About how prayer affects the brain
The papal visit is a time for ritual, prayer, and meditation. Research has shown that such activities - even outside a religious context - change our brains for the better. Andrew B. Newberg, a neuroscientist and director of research at Jefferson University Hospitals' Myrna Brind Center of Read More...
Diet is still the key to brain power
Can you build a better brain with blueberries – or with fish, walnuts or kale? The idea that certain super foods can keep us sharper as we age has huge appeal – especially as study after study suggests that brain power will not be found in a supplement pill. The latest, published in Read More...
Neuroscience backs up the Buddhist belief that “the self” isn’t constant, but ever-changing
While you may not remember life as a toddler, you most likely believe that your selfhood then—your essential being—was intrinsically the same as it is today. Buddhists, though, suggest that this is just an illusion—a philosophy that’s increasingly supported by scientific research. Read More...
Blankets convert solar energy to hydrogen fuel
Imagine if the pool in your backyard could become an energy harvester, with a floating blanket on its surface converting solar energy to hydrogen fuel. This is a long-term goal of an interdisciplinary research team led by Pelagia Gouma, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Read More...
Want to really change politics? Look to cooperatives
Traditional politics is being superceded in the modern world. It's time for the left to put people power into practice. Traditional politics is struggling to keep up with modernity. In a world where both opportunity and insecurity can be transmitted by the touch of a trader’s button, lack of Read More...
Five tips on starting your own venture that uses business as a force for good
For The Venture's global report, Redefining Success in a Changing World, we surveyed more than 550 social entrepreneurs from around the world and talked to some of the most successful to get their personal learnings and tips to help you get your business off the ground. Your business idea stands a Read More...
The bitcoin was just recognized as an official commodity by the CFTC
It was the little currency that could, and now it really can. Despite being an effectively made up currency that was once used almost exclusively on the Web, the bitcoin is inching ever closer to legitimacy. Late last week, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) took the virtual Read More...
Kickstarter Focuses Its Mission on Altruism Over Profit
Many technology start-ups aim to become “unicorns,” the companies that get valued at $1 billion or more on their way to probable vast riches. Yancey Strickler and Perry Chen have no interest in that. As the co-founders of Kickstarter, the popular online crowdfunding website that lets Read More...
Healthier lifestyles could cut cancer cases by a third, researchers say
About a third of cancer cases could be prevented with small changes in lifestyle. That's the conclusion of researchers at the World Cancer Research Fund after studying data for the 13 most common cancers in the UK. For example, among men, 9% of cases of advanced prostate cancer could be prevented Read More...
Sweden experiments with six-hour-workday: efficiency up, staff turnover down
Scandinavian countries have been known for showing the world the importance of quality of life over economic growth. Now,nursing homes, hospitals and businesses in Sweden have switched from an eight-hour to a six-hour workday. And guess what? It’s benefitting everyone. The shorter workday gives Read More...