Contact with nature may mean more social cohesion and less crime
The benefits of being surrounded by nature are endless, but a new study suggests that the amount of nature that an area has access to plays a role in crime rates as well. Researchers from Cardiff University found that the amount of green space or farmland accessible in people’s neighborhoods Read More...
The psychological benefits of gratitude closely mirror those of meditation
Yesterday’s Thanksgiving was a day for practicing gratitude, but why stop at just one day a year. Studies show that people who regularly practice gratitude are less likely to procrastinate and more likely to remain focused on priorities, as well as find creative solutions to problems. Bodies of Read More...
Banks could be decimated at they approach an "Uber moment"
The former CEO of Barclays had grave words on the future of traditional banks this week, as he drew parallels with black taxis losing their fight against Uber. Banks are approaching an “Uber moment” with a looming threat that technology will replace high street branches, outshine their Read More...
The secret to reshaping your brain and getting more done
Nowadays we’re always on, always available. That iPhone in your pocket makes it pretty difficult to truly ‘punch out’ when you leave the office. (Especially when there’s code to ship and slack messages to read!) Instead we rely heavily on these pocket computers to stay in Read More...
Environment top of sustainability agenda for shoppers, survey shows
British consumers equate sustainability with environmental issues and believe the most important issues sustainability issues for firms to address are damage to Earth's land and climate, according to a new survey released this week by business consultancy Future Thinking. The survey - which Read More...
Vancouver mayor calls on residents to take climate pledge
Vancouverites may love the city’s green image, but are residents doing their part to actually live green lifestyles? Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson wants citizens to pledge to do just that with a new climate action pledge released Thursday, days before the mayor flies to Paris for the 2015 Read More...
3 ways gratitude makes good business sense
Jim Schwartz, a former boss of mine in the fashion industry who is now president of Mast Industries, used to remind us to "Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole!". Thanksgiving Day helps us to pause and reflect on all that there is in front of us, instead of focusing on what "woulda, shoulda and Read More...
Here's a washing machine that filters its own water
When it comes to washing machines, even the most efficient ones are exceedingly wasteful. In fact, it takes more than 20 gallons of water to remove just 1 tablespoon of dirt from a batch of laundry. Thankfully a group of students from MIT have invented the AquaFresco, a new washing machine filter Read More...
David Lynch and the "second coming" of Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation might have remained a relic of 1960s counterculture practiced by the elite few. Yet, there may be a "second coming". In a fine article, Motherboard writes about how this resurgence is partly thanks to David Lynch. The film director (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive) has been a Read More...
Living in places with little road noise may help prevent depression
People who live with constant road noise may be more prone to developing depression, researchers from Germany say. "Although we can't say for sure, it has been thought that noise causes stress and annoyance," said lead researcher Ester Orban, of the Center for Urban Epidemiology at University Read More...