Etiquette is an interesting cultural variation. I gave a workshop last weekend in Bermuda and between sessions I walked around Hamilton, took a bus here and there and spent time in the dockyard area. Read More

Some scientists including the late Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould propose that science and religion operate in non-overlapping spheres. A second group of scholars argues that science and religion need not be pitted against one another rather one should seek a pragmatic and conciliatory stance. Finally, a third group of academics use science to explain the existence of religion. Of note within this group are evolutionists who investigate the evolutionary roots of religious belief. The great majority of scientists fall within the third camp namely they recognize that religion is a phenomenon that is within the purview of scientific exploration whilst noting that religion has nothing to say about scientific matters. With that in mind, I just returned from a conference, where two scholars seemed to "reassure" the audience that evolution was "consistent" with Evangelical Christianity and Islam. Read More

For some people, saying yes, giving in to what is asked or wanted is a habit, even an addiction. The people-pleasing habit can be cured.  Read More

Are we looking at the death knell for diversity in graduate education? Graduate programs of all kinds have worked to become more diversified in their student and faculty populations. Yet considering the effect of the current economic collapse on the decision making processes regarding access to higher education, we may be looking at a very different landscape in academic populations in the future. Read More

Today's Washington Post takes a look at one of the most maligned earmarks in the recently passed omnibus spending bill, which involved $1 million to kill Mormon crickets. Read More

Is positive psychology bullshit? Someone asked me this the other day - gently - so the question deserves a thoughtful answer, and not the ones that immediately came to my mind. As I noted in my very first blog entry here, positive psychology is an umbrella term that organizes the work of those of us who have heeded the recommendation to study scientifically what makes life worth living. Read More

We are the smartest species on the planet, so we have the largest brains in proportion to our body size. Read More

Seasonal changes can facilitate mindfulness. As the weather changes, so does our perspective. Springtime, in particular, is a wonderful time to become more aware of the growth and life that surrounds us. Read More

Not every changed intention is a failure of self-regulation. As one astute reader posted in a comment, we have to differentiate between updating an intention based on new information from simply failing to act on an intention. Let's take on this thorny philosophical issue. Read More

What do New Agers, religious fundamentalists, libertarians, anti-war activists, and hawks have in common? Recent conversations across a spectrum of political and spiritual beliefs reveal a common yet tangled thread. Read More

From babyhood to teen years many Chinese parents use "unconventional techniques to turn out an Ivy-caliber child." How far should you go? Read More

The subtle nature of bias in modern society is a topic I've touched on before. And a post this week from one of my fellow bloggers makes a compelling case for how this phenomenon can occur even when people have only the very best of intentions. As a case in point, consider the well-known tendency that many of us, elementary school teachers in particular, have to talk in terms of "boys and girls." There's the seemingly innocuous "good morning, boys and girls." And "how about the boys take care of cleaning out the brushes and the girls are in charge of putting the paints away." And so on. But what does this language really convey? And why is it necessary in the first place? Read More

Many children with ADHD suffer from an underlying physical disorder causing fragmented and disrupted sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea, or periodic limb movement disorder, which is either the sole or main cause of their ADHD. Read More

It will be interesting to see what results from the two recent incidents of mass murder than occurred in Alabama and Germany. To the extent that the past is prologue, we should expect to see plenty of public fear and extreme reactions from officials and politicians. Both can be traced, at least to some degree, to a cognitive shortcut called the availability heuristic. Read More

There has been a good deal of research lately on what constitutes the best diet for weight loss: low fat? low carb? high protein? high fiber? I think the researchers are asking the wrong question. Read More

Parts I and II of this post described how we make movies in our heads starring the people we love and how those movies can easily turn love sour. This post shows how to edit your movies for more benign and realistic characterizations of loved ones. Read More

Maybe because I have ADD myself or just have a passion for working with these great kids, but I want to pass on some rather fascinating observations I have been making in regard to the sleep patterns of students diagnosed with this disorder. Read More

Anagrams are words or phrases made by rearranging the letters of other words or phrases. Their origin goes right back to the dawn of recorded history. Initially, they were perceived as harboring secret or prophetic messages. Read More

Only 25 percent of women are consistently orgasmic during vaginal intercourse. This bears repeating: Only one-quarter of women reliably experience orgasm during intercourse-no matter how long it lasts, no matter what size the man's penis, and no matter how the woman feels about the man or the relationship. Read More

"Organisms are just a bunch of cells," says John W. Pepper (University of Arizona).And as everyone knows from high school biology, cells reproduce by splitting and making copies of themselves. When this happens--over and over--mistakes are made, and they produce inaccurate copies. Most of these mistakes--mutations--are not fit for survival and disappear. Read More

Have you ever wondered why the main character of a film or novel is the main "character?" Perhaps it is because the person's character maturity is what must change and grow if there is ever to be a happy ending to the story. You'll find that what we see in the remarkable new multiple Oscar-winner, Slumdog Millionaire, the process of psychotherapy itself, flawlessly illustrated. Read More

Owners of high risk for aggression dogs admit to more criminal activity and are more likely to engage in sensation seeking and high risk behaviors. Read More

Sibling squabbles are a familiar part of family life, but the mind-shaping importance of the passionate mix of love and rivalry is often ignored.  Read More

Oh glory be that is basketball, the blessed NCAA tournament is again upon us. All over the land, the faithful will be filling out their brackets, science will be applied. And yes, once again, all over the land the faithful will be wrong.Yup, it's true, there's a science to filling out a good bracket, a science to which many are unfamiliar. Read More

I had planned to write about the butterfly effect on careers (see my post on chaos theory and careers), but ironically the butterfly landed on my shoulder this week in the form of the South by Southwest festival. Read More

Readers' replies to "Zen, choice and procrastination" were insightful and stimulated further writing and learning on my part. Here are some important distinctions about changing our intentions or failing to act on them. Read More

Sex is one of the strongest motivating forces in life. It has the potential for creating intense pleasure and fulfillment or for causing considerable pain and suffering. The effect of a natural expression of sexuality on one's sense of well-being and overall enjoyment of life cannot be over-emphasized. Read More

Columbia University Psychologist Dr. Derald Wing Sue has pioneered research on what are called "racial microaggressions" or experiences of racism that are so subtle that neither victim nor perpetrator may entirely understand what is going on. Read More

Stuck with Edward's family in a sunless, airless, dull mansion, having conversations that hint at the possibility of ancient patterns of potential incest now repressed, not having sex, and eating game meats? It would be like being married to an Englishman but without the cute accent or the trace amounts of humor. Read More

As more disorganization begins, as more concentration is lost, and as more resistance to authority builds, it is easy for the early adolescent to lose academic focus and moivation. The job of parents at this is to supervise the young person so that academic slippage does not occur. Read More