Culture & Religion

Ever find yourself dozing off during a lecture or seminar? Dread walking through those classroom doors because you know exactly what’s on the other side? Just the sight of a […]

Brain imaging studies show that every time we learn a new task, we’re changing our brain by expanding our neural network.

Personal growth is a long and arduous process, made easier when we recognize that fact and approach the task incrementally – with patience, humility, and self-discipline.

Thanks to the Internet, universities no longer hold a monopoly on information, says the Open Course Ware Consortium, which is working to make more college courses available for free. 

   

In a world defined by change, says Baratunde Thurston, you need a sense of mission that’s much bigger than the desk you happen to be sitting behind at any moment. 

People who think intelligence is malleable are more likely to learn from their mistakes, indicates new research. Those who think intelligence is a fixed quality learn less. 

Want to the change the world but can only draw pretty pictures? You’re not far off! Here are some tips on how to use graphic design—images, branding and web design—to inspire social change. 

In a brilliant new twist on the theme of “fathers and sons,” Israeli director Joseph Cedar’s film Footnote examines the rivalry between two generations of Talmudic scholars at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. […]

What is the Big Idea? Graffiti artist P183, whose real name is Pavel, canvasses the streets of Moscow at night armed with a can of spray paint. One of his […]

Two parallel technologies are providing a glimpse of the future: Digital database of all the knowledge you have and android technology that could mimic your behavior and speech. 

The search for traces of ancient Martian life has been narrowed to 79 lake beds containing mineral deposits. Clay may have formed on the planet’s surface, preserving evidence of past life. 

U of Mass Psychology PhD Tony McCaffrey advises us to seek the obscure in finding a creative solution to a vexing problem. What does he mean exactly? It is a two part process…

“Do you think we should get our brains scanned before getting married?” a friend asked me as we browsed a crowded department store, selecting important items for her bridal registry.  […]

Earlier this year, Berkeley psychologist Alison Gopnik published an essay entitled, “What’s Wrong With the Teenage Mind?” in the Wall Street Journal.  It was a very interesting piece—and one that […]

Another bead of sweat breaks through Zafar’s collar. He twists his neck, irritated. One morning cool enough for a suit is too much to ask from clay-oven Karachi, even for this day. “Mr. Khan, welcome. Please follow me.” The white man’s collar is crisp, dry.  

No carnefab Manager liked hearing from an NFA Inspector, but especially not when the message said, “Fieldspec high neuro count. Site audit 213245-1330. Pres Req.” Paul Ingersoll read the message and checked the time. 213245-1312.

It was a fact that on Planet Xeron 12, the gods ate small children. It wasn’t that these celestial highness’s gained extraordinary powers or insights from the experience–small people simply tasted good. Naja Krait wasn’t about to lose her only child to the greedy, Elysian mouths.   

NASA scientists have discovered a thin strip of oxygen in the atmosphere of Dione, one of Saturn’s 60 moons. It seems to be a rare case of oxygen existing without the support of live organisms. 

Just weeks ago, one of the largest ever surveys on memory was completed and data are beginning to come in. Our memory of certain events is hardly reliable, say the study’s authors.

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 […]

“Write what you know” isn’t about events, says author Nathan Englander. It’s about emotions. Have you known love? jealousy? longing? loss? As a kid, did you want that Atari 2600 so bad you might have killed for it?

When signing up for a new service on the Internet, may people use Facebook Connect to establish their identity on the new site. Could we use physical Facebook ID cards as well?

Henry Rollins shares the DIY philosophy he learned from Abraham Lincoln and has always tried to follow. 

Since the rise of the positive psychology movement a decade ago, happiness has been all the rage. But is it something more than having a cheerful personality? And how do we get happiness? 

The Oscars are tonight! But why do we care so much? Not everyone is a movie buff. More likely, we are drawn to the lives of celebrities because of an evolutionary drive for status.

How do you find the right mix of employees so that your company will find innovative solutions to complex problems? Here is a how-to guide to find the right personalities for your business.

Francis Tapon is the author of the new book, The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us. This article is an adapted excerpt from the chapter on Slovenia.

That Delphic oracle of style, Simon Doonan, author of the outrageously funny Gay Men Dont Get Fat, says fashion and politics don’t mix in a democracy. 

The point is that being tortured isn’t the point at all – it’s about transforming existential anxiety into clarity, energy, humor, and hope.