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Attachment Research Says It's Okay To Throw Pine Cones At Your Kids

I was at the park the other day throwing pinecones at my kids when a horrified mother asked, ...

Why Calvin's Dad Rocks At Explaining Science To Children

Gary Larson tapped into the universal absurd. Charles Schulz helped us identify with the underdog...

A New Kind Of Reward Teaches Intrinsic Motivation

I would like for my son, Leif, to play the violin. I’m a serious ex music geek and so in addition...

Openness And The Brain's PMTG Are "Affective" And "Cognitive" Components Of Creativity

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Garth Sundem is a Science, Math and general Geek Culture writer, TED speaker, and author of books including Brain Trust: 93 Top Scientists Dish the Lab-Tested Secrets of Surfing, Dating, Dieting... Read More »

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The Ultimate Valentine's Day Toolkit

The Ultimate Valentine's Day Toolkit

Feb 05 2011 | comment(s)

Believe it or not, I’m rarely accused of being a romantic. I know, I know — baffling! And this even after I brought home Thai food for our anniversary.

Okay, I forgot the anniversary. But a couple days later when I brought home Thai food, boy was my wife surprised! Okay, okay, I didn’t actually *bring home* Thai food, because, you know, I was walking home from the park with the kids in the double stroller and by the time I got home it would’ve been cold…yadda, yadda, yadda.
It's New Years: No More Lying

It's New Years: No More Lying

Jan 01 2011 | comment(s)

Does it take effort to tell the truth or are you naturally honest? In other words, are you truthful or a liar? A Harvard neuroimaging study showed that you're wired to be one or the other.

The study watched subjects' brains as they were presented with the opportunity to win money through lying. When honest people told the truth, their brains were at peace. When dishonest people lied, the control centers of their brains crackled to overwrite the truth with a lie. And here's the cool part: even when dishonest people happened to tell the truth, researchers watched their brains actively override the temptation to lie.
Holiday Math: A Simple Equation Decides How Much To Spend On Any Gift

Holiday Math: A Simple Equation Decides How Much To Spend On Any Gift

Dec 21 2010 | comment(s)

It's worth dusting this off: a simple, accurate equation that decides to the penny how much you should spend on anyone's gift this holiday season. Get cracking you slacker.


Music-Induced Holiday Homicide

Music-Induced Holiday Homicide

Dec 18 2010 | comment(s)

In the month of December (and October, November, and January), PA systems in malls around the country play holiday music. And when we hear the telltale pa-rum-pum-pum-pum we want to strangle the nearest elf. Maybe kick a reindeer.
In the month of December (and October, November, and January), PA systems in malls around the country play holiday music. And when we hear the telltale pa-rum-pum-pum-pum we want to strangle the nearest elf. Maybe kick a reindeer.
A Guide To Gift Buying And Marital Bliss

A Guide To Gift Buying And Marital Bliss

Dec 11 2010 | comment(s)

The age-old dilemma: do you take your sig other's hints, buy that electronic picture frame, and load it with family highlights from holidays past (yawn)? Or do you go with your gut and get her the unexpected gift of a new XBox-360?
Awesome New Dinosaur Species!

Awesome New Dinosaur Species!

Dec 10 2010 | comment(s)

Paleontologists recently unearthed bones, likely in Montana or Wyoming, of a new dinosaur species dubbed Stochastisaurus. "Based on surrounding species and the fossils themselves, there's an approximately 88% chance that Stochastisaurus was an herbivore," says the lead researcher.