–Guest post by Alyssa Martori, American University graduate student. People around the world working toward environmental preservation, conservation, and sustainability are often described as part of a global environmental movement. […]
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Why have humans evolved into an intelligent species? The complexity of our social relationships, which require cooperation, naturally selects for higher cognitive processes.
When a complex organ like the brain experiences a malfunction, a complex problem can result. Here are some of the most bizarre delusions ever recorded by psychiatrists.
Mea culpa if, out of irritation, I joined Troll-land, the last place on earth I want to be, when I wrote on Samantha Brick’s now-infamous “don’t hate be because I’m […]
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in the North Atlantic, from which many of us get the notion that when a ship goes down, it’s […]
What is the Big Idea? Leaders from many western hemisphere countries gathered for the Summit of the Americas meeting this weekend to discuss alternatives to the failed “war on drugs.” President Obama […]
When patients in vegetative states register higher-order thinking on brain scans, our understanding of consciousness achieves an even subtler shade of gray.
New research confirms that worry is associated with high intelligence levels, suggesting that an aversion to dangerous situations has evolved as an important survival skill for our species.
Sedentary and over-night jobs present the most immediate health risks while working too many hours promotes unhealthy habits like drink and drugs. Finding a balance is essential.
Scientists have engineered HIV-immune stem cells that can carry T cells to different organs in the body, laying the groundwork for one day eliminating the virus from infected patients.
If I were trapped in a burning building, here’s who I would want to see coming up the smoke-filled stairwell: A trained professional firefighter in full gear. Not Mayor Bloomberg. […]
University of Chicago researchers have found that one’s place in a social hierarchy influences the body’s response to illness and stress. Thus the best medicine may be a job promotion.
By using digital medical sensors, physicians can collect a wide range of data from healthy people, creating a control group against which irregularities can be measured—and illness predicted.
Exercising creates a plentiful new supply of brain cells, all eager to learn and make new associations. When they associate drugs with pleasure, however, the addiction is harder to break.
Art news always offers wonderful confluences that stir the imagination. The wonderful news that Paul Cézanne’s The Boy in the Red Waistcoat (detail shown above), which had been stolen by […]
What is the Big Idea? If rocket launches are a symbol of a country’s ambitions, then what the world witnessed on Friday was North Korea’s failed attempt at a Sputnik […]
Absent in our political discussions about creating more jobs is the recognition that computerized technology is changing the structure of our economy and eliminating traditional jobs.
Having a great depth of knowledge in a specific field limits your problem solving abilities to what has worked in the past, says entrepreneurial polymath Naveen Jain.
Neurobiologist Susan Barry was born with strabismus, an optical condition which prevented her from developing three dimensional vision. Barry describes the first time she saw in 3-D.
New York Times investigative reporter Charles Duhigg has drawn together the most cutting edge research on why habits exist and how they can be changed. How can you apply the science to your own life?
What’s the Big Idea? If the scientific consensus had been right, Sue Barry would still be seeing in 2-D. Barry was born with strabismus, a condition which prevented her eyes from gazing in […]
Is there any reason to avoid death? We all die eventually, but is it a destiny sealed in for a predetermined time, or do we actually have some control over how long we are on this Earth?
Does knowing that sweets are dulces in Spanish help a child learn to resist a tasty treat? It may indeed, as people who learn two languages gain cognitive advantages that extend well beyond the ability to communicate with others.
Quick. Grab a pencil. Some crayons. A notepad. Wrap your brain around this Friday’s Big Enigma from Ivan Moscovitch’s The Big Book of Brain Games. Share a photo of your solution in […]
The accusation “you are not living in the real world” is always either ideological, narcissistic, or a poorly phrased attempt to say something else. But it is frequently used. I […]
Connecticut is set to become the 17th state without the death penalty, marking another victory for advocates who point out that the practice wastes a great deal of money—and is unjust.
When a couple philosophers weigh in on the moral implications of having children, they reach some alarming conclusions. Might the Universe be better off without the human race?
Social topics like politics and economics have been sectioned off from society and are now treated as expert fields beyond the scope of mere mortals, says economics writer Aditya Chakrabortty.
Whenever American friends visit me in Singapore, they often comment on how slim the majority of people in Singapore–as well as in other major cities in Asia–seem. My male friends […]