Coffee and the caffeine inside it is one of the world’s most popular drugs. The scientific opinion about whether it is healthy or not is always changing. Some researchers say that coffee creates inflammation in your body and can cause high blood pressure as well as other … [Read more...]
There are more than 200,000 species of plant life on planet earth, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The history of land plants is 420 million years old, and no one can say how many species have lived and died off over the years. While many of these species are gone for … [Read more...]
Time flies, and sometimes we feel like we never have enough. According to some research, the answer to this problem might lie in finding more awe in our lives. Awe is something that fills you with wonder. It is a jaw-dropping experience that takes your breath away. This is … [Read more...]
As the year winds down, people around the world resolve to make changes in their lives. This New Year’s resolution tradition is more than 4,000 years old and dates back to the Babylonians, who resolved to pay old debts and return borrowed things at the end of the year. Today, … [Read more...]
During WWI, many of the British, French, and German soldiers lived, fought, and died in trenches that snaked thousands of miles through the countryside. These trenches were grim, dark places averaging 7 feet deep and 6 feet wide. On the Allied side, they were often full of mud, … [Read more...]
Has anyone ever told you, you could stand to lose some weight? Or maybe people have told you you’re as thin as a rail. Either way, it might not just be other people judging you on your looks. Prairie dogs have a complex language, and they are not only talking about people, but … [Read more...]
A famous book from the 70s called The Secret Life of Plants says that plants are conscious and even have a preference for music. In one research study, plants exposed to Mozart were healthier and grew faster than plants exposed to Jimi Hendrix. Some say these studies that claim … [Read more...]
A young Albert Einstein dreamed he was sliding down a snow covered hill. As he began to move faster and faster, he looked up and saw that the appearance of the stars was changing. Einstein then awoke and spent the next 12 years thinking about the meaning of this dream, which … [Read more...]
We've all heard the old adage that money can't buy happiness, but according to a Princeton University study that looked at 450,000 surveys from 1,000 US residents, that might not be true. Nobel prize-winning scientists Deaton and Kahneman looked at two measures of happiness: … [Read more...]
They say the paradox of happiness is: the more you chase it, the more elusive it becomes. You’d think it’d be a cakewalk, but so many of us suffer from depression and dissatisfaction. If we just had a little more money, a slightly better job, or the right partner, that happiness … [Read more...]
The ice is melting, the world is warming, and the oceans are rising. Richer countries bear most of the responsibility for global warming, but poorer island countries like the Maldives are the first to bear the brunt of rising waters. The Maldives are a chain of islands famous … [Read more...]
In the early morning of December 26th, 2004, a massive earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that sent giant waves to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Over 200,000 people lost their lives that day. It was a tragic day that no human could have predicted, yet there are … [Read more...]
Jia Jiang was the founder of a small tech company in 2012 when he got rejected by an investor. Traumatized by this rejection, he was left with a sinking feeling in his stomach and was angry and insecure. Jiang wanted to give up on his company, but instead, he decided he needed … [Read more...]
Pheromones are chemical scents that animals naturally give off, which influence behavior. If you've ever been attracted to someone and didn't know why maybe your nose was subconsciously guiding you. Scientists have yet to isolate a chemical scent that turns on humans, but they … [Read more...]
Before we start this week's story, I want to play a bit from the Carsie Blanton song Smoke Alarm. Why do you waste your time Thinking about your reputation Trying to meet an expectation Wondering what they're gonna say When everyone you ever known Is headed for a … [Read more...]
'Beauty is only skin deep' is an English idiom dating back to the 1600s that means beauty is superficial and does not reflect one's essential character. In other words, what's on the inside is more important than what's on the outside. While we all understand this idea, it hasn't … [Read more...]
If it isn't broke, don't fix it ' is a common English expression that warns against fixing something that is fine the way it is. Leave well enough alone. Don't mess with it, or you'll make it worse. Some little people and deaf people feel the same way. ‘Little person’ is … [Read more...]
People are enamored with music. It touches our souls in profound ways that words alone cannot equal. It stirs our imagination, invigorates our bodies, and transforms our moods. It can lift us up or overwhelm us with emotion. It can make us feel down in the dumps or over the moon. … [Read more...]
"A dog is a man's best friend" is a common English saying because they are more loyal than all other animals, and some say they are more loyal than people too. Dogs and humans have lived under the same roof for 15,000 years. Recently a dog named Capitan has shown us why dogs are … [Read more...]
Delayed gratification means giving up pleasure now to get a greater reward in the future. We cut down on the junk food today, so we look good at the beach next summer. We save money now, so we can relax in retirement. We all delay gratification to some degree, and it starts at a … [Read more...]
