Leaving Mental Spaces

This article does a good job of covering the basics of how and why news can rattle us when we don’t consume it with intention: Here’s what happened when I gave up following the news for a week. When you are constantly bombarded with “exciting” news, you are connecting with it emotionally rather than cognitively. […]

Public Awareness of Food Waste

This is a great story of successfully sharing research findings – and one that continues the work of spreading the information. “Forty percent of the food grown in the United States is wasted from farm to fork to table—at a cost of $165 billion, or $2,200 every year for every family in America. If we […]

Psychology’s Crisis

Some very interesting stuff is happening in psychology. It’s fun to discuss all the new theories and studies, but what they offer us isn’t certainty. What psychology’s crisis means for the future of science The field is currently undergoing a painful period of introspection. It will emerge stronger than before.

Nature and Health

Nature profoundly impacts our brains and our behavior, here’s a roundup of research. How Nature Boosts Kindness, Happiness, and Creativity We are spending more time indoors and online. But recent studies suggest that nature can help our brains and bodies to stay healthy.

How writing impacts our lives

“It is helpful to remember that it’s not really about feelings,” Robert A. Emmons said in an interview with Live Science. “Gratitude is a choice. We can choose to be grateful even when our emotions are steeped in hurt and resentment, or we would prefer our current life circumstances to be different.” This is a […]

Behavioral science in government

“It’s not enough to simply design good federal programs. We have to make sure that those programs effectively reach the very people they are designed to serve. Behavioral science teaches us that even small barriers to accessing programs can have disproportionate negative impacts on participation rates.” – Maya Shankar How the science of human behavior […]

Take time out

“It is heartening to find how sitting outside can improve quality of life for many people, and underlines the importance of socially aware design of both benches and public space.” – Clare Rishbeth, University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape Public benches should be viewed for health and wellbeing benefits – not anti-social behaviour

Phones, Part of Ourselves?

Some studies show that we cannot connect well with others while our phones are sitting near us, but this study found that people performed better when their phone was nearby. They’re distracting and they’re comforting, all at once. “We no longer see the phone as just a device. Now we see it as a part […]