The Power of Mindful Exercise
Simply by telling 44 hotel maids that what they did each day involved some serious exercise, the Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer and Alia J. Crum, a student, were apparently able to lower the women's blood pressure, take pounds off their bodies and improve their body-fat ratios. Self-awareness, it seems, was the women's elliptical trainer.... posted on Jan 04 2008, 2,787 reads

The Art & Science of Changing Minds
Famed Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, noted for his theory of multiple intelligences, recently published Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds. The book outlines Gardner’s research and thinking on how best to convince others (or yourself) to adopt a different viewpoint in various settings, including business. In this interview Gardner talks abou... posted on Dec 30 2007, 5,127 reads

The Science of Subtle Signals
Researchers from the Human Dynamics Group at MIT's Media Lab set up electronic devices that analyzed the speech patterns of operators on a call center floor in Scotland, capturing neither the words used nor the logic, but only the variations in tone and pitch. Amazingly enough, they predicted accurately, after only a few seconds of listening, the ultimate success or failure of almost every call. T... posted on Dec 26 2007, 3,061 reads

Holiday Happiness for the Family
Will a pile of presents make our kids feel happy and loved this holiday season? Research shows that kids who focus on stuff and money are less happy and less healthy, more narcissistic, and have more behavior disorders than others. Clearly that joy doesn’t last. Though fraught with materialism, this season has more potential than any other to foster happiness. Spiritually and culturally meaningf... posted on Dec 23 2007, 2,119 reads

The Giver's Gains in Giving Gifts
The holiday season offers a unique opportunity to reflect on what it means to give and receive gifts. A 2005 survey showed that four out of five Americans think the holidays are too materialistic, but recent findings point to an intriguing element of gift giving -- a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and f... posted on Dec 22 2007, 2,126 reads

The Anatomy of Reasoning
In "Why?" the Columbia University scholar Charles Tilly sets out to make sense of our reasons for giving reasons. Tilly seeks to decode the structure of everyday social interaction, and the result is a book that forces readers to reexamine everything from the way they talk to their children to the way they argue about politics. Malcolm Gladwell, author of bestsellers "The Tipping Point" and "Blink... posted on Dec 20 2007, 2,588 reads

What Makes Us Moral?
We're a species that is capable of almost dumbfounding kindness. We nurse one another, romance one another, weep for one another. Ever since science taught us how, we willingly tear the very organs from our bodies and give them to one another. And at the same time, we slaughter one another. If the entire human species were a single individual, that person would long ago have been declared mad. The... posted on Nov 25 2007, 4,002 reads

Less Homework, More Yoga At Needham High
As the principal of Needham High School, Paul Richards is making some radical changes. Among them -- homework-free weekends and holidays, and mandatory yoga classes! It's all aimed at reducing stress. Many students were so stressed out about grades and test scores -- and so busy building résumés to get into the small number of brand-name colleges they equated with success -- that, he ... posted on Nov 01 2007, 3,044 reads

Are You Getting Enough Sun?
A spate of new studies suggests vitamin D offers health benefits far beyond strengthening bones. Researchers report that "the sunshine vitamin" may cut cancer risks and help the immune system fight infections. Together these studies raise the possibility that a brief daily dose of sun combined with a vitamin D supplement could help stave off everything from breast cancer to the flu. Although our s... posted on Oct 16 2007, 2,598 reads

Secrets of the Very Very Old
Any centenarian in the US today has lived to see eighteen presidents serve the United States through two World Wars, the civil rights and womens' liberation movements and the rise and eventual fall of Communism. If s/he worked on a farm, s/he saw the progression from horses to tractors, and a Model T tooted its way down the street. S/he is older than the Empire State Building, bubble gum and Micke... posted on Oct 09 2007, 4,501 reads