Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | Video on TED.com

Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds | Video on TED.com

Very interesting.

Stay in school!

NY Times:

"The evidence is overwhelming that college is a better investment for most graduates than in the past. A new study even shows that a bachelor’s degree pays off for jobs that don’t require one: secretaries, plumbers and cashiers. And, beyond money, education seems to make people happier and healthier. ....

The most unfortunate part of the case against college is that it encourages children, parents and schools to aim low. For those families on the fence — often deciding whether a student will be the first to attend — the skepticism becomes one more reason to stop at high school. Only about 33 percent of young adults get a four-year degree today, while another 10 percent receive a two-year degree."

City Life Could Change Your Brain for the Worse | Wired Science | Wired.com

City Life Could Change Your Brain for the Worse | Wired Science | Wired.com:

"Meyer-Lindenberg’s findings, published June 23 in Nature, are a neurological investigation into the underpinnings of a disturbing social trend: As a rule, city life seems to generate mental illness.

Compared to their rural counterparts, city dwellers have higher levels of anxiety and mood disorders. The schizophrenia risk of people raised in cities is almost double. Literature on the effect is so thorough that researchers say it’s not just correlation, as might be expected if anxious people preferred to live in cities. Neither is it a result of heredity. It’s a cause-and-effect relationship between environment and mind."

That last sentence is a brave one.

The Sun Is the Best Optometrist - NYTimes.com

The Sun Is the Best Optometrist - NYTimes.com:

"...the rapid increase in nearsightedness appears to be due to a characteristic of modern life: more and more time spent indoors under artificial lights.

Our genes were originally selected to succeed in a very different world from the one we live in today. Humans’ brains and eyes originated long ago, when we spent most of our waking hours in the sun. The process of development takes advantage of such reliable features of the environment, which then may become necessary for normal growth.

Researchers suspect that bright outdoor light helps children’s developing eyes maintain the correct distance between the lens and the retina — which keeps vision in focus. Dim indoor lighting doesn’t seem to provide the same kind of feedback. As a result, when children spend too many hours inside, their eyes fail to grow correctly and the distance between the lens and retina becomes too long, causing far-away objects to look blurry"

Champion of Character - Michael Jasper | WBBJTV West Tennessee's News Channel | Sports

Champion of Character - Michael Jasper | WBBJTV West Tennessee's News Channel | Sports:

"Questions were raised about his weight, speed and that he couldn't make it in the NFL. Just more motivation for Michael.

'Every time I read an article talk about how big I am I lose 10 pounds, Jasper said. 'Every time they say I'm slow I add 10 tenths to my 40-time. I love Naysayers they make me better.

From 440 pounds to 375, hes in the best shape of his life and ready to begin a new chapter in his story. And prove he can make it."

JAMA Study: Tai Chi Benefits Health of Heart Failure Patients - ABC News

JAMA Study: Tai Chi Benefits Health of Heart Failure Patients - ABC News:

"At the end of the study -- published in today's Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals -- the Tai Chi practitioners felt better, were more confident about their ability to perform everyday tasks and led far more active lifestyles than a similar group who attended twice-weekly health education classes.

Virtually every time I am in NYC I run by the group of people the article talks about. Interesting stuff!

Will Smith: motivational speaker. I had no idea. But very good!