Sleeplessness Can sleep loss kill brain cells? Yes. Like the kind when I pull an all-nighter for school or work? Yes – if you are a mouse. So why should I care? Because if similar events befall people, you may really want to protect your sleep time – or at least how long you stay […]
The Enraged Heart (3/11/14)
Does Anger Kill? For thousands of years the anecdotal answer has been yes. Rage frequently kills those enraged – and those around them. But what happens in modern life? Therein’s a tale involving personality, tobacco, and the changing mores of research. What’s New Now? A large meta-analysis in the European Heart Journal, put together […]
Your Lying, Cheating Brain (3/3/14)
Creating Useful Lies “I just know it’s true. I saw it.” But your brain is not a DVD player, correctly recording what happened. And that’s a good thing. The unreliability of memory has been a literary theme for thousands of years. The creation of our many “true fictions” are ascribed to factors varying from personality […]
Do You Know How to Walk? (2/24/18)
Walking and Breathing Walking is like breathing. Effortless. You’re up and moving. One of nature’s healthiest activities can also prove one of its most pleasant. People often love cities because they are “walkable” – you can get what you need on your own two feet. And be entertained – and pleasured – all along the […]
Why Diets Don’t Work (2/18/14)
The Short Answer: Because we don’t understand enough of how the body works. That includes why we weigh what we do. Throwing more money at the problem (diets are a $66 billion dollar industry in the US; food vastly larger) has so far led to a bigger population. For every success, there are many […]
