Here’s a theme you’ll see again and again in the coverage of the Paris Olympics: expectations matter. You can train at the most elite level, but when you get in your head, it becomes harder to perform. Our latest Instaread explores how our beliefs about health, fitness, and aging have concrete consequences in our lives. […]
Come on, get happy
To be happy, you need to invest in your long-term contentment instead of chasing material things. The pleasure that comes from money and property is often fleeting — and, by definition, expensive. Happiness derived from simple things can endure longer. Let’s take a closer look at this distinction. Instant Gratification Isn’t Happiness Your brain’s reward system […]
The next leap in human intelligence
The modern human brain emerged about 100,000 years ago. Some researchers think the next potential breakthrough could be artificial superintelligence, transforming intelligence from biological to digital. Understanding how our minds have evolved so far can help us decide which aspects of intelligence to keep, discard, or improve upon. A Long Evolution To come to grips […]
Those cookies are killing you 🍪
Dr. Robert Lustig takes aim at America’s broken health care system in our latest release, Metabolical. He hates how Big Food and Big Pharma put profits over people — and how the government lets them do it. How can we change our eating habits? Processed Food Is Poison The food industry hides the harmful effects of […]
Make better small talk
Do you ever become anxious or stumble over your words when you’re talking off the cuff — say, at a job interview or when you meet a new person at a party? Most people do. The good news is that impromptu speaking is a skill that you can improve with a few simple hacks. Let […]
Let’s talk about Ozempic
Historically, obesity was so rare that it only affected the superrich or people with genetic conditions. But around 1979, obesity rates began to rise very quickly, more than doubling over a 30-year period in the United States. Much of this phenomenon can be attributed to a single cause: processed foods. The Fight Against Fat Today’s […]
How to kick dread and anxiety
Anxiety is just your body’s way of getting attention. It’s not an identity or a permanent state that defines who you are. It’s best to think of any anxiety you experience as an alarm or signal that something needs to change. The tough part is figuring out exactly what that change needs to be. Make […]
A fascinating approach to a medical mystery
For most of human history, researchers have pondered why people become mentally ill. Possible causes they have debated include genetics, chemical imbalances, stress, and social problems. Christopher M. Palmer, a Harvard psychiatrist, proposes a new theory in Brain Energy. Time for Teamwork The key idea of Palmer’s theory of brain energy is that all mental illnesses […]
Remembering the Challenger shuttle
It was over in under two minutes. But the fragments of the Challenger space shuttle would take nearly an hour to splash down into the ocean. By midnight, about 95 percent of American adults had seen the video footage of the explosion. The question on everyone’s mind: What happened? Uneasy Answers It would take years, […]
Interval training for your career
Becoming your best self is challenging. The main barrier for most people is not the absence of knowledge or talent, but a lack of consistency. Execution is everything because excellent ideas are useless if they aren’t put into practice. How can you close the execution gap? Just Add Urgency A lot of people and organizations […]
