Smiles, Baseball, and Longevity
The wider you grin, and the deeper your laughter lines, the more likely you are to live a long life. At least that's what researchers at Wayne University in Michigan say. In a study examining pictures of 1952 major league baseball players, researchers found that those with the widest grins lived an average of 79.9 years- a full seven more years than their glum colleagues! The study also found that... posted on Apr 15 2010, 3,898 reads

Upside of Depression
It's everywhere. As inescapable as the common cold. Every year, 7 percent of us will be diagnosed with the grey clouds of depression. But how well do we really understand it? Charles Darwin claimed that depression was a clarifying force, focusing the mind on its most essential problems. And the grey clouds hit him hard, leaving him "not able to do anything one day out of three." More recently, res... posted on Apr 13 2010, 6,393 reads

Happiness Wards Off Heart Disease
Being happy and staying positive may help ward off heart disease, a study suggests. US researchers monitored the health of 1,700 people over 10 years, finding the most anxious and depressed were at the highest risk of the disease. Lead researcher Dr. Karina Davidson said people often wait for "two weeks of vacation to have fun" when instead we should seek enjoyment each day.... posted on Mar 21 2010, 3,906 reads

Inmates Take Yoga to Reduce Jail Sentence
Prisoners in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are being freed early if they complete yoga courses. For every three months spent practicing postures, balancing and breathing, the inmates can cut their jail time by 15 days. The authorities say the lessons help to improve the prisoners' self-control and reduce aggression. Some 4,000 inmates across the state are benefiting from the scheme, and many ... posted on Feb 14 2010, 3,227 reads

Practicing the Science of Happiness
The study of happiness is experiencing a boom. Its practitioners include economists who believe that gross domestic product is too limited a tool to measure the success of societies, psychologists and sociologists who feel that their disciplines have focused too much on neuroses and social problems and not enough on determining what kind of activities and policies actually contribute to happier so... posted on Jan 22 2010, 7,719 reads

Born To Help
What is the essence of human nature? Flawed, say many theologians. Vicious and addicted to warfare, wrote Hobbes. Selfish and in need of considerable improvement, think many parents. But biologists are beginning to form a generally sunnier view of humankind. The somewhat surprising answer at which some biologists have arrived is that babies are innately sociable and helpful to others. This New Yor... posted on Jan 15 2010, 3,654 reads

The Long Term Effects of Short Term Emotions
"The heat of the moment is a powerful, dangerous thing. We all know this. If we're happy, we may be overly generous. Maybe we leave a big tip, or buy a boat. If we're irritated, we may snap. Maybe we rifle off that nasty e-mail to the boss, or punch someone. And for that fleeting second, we feel great. But the regret-- and the consequences of that decision -- may last years, a whole career, or eve... posted on Jan 11 2010, 7,020 reads

The Surprising Science of Motivation
Bidding adieu to his last "real job" as Al Gore's speechwriter, Dan Pink went freelance to spark a right-brain revolution in the career marketplace. Now a career analyst and author of several bestsellers, Dan Pink has changed the way companies view the modern workplace. In this Ted Talk, Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don'... posted on Jan 10 2010, 3,979 reads

How Mindfulness Can Make for Better Doctors
"Last month, The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a study examining the effects of a year-long course for primary care physicians on mindfulness, that ability to be in the zone and present in the moment purposefully and without judgment. Seventy physicians enrolled and participated in the four components of the course -- mindfulness meditation; writing sessions;... posted on Dec 11 2009, 3,796 reads

Yawn for Good Health?
Dogs yawn before attacking, Olympic athletes yawn before performing, and fish yawn before they change activities. Evidence even exists that yawning helps individuals on military assignment perform their tasks with greater accuracy and ease. Several recent brain-scan studies have shown that yawning evokes a unique neural activity in the areas of the brain that are directly involved in generating so... posted on Dec 01 2009, 6,159 reads