Miscellany

Babies Listen From the Womb
Sept/09
In the past, doctors were only able to judge development indirectly by looking for physical movement in response to stimulation. But using a new technique they were able to detect a striking increase in brain activity, when music was played to babies in the womb.

A Little Music With Exercise Boosts Brain Power
Sept/09
Participants reported feeling better emotionally and mentally after working out regardless of whether or not they listened to music. But the improvement in verbal fluency after listening to music was more than double that of the non-music condition.

Addicted to Love
Sept/09
Have you ever wondered what fuels that flame when you fall in love?

Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions,
and Hurtful Acts
Aug/09
I do something that I should not have done, and this troubles me, because I'm not the kind of person who does that sort of thing. So, to salve this nagging complaint of the soul, I declare to myself that the act was right all along, and I confirm this by reinforcing it at the earliest possible opportunity.

How DNA Proves God Made All Creatures
Aug/09
The actual physical scientific evidence would say that the earliest creatures on Earth in fact had DNA with this kind of coding. The earliest cells all have the same kind of structure. So we went from no life on Earth to life that had this incredibly complex DNA that had coding in it. But just after Darwin, scientists had no inkling of this. So they weren’t too worried about their inability to explain the origin of life. They just assumed it was a simple globule of undifferentiated protoplasm. And of course, all that changed radically after 1953 with discoveries about the complexity and structure of DNA and other discoveries about proteins. I think we’re looking at a distinctive hallmark of intelligent activity. That’s simply the most logical thing to conclude.

A Walk Across the Universe
May/09
On this scale, the Milky Way Galaxy is about the size of a dime - one hundred billion stars in a whirling spiral. The next spiral, the Andromeda Galaxy, is another dime (well, maybe a nickel) about as far away as my footprint is long. The Milky Way under my heel, Andromeda under my toe. I take a step. I span galaxies. As I walk, galaxies flow under my feet. Fling dimes for a mile in every direction, a foot or so apart. Every dime is a galaxy of a hundred billion stars. Every star (perhaps) with planets.

Dividing 17 Mules
May/09
A Missouri farmer passed away and left 17 mules to his three sons. The instructions left in the will said that the oldest boy was to get one-half, the second oldest one-third, and the youngest one-ninth. The three sons, recognizing the difficulty of dividing 17 mules into these fractions, began to argue.

The Inner-Life of Animals
April/07
Their inability to see the obvious might be amusing if the consequences weren't so serious. Torturing rats or rabbits in scientific research wouldn't be so easy if you looked into their eyes and recognized a fellow being who experienced the same pain and fear you would feel.

Nelson Mandela's Lesson
April/07
I asked him another question. “When you were walking out of prison for the last time, didn’t you feel the hatred rise up in you again?” “Yes,” he said, “for a moment I did. Then I thought to myself, ’They have had me for 27 years. If I keep hating them, they will still have me.’ I wanted to be free, and so I let it go.”

Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are
April/07
Nobody lived in the past, if you stop to think about it. Jefferson, Adams, Washington — they didn’t walk around saying, “Isn’t this fascinating, living in the past?” They lived in the present just as we do. The difference was it was their present, not ours. And just as we don’t know how things are going to turn out for us, they didn’t either.

Gerald Ford at 90 Reflects on the Presidency
April/07
“I am still convinced that truth is the glue that holds government together not only our government, but civilization itself.” He cautions future presidents about general abuse of power and the dangers of over-reliance on staff. He maintains that staff ,members are not elected by the people and “the ramifications of their arrogance and abuse of power — particularly by secondary and lower level staff — can be and has been dangerous.“

Eudamonia, the Good Life
April/07
The first kind of happiness, the HollywooThe modern medical term—the famous term, the celebrity term, the superstar of psychological monikers—is “acquired situational narcissism.” d, smiley, giggly variety, is certainly a positive emotion. But the second kind is eudaemonia; not the propensity to giggle a lot; but an abiding sense of flow, where time stops, you feel completely at home, self-consciousness is blocked and you're one with the music. The third form of happiness is meaning, where you deploy your unique strengths in the service of something larger than you are.

Celebrity and Its Discontents
April/07
The modern medical term is “acquired situational narcissism.” Trapped in their bubbles, celebrities experience arrested development. They become an adolescents, a developmental stage that is non-age-specific. Nowadays in the celebrity nuthouse, the inmates are running the asylum.

Top Reasons Why Marriages Struggle
April/07
Not understanding that real love is not just a feeling, but is all about what we do for each other. Couples lose sight of the fact that the head over heals feeling they felt when they first got together is not the kind of love that is going to take them from "I do" to "happily ever after." A whole different kind of love evolves which is based on doing things for and with each other, not on what I can get from the relationship.

Do Fish Feel Pain?
April/07
All the fundamental structures and modulation processes necessary for the perception of pain are present in fish. Fish have 58 pain receptors around the mouth and actually react at lower levels of pain stimulation then humans, perhaps because their skin is more easily damaged.

U.S. Teen-Agers Need More Rest, Researchers Say
April/07
American teen-agers are getting far less sleep than they need, and their health, behavior and academic performance are suffering as a result.

There's Just 1 Race of People, Say Experts: Human
April/07
Scientists say that race and skin color mean little more than a good suntan. Or lack of one. Race has nothing to do with science and everything to do with society. But for many ethnic minorities, it does not matter if race is cultural or scientific. Most people still buy into the idea of race, and many feel threatened by people who are different from them.

The Aging of the Human Brain
April/07
“Somehow I have a confidence I didn’t have before. I find that my brain makes leaps it didn’t make so easily. I can hear my inner voice and trust instincts and hunches in ways I didn’t used to.”

Is Your Brain Male or Female?
April/07
The female brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy, and the male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems. Yet other individuals are equally strong in their systemising and empathising. This is called the "balanced brain."

Teens' Brains Lack in Ability for Sound Judgment
April/07
One of the last parts of the brain to mature is the prefrontal cortex - the very part responsible for self-control, judgment, emotional regulation, organization and planning.

Inside the Teenage Brain
April/07
"If we were to compare the teenage brain to an automobile, it's as if the gas pedal is to the floor, and there are no brakes." The teen brain develops from back to front. In other words, the part of the brain that helps teens reason, plan ahead and manage impulses - the prefrontal cortex - is one of the last areas to mature, at around age 25.

Astronomers Spy 10 Billion Trillion Trillion-Carat Diamond
April/07
That's one followed by 34 zeros. If anyone's ever promised you the sun, the moon and the stars, tell 'em you'll settle for BPM 37093. This hunk of celestial bling is an estimated 2,500 miles across.

Animals Called 'Bundles of Emotion'
April/07
Arguments that chickens and pigs and cows don't experience fear and grief are no different from old arguments that African slaves "don't feel pain like white men," or that women weren't smart enough to vote.

The Four Modes of Marriage
Nov/06
"Institutional Marriage" existed for the welfare of children and families, not primarily for the personal happiness of the spouses. "Psychological Marriage" emphasized the emotional satisfactions of friendship, intimacy, sexual satisfaction, and gender equality. "Consumer Marriage" brought in a powerful form of me-first individualism. People expected to be treated lovingly and fairly by their spouses. For the first time in human history, marriages could be ended by one of the spouses saying, "It's not working for me anymore." In "Modern Covenant Marriage, "the well-being of your spouse and your marriage is as important as your own well-being.

The Creative Person
Oct/06
is peculiarly gifted in seeing the gap between what is and what could be (which means, of course, that he/she has achieved a certain measure of detatchment from what actually is)

The Limits of Power
Oct/06
This is the transcript of an actual radio conversation between a U.S. naval vessel and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland.

The Captain Was Sober All Day
Oct/06
The first mate said, “But with that on my record, I may have trouble ever getting a captain’s berth of my own.” “I can’t help that,” the captain said without remorse. “The statement is perfectly true, and that is all that matters.

Blame Memory Lapses on Hard Work
Oct/06
Bone weary at times - feeling like your memory isn't up to par? It could be you've had a hard week at work and your cortisol is at flood tide. Cortisol is a hormone that can interfere with memory at times of high stress.

What the Experts Said
Sept/06
"That the automobile has practically reached the limit of its development is suggested by the fact that during the past year no improvements of a radical nature have been introduced." [Scientific American, Jan. 2, 1909]

Laughter Keeps Blood Flowing Through Arteries
Aug/06
Laughter seems to cause the inner lining of blood vessels to relax or expand, increasing blood flow. Mental stress causes the opposite — making them constrict, thus reducing blood flow.

The Incompetent are Blissfully Self-assured
Aug/06
People who do things badly are usually supremely confident of their abilities — more confident, in fact, than people who do things well. The skills required for competence are often the same skills necessary to recognize competence in the first place.

Hounds Heal Hearts
Aug/06
Anxiety levels fell 24 percent and stress hormone rates fell 17 percent. Pulmonary pressures dropped 10 percent.

Findings: Some People More Sensitive to Pain
Jan/05
Pain that brings tears to one person's eyes may be barely noticed by someone else, and that can be a problem for doctors deciding on treatment. Some people really do feel more pain than others.

Parental Job Description
May/04
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.

It's All So Ovibous
April/04
It deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers are in the rghit pclae.

What Others Aren't Thinking About You
Feb/04
"People tend to overestimate the extent to which their actions are noted by others," says Cornell psychologist Thomas Gilovich.

One-Hour Life History
Feb/04
Writing a life history sounds like a monumental task, but it can be done in an hour. It’s easy. It’s even fun. Here is one way to begin:

Helping the Bereaved
Feb/04
This guide suggests the kinds of attitudes, words, and acts which are truly helpful. The importance of such helps can hardly be overstated.

On Losing a Pet
Feb/04
It was only a dog (cat, bird, etc.). What’s wrong with me? But a person often isn’t as intricate a part of your daily life. Your grandmother wasn’t wagging her tail when you came home, and she didn’t sleep curled up on your bed. Often people are closer to their pets than to many of their relatives. The intensity of grief causes guilt and confusion, but it’s actually quite logical.

A Quiz That Shows What Really Matters
Feb/02
The people who make a difference our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

Big Rocks
Feb/02
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point."

Classical vs. Popular Music
Feb/02
Coming to classical music from popular music is less of a leap than you might think. If you've encountered a piece of classical music that you loved, then you know more than you think you do.

A Provocative Prayer
Sept/01
Everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

Now I Sit Me Down In School
Sept/01
If scripture now the class recites It violates the Bill of Rights. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a federal matter now.

The Binch
Sept/01
But, whatever the reason, his heart or his turban, He stood facing U-ville, the part that was urban. "They're doing their business," he snarled from his perch. "They're raising their families! They're going to church! They're leading the world, and their empire is thriving, I MUST keep the S's and U's from surviving!"

Editorials and Essays

Happy Anniversary for Millions Never Born
April/07
Why is it so repugnant to accept that, knowing more now, we may have been wrong in our initial embrace of abortion? Technology no longer permits us to look the other way, to pretend that abortion does not end a life.

Feminism and the Family
April/07
After a generation or so of sexual license a culture falls apart and implodes – cultures like the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Persians. The United States is following that pattern. We have been conducting a generation-long social experiment in America. For 30-40 years, we've been saying that sex is recreation and commitment is unnecessary.

Civilization on the Brink
April/07
Every civilization seems to itself to be indestructible - even in the midst of self-destruction. We will have thrown away many of the very things that made our civilization so dominant, so prosperous, so successful. For instance, we have spent a generation trivializing the family, debasing it and undermining it until it doesn’t have as much practical value as a stock certificate.

Turning the Tables on Abortion
April/07
“Have an abortion,” the woman responded. “That child would have a very poor quality of life.” “I have a vested interest in your answer,” James said. “The woman I described was my mother. I was the fifth of six children born into poverty. And, in case you’re interested, the quality of my life is just fine!”

Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation
April/07
Doctors know that unborn children can feel a touch within the womb and that they respond to pain. Some unborn children do survive the late-term abortions the Supreme Court has made legal. Is there any question that those who don't survive were living human beings before they were killed? Either life is always and in all circumstances sacred, or it is intrinsically of no account.

A worthy aspiration for most humans: To be like your own dog
Sept/06
Elvis is wholly and utterly devoted to me for one reason and one reason only: because I'm me. OK, and that and I can work a can opener. Dogs live in the moment. Silly, happy, goofy grins that capture that blissful, joyful essence of all that is dog. If only we could all be content with so little.

A Loss for Words
Sept/06
As etymologists say, if enough people agree on the wrong meaning of a word, eventually it becomes the right meaning. That's how language evolves. I'm just afraid that it's evolving in the wrong direction - toward ambiguity, vagueness, jargon. I'm like, whatever.

Don't Embellish the National Anthem
Feb/05
The national anthem shouldn't be treated like a pop song, a rock song or a screaming gospel showcase, a Broadway audition, or a grandstand for vocal gymnastics.

The Paradox of Our Time
April/04
We have more to spend - but have less, we have more leisure - but less fun, we have more conveniences - but less time for each other, we have more labor saving devices - but work longer hours.

How About Tolerance For All?
Jan/04
One man, dressed in his church clothes, saw the insults and desecrations, and grabbed the piece of clothing. To protect it. He was charged with robbery and taken to jail.

Uplifting

Fishing
Oct/06
The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!" The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"

The Love Test
Sept/06
A little story with a wonderful twist. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.

Stray Cat
Oct/06
Oh, what unhappy twist of fate Has brought you homeless to my gate? The gate where once another stood To beg for shelter, warmth, and food For from that day I ceased to be The master of my destiny.

Teddy Stoddard
Sept/06
You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's life by your actions or lack of action.

A Christmas Challenge
Sept/06
If you can do these things, then you can keep Christmas. And if you can keep Christmas for a day, why not always?

And You Have the Nerve to Call Me Colored!
Feb/02
When you're born, you're pink, When you grow up, you're white, When you're sick, you're green, When you go out in the sun, you go red, When you're cold, you go blue, When you die, you'll be purple, And you have the nerve to call me colored!

Family
Feb/02
We were very polite, this stranger and I as we went on our way and said good-bye. But at home a different story is told, of how we treat our loved ones, young and old.

What Music Is All About
Oct/01
At Julliard, kids are hypercritical of each other and very competitive. The teachers expect, and in most cases get, technical perfection. But this wasn't about that. I've never seen a more appreciative audience, and I've never understood so fully what it means to communicate music to other people.

Making Music With What You Have Left
Oct/01
He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us, and then he said, not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."

Things to Ponder

On the Gift of Sight
March/05
Have you ever read Helen Keller's comment on a girl who had just taken a walk in the woods, who in answer to Helen's question, "What did you observe?" replied, "Nothing in particular".

On Death, the Great Equalizer
March/05
When I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind.

On Extremist Positions
March/05
The problems of real life are gray, not black and white. They are matters of judgment and degree, the kinds of things that are difficult to understand and don't lend themselves to easy solutions. The hard core communist and the hard core John Bircher are peas in a pod. Both are reactionaries.

On a Life of Action
March/05
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

On Counter-Culture Parenting
March/05
Once the chorus of cultural values was full of ministers, teachers, neighbors, leaders. Now the messengers are violent cartoon characters, rappers, and celebrities selling sneakers.

On Generous People
March/05
How delightful is the company of generous people, who overlook trifles and keep their minds fixed on whatever is good and posit them. People of small caliber are always carping.

On the Living of History
March/05
Nobody ever lived in the past, only in the present. And just like us, they didn’t know how it would all turn out.

On Inexperience
March/05
Inexperience is a quality of the human condition.

On Leadership
March/05
It wasn’t the soldiers who changed. It was the leader. A great military leader imposes his will on his enemy, and makes his own army a willing extension of himself.

On Summer Time
March/05
Time in fact is the whole point and purpose of summer. Time by the armful, time overflowing, the way it was when we were younger.

On Our Deepest Fear
March/05
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

On University Presidents
March/05
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

On the Babies of 1809
March/05
We may well ask which of the battles of 1809 mattered more than the babies of 1809.

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