Monthly Archive for November, 2008
Giving Thanks All Year Long
The Roman philosopher Cicero postulated, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." With Thanksgiving behind us, Americans were compelled to list all the things for which we were thankful. But, what makes some people grateful only one Thursday each fall, and others enjoy an attitude of gratefulness throughout the entire year?Many studies have found that having a grateful disposition increases overall well-being. People who are self-rated, as well as rated by observers, as having a grateful disposition also experience a positive affect, exhibit pro-social behaviors such as giving, comforting, rescuing, and helping others, and regularly practice spirituality or religion. Gratitude also is negatively associated with traits such as envy and materialism.
How Much Social Capital Do You Have?
If you were starting a business, you’d hope to acquire as much capital as you could: property, relevant tools, employees, and so on. As individuals, we strive to improve our human capital, or our economic value. We earn college degrees, take continuing education courses, attempt to expand our knowledge and master our respective fields. The more we know, the more we’re worth and it makes perfect sense (and boosts our pay!).Yet, perhaps more attention should be paid to the value of social capital.
Should Doctors Engage in Racial Profiling?
The time was June 2000. Scientists with the Celera Genomics Corporation, in conjunction with the international Human Genome Project, announced that they had successfully derived the entire sequence of the human genome. Furthermore, they noted that humans share 99.9% of their genetic code with one another. This discovery served as the platform for the medical community to declare that there was no genetic foundation for the notion of race, and we were all just human beings.
Going Green for Health Inequality
There is little argument that physical activity promotes good health, and that outdoor “green space” such as parks, forests, and recreation fields, promotes physical activity. Many studies have concluded that access to such space has an independent benefit on health and health-related behaviors. Now, however, there is evidence that access to green space many actually reduce the disparities in health care inequality related to socioeconomic status.A new study published in The Lancet postulates that exposure to quality outdoor recreational space mitigates factors that lead to disease for populations in a lower socioeconomic position.
Popular Posts
- The Love Drug
- Women After Sex
- Fatty Acids and Suicide Risk
- Mind Games - Science's Attempts at Thought Control
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- Mental Health Disorders Prevalent Among Youth Worldwide
- Is Giftedness Nothing More than Good Genes?
- The Many Emerging Roles of Astrocytes
- Behind the Masks - The Mysteries of Dissociative Identity Disorder
- The NeuroSocial Network
Future Posts
- The Brain’s Buying Power
Latest Posts
- Aging Intelligently
- A Nicotine Patch a Day Keeps the Cognitive Impairment Away
- The Many Emerging Roles of Astrocytes
- Diabetes Impairs Cognition
- Media Violence Leads to Real Violence
- Intelligence – Are You Holding Back Your Brain?
- Childhood Aggression Predicts Health Care Use Later in Life
- The Brain’s Border Patrol – Blood Brain Barrier
- Risks of Personalized Medicine
- BED-head and Obesity – Food for Thought
Comments
- Sandi Sarabia: Definitely, what a splendid we
- : This article had great info on
- peter: I also see things the same way
- Scapadas Amorosas: Lets patent it, package, marke
- Emily Haines, MSc, PhD student: Thanks for your comments, Matt
- Emily Haines, MSc, PhD student: Thanks for your comments and s
- Alex: While we have our eyes glued t
- Richard Kensinger, MSW: Carla,You are absolutely c
- Soraya L. Valles: I'm interested in astrocytes.
- Raymond Tallis: Dear Kitty, I have come to you
- Steven: After smoking for 17 years dai
- Matt: I'm just interested in hearing
