Category: ideas

“Individuals who show more neural activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex are less likely to be upset the day after fighting with partners … The findings point to the lateral prefrontal cortex’s role in emotion regulation, and suggest that improved function within this region may also improve day-to-day mood.”

“Whether it’s a grieving dog, a depressed horse or even a whale mysteriously beaching itself, there is a long history of animals behaving suicidally, behavior that can help explain human suicide, says newly published research.”

“One study finds exploring contrasts and commonalities between cultures helps unlock creativity – news that would not surprise Picasso, who was strongly influenced by African art. The second suggests seeding the imagination is as simple as allowing yourself to think like a 7-year-old.”

“New research supports the notion that we fixate on enemies, and inflate their power, as a defense mechanism against generalized anxiety.”

“I used to keep a tally of all the products that could have been sold separately but which have been cannibalised by the mobile: cameras, calculators, books, video cameras, music players, satellite navigation and so on. When the list reached 60, I gave up, because the arrival of the iPhone and iPod Touch made the list of extra products grow exponentially.”

“It seems to make perfect sense: happy people are trusting people. But a new study suggests that, in some instances, people may actually be less trusting of others when they are in a pleasant mood.”

“Consumers found that satisfaction with ‘experiential purchases’ – from massages to family vacations – starts high and increases over time. In contrast, spending money on material things feels good at first, but actually makes people less happy in the end.”

“Don’t laugh – researchers say a cache of ostrich eggshells engraved with geometric designs demonstrates the existence of a symbolic communication system around 60,000 years ago among African hunter-gatherers.”

“It’s an aversion to being sullied by something one views as degrading or foreign,” says philosopher Martha Nussbaum. “The things that inspire that idea are typically reminders of our animality and bodily nature.” And it’s ultimately what lies behind everything from resistance to women’s suffrage to Jim Crow laws to opposition to same-sex marriage.

“Biologists have seen [culture] as a shield that protects people from the full force of other selective pressures, since clothes and shelter dull the bite of cold and farming helps build surpluses to ride out famine. … Many biologists are now seeing the role of culture in a quite different light. Although it does shield people from other forces, culture itself seems to be a powerful force of natural selection.”