Uncategorized

  • How Not to Talk to Your Kids

    New York University professor of psychiatry Judith Brook explains that the issue for parents is one of credibility. “Praise is important, but not vacuous praise,” she says. “It has to be based on a real thing—some skill or talent they have.” Once children hear praise they interpret as meritless, they discount not just the insincere…

  • Learning to Learn: You, Too, Can Rewire Your Brain

    The studio for what is arguably the world’s most successful online course is tucked into a corner of Barb and Phil Oakley’s basement…This is where they put together “Learning How to Learn,” taken by more than 1.8 million students from 200 countries, the most ever on Coursera. The course provides practical advice on tackling daunting…

  • You Still Need Your Brain

    Most adults recall memorizing the names of rivers or the Pythagorean theorem in school and wondering, “When am I ever gonna use this stuff?” Kids today have a high-profile spokesman. Jonathan Rochelle, the director of Google’s education apps group, said last year at an industry conference that he “cannot answer” why his children should learn…

  • Learning to Think Like a Computer

    It’s obvious that computers have become indispensable problem-solving partners, not to mention personal companions. But it’s suddenly not enough to be a fluent user of software interfaces. Understanding what lies behind the computer’s seeming magic now seems crucial. In particular, “computational thinking” is captivating educators, from kindergarten teachers to college professors, offering a new language…

  • Training Your Brain So That You Don’t Need Reading Glasses

    By middle age, the lenses in your eyes harden, becoming less flexible. Your eye muscles increasingly struggle to bend them to focus on this print… But a new form of training — brain retraining, really — may delay the inevitable age-related loss of close-range visual focus so that you won’t need reading glasses. Read full…

  • Texas School Triples Recess Time, Solves Attention Deficit Disorder

    Public education is more stressful than ever for our children, as standardized testing requirements increase and programs like art, music and physical education are being phased out. The result of this type of environment is predictable, and the medical establishment and big pharma are making a killing by drugging active children with ADHD medications –…

  • Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?

    Amid an opioid epidemic, the rise of deadly synthetic drugs and the widening legalization of marijuana, a curious bright spot has emerged in the youth drug culture: American teenagers are growing less likely to try or regularly use drugs, including alcohol. Read full article: The New York Times, “Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?”

  • 6 Reasons to Focus on Liking Yourself, and How to Do It

    People have a need for affection and being liked. But it’s very easy to make a mistake here and go about it the wrong way. Because while trying to get others to like you may seem like a simple and common solution there is an alternative. One that I find works better…It is to focus…

  • Don’t set goals for yourself—instead, create systems that make it easy for you to succeed

    I devised my own system to help me lead a life that’s in keeping with my values. I call it my Intentionality Dashboard…I created the dashboard because I’d found that it was hard to stick to goals like “eat healthier” or “exercise more” on their own; to make these kinds of changes, I needed a…

  • How to Become a ‘Superager’

    Think about the people in your life who are 65 or older. Some of them are experiencing the usual mental difficulties of old age, like forgetfulness or a dwindling attention span. Yet others somehow manage to remain mentally sharp. Read Full Article: The New York Times, “How to Become a ‘Superager’”