation by the Khmer Rouge from Phnom Penh to a labor camp.
What the world needs now – and just might be able to listen to – are humanitarian ambassadors like Sophal Ear, who have experienced atrocity and devoted their lives to doing something about it.
Long Beach photographers beware, Police Chief Jim McDonnell is a harsh critic: Long Beach (Calif.) Police Chief Jim McDonnell is defending his officer who detained a Long Beach Post contributor […]
It is a busy Friday, so it seems that today would be a great day for a new Mystery Volcano Photo. If we think back to the last MVP, #39, […]
Indian activist Anna Hazare has left jail to embark on a two-week public fast over his demands for stronger anti-corruption laws. The government is stumbling for a response.
Climate change campaigns in the United States that focus on the risks to people in foreign countries or even other regions of the U.S. are likely to inadvertently increase polarization […]