Matt Davis
Matt Davis writes stories about science, technology, bizarre anecdotes from history, esoteric odds and ends, bleak but nevertheless fascinating environmental issues, and whatever else grabs his easily grabbed attention.
The building material seems so ubiquitous — what can we use in its place?
A new report argues that we stand to gain a lot economically by investing in 5 key areas.
Most of us can’t imagine wanting absolute control over a nation or feeling compelled to commit mass murders — so then what is it about a dictator’s psychology that makes them different?
Are tiny homes just a trend for wealthy minimalists or an economic necessity for the growing poor?
Most of us have heard of Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs, but Maslow doesn’t have a monopoly on self-actualization.
Most elderly individuals’ brains degrade over time, but some match — or even outperform — younger individuals on cognitive tests.
Unhealthy diets cause the part of your brain responsible for appetite to become inflamed, encouraging further eating and obesity.
Critics complain that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs focuses too much on the West. Yet other cultures often have similar ideas about personal development.
Although they may be healthier in many ways, more ethical, and better for the environment, restrictive diets don’t come without their challenges.
Trudging toward happiness: What is the hedonic treadmill?
This unsettling new understanding of vegetative patients raises medical ethics issues.
Researchers from UCLA invent a device that generates electricity from a rather unusual source.
Storytelling has been a human tradition for thousands of years and for good reason: It holds a powerful influence over our psychology.
Without a country to belong to, many of these people lack some of the most fundamental rights.
Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, called for a mass psychedelic act of civil disobedience in protest of drug criminalization.
The term “self-actualization” is often bandied about on the web, but how does one go about becoming self-actualized really?
During World War II, the U.S. incarcerated over 100,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps throughout the West.
Until the use of prison labor is banned, many stakeholders will be incentivized to prevent felons from being rehabilitated.
Meditation doesn’t just reduce stress or make you a more spiritual person; it changes your brain in a variety of ways that can make it easier to learn new information.
This modern therapy technique has been shown to be effective and easy to learn — could teaching it to students help cut off a growing mental health crisis?
We think of self-actualization as a lofty goal, but research suggests it may just be another way of obeying our biological programming.
We like to think of creativity as an inherently good thing. History and science say otherwise.
Compared to traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are extremely understudied. There is, however, some evidence on their negative effects on your health.
Abraham Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs is depicted as a triangle with self-actualization at the very top. Right before his death, Maslow wanted to add another to the hierarchy: Self-transcendence.
“Cargotecture” is becoming increasingly popular as a cheap alternative to traditional houses.
We may find signs of life a mere 31 light-years away.
In one Indian farming district, many women are paying for expensive and medically unnecessary hysterectomies in order to be more productive at work.
Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a well-known model of human development, but Maslow’s friend and colleague Kazimierz Dąbrowski believed humans developed in a different way.
With the ivory trade on the decline, poachers have been capitalizing on a new, disturbing trend.