As I was cutting up our weekly purchase of a dozen bagels so that we could freeze them, I realized how much I loved having a bagel slicer (or as Amazon calls it, a bagel guillotine). We've only had it for about a year, but now I can't remember how we were able to live without … Continue reading Things That Make Life Worth Living
Today's Wall Street Journal had a story about the loneliness epidemic among the elderly, a topic I've written about a few times. This article profiled a few people who are experiencing loneliness: Danny Miner, a 66-year-old retired chemical plant supervisor, spends most days alone in his Tooele, Utah, apartment, with “Gunsmoke” reruns to keep him … Continue reading Where’s the Empathy?
No thanks, I think I'd rather stay cold, but apparently, it worked for the Mongols during the reign of Genghis Khan. A story in today's Wall Street Journal, "How Much Do Hot Drinks Help on a Cold Day?", looked at the science of what works and what doesn't work in our efforts to stay warm. … Continue reading Feeling Cold? How About Some Fresh, Warm Mare’s Milk?
Casper, the online mattress retailer, opened the Dreamery in New York City in July of this year, right next door to its retail store in Soho. Casper refers to the space as “a magical oasis in the middle of New York City where you can hit pause and recharge whenever you want.” Jeff Brooks, CMO of Casper, … Continue reading Sweet Dreamery: Taking Naps in the Middle of NYC (with the help of a boring accounting book)
That is the conclusion of a paper just published in the current issue of the journal Learning and Behavior. In other words, dogs are not as smart as people believe. The researchers set out to study dogs from three different perspectives: phylogenetically, as carnivoran and specifically a canid; ecologically, as social, cursorial hunters; and anthropogenically, … Continue reading “There Is No Current Case for Canine Exceptionalism”
I like to sleep with a window slightly open, year round. I have no scientific basis for such behavior, it's just a gut feeling that there's something healthy about having the window open. Well, when I saw a headline in today's Wall Street Journal: "Is It Healthy to Sleep With the Window Open?", I thought … Continue reading Should You Sleep with a Window Open?
Regular readers of my blog likely know the "Dan" I am referring to. It's Dan Ariely, a leading behavioral economist, and best-selling author. Dan has a biweekly advice column in the Wall Street Journal that has often provided me with ideas for my blog, and today's column is no exception. Here is the email in question: … Continue reading Not So Fast, Dan
An essay in today's Wall Street Journal shares research about a new tool for analyzing hundreds of thousands of small genetic differences that can predict a range of psychological attributes from birth. The author of the essay believes the tool will transform how we see ourselves, our capacities, and our problems. As I read the … Continue reading Would You Want to Know?
This past week I read a couple of articles that talked about the potential impact of robotics and artificial intelligence on the future of work, and the articles noted that some jobs would likely be safe from being replaced by a robot. So I decided to look a bit more into it, and see if … Continue reading What Jobs Will Survive the Artificial Intelligence Revolution?
My first foray into blogging was with a site named The WSJ Blogger, which I started in August, 2012. The purpose of the site, as evidenced by its tagline, was to provide daily highlights from The Wall Street Journal along with other great articles and videos, all designed to inform, educate, and entertain. I kept that blog … Continue reading Fun Facts and Figures
Borden's Blather 