Quote of the day
Walking will add years to your life and vigorous life to your years! Walking is the most natural, safest, most perfect aerobic exercise for the human animal to participate in.
~OTHNIEL SEIDEN, author of WALK! Walk your way to great health & long life
THE BRAIN
Older and wiser? Some brain functions improve as we age, The Boston Globe | Tweet
Some brain functions decline early, but others found to peak later in life.
→The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
SCIENCE
The secret life of the aluminum can, a feat of engineering, Wired | Tweet
When was the last time you paused between sips of your favorite soda and wondered about that can in your hand? If you’re like most people, the answer is likely never. But that seemingly unremarkable object is actually a marvel of modern manufacturing. It is, in fact, a glorious thing.
Step outside yourself, Slate | Tweet
Meditation says to focus on the present. But life may be more meaningful if you don’t.
HEALTH
Reduce chocolate cravings with a 15-minute walk, Big Think | Tweet
When the stress of work has become unbearable, you may feel triggered to reach for the snack drawer and grab a treat. However, a research group out of the University of Innsbruck in Austria has found that a short, 15-minute walk has the power to stave off those unhealthy food cravings.
→WALK! Walk your way to great health & long life
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, more than theology helps us know God, Big Think | Tweet
Classical theology begins with the premise that God is infinite, but how can humans possibly have knowledge of God when infinity is by definition beyond the bounds of human imagination?
→The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind
BUSINESS
The rise of luxury toilet paper, The Washington Post | Tweet
Americans have a new favorite way to flush money down the drain: luxury toilet paper.
WINE
Wine headache? Chances are it’s not the sulfites, WSJ | Tweet
Since the government insisted that wine labels include a “Contains Sulfites” warning, folks have been blaming the compound for their wine headaches. Very likely, finds Lettie Teague, the cause is something else.
ENTERTAINMENT
How Netflix broke the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Spoiler Alert (and how to fix it), Medium | Tweet
Over the weekend, Netflix unfurled another great show. I would love to chat with you about it, but we — all of us, this sprawling TV-watching nation — have implicitly signed the same secret pact: #nospoilers.
WRITING
Talents and skills thesaurus entry: Herbalism, Writers Helping Writers | Tweet
When choosing a talent or skill, think about the personality of your character, his range of experiences and who his role models might have been. Some talents might be genetically imparted while others are created through exposure (such as a character talented at fixing watches from growing up in his father’s watch shop) or grow out of interest (archery, wakeboarding, or magic).
→The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes
When does the story end?, Roger McKasson | Tweet
Most authors when writing a story have an idea of what the beginning, middle and especially the end will be like, but anyone who has written a story or created another form of art knows that often to work directs the creator to a different end than they first had in mine.