The Work of Local Culture
According to Wendell Berry, a human community must exert a sort of centripetal force, holding local soil and local memory in place. It has no work more important than this. This beautiful essay invites you to take a walk with Berry past an old family bucket and into a new view of human culture...... posted on Mar 04 2014, 19,977 reads

How Stories Change the Brain
Why are we so tuned in to stories? They can move us to tears, change our attitudes, opinions and behaviors, inspire us--and even change our brains, often for the better. Dr. Paul Zak's research shows us that we're practically hardwired to listen to emotionally engaging stories in order to transmit values and information between individuals and communities. An effective story -- one that captures a... posted on Mar 03 2014, 48,981 reads

Politics & The Sharing Economy
"Can the sharing economy movement address the root causes of the world’s converging crises? In recent years, the concept and practice of sharing resources is fast becoming a mainstream phenomenon across North America, Western Europe and other world regions. According to most general definitions that are widely available online, the sharing economy leverages information technology to empower... posted on Mar 02 2014, 11,479 reads

Superheroes Lend A Hand In Children's Cancer Ward
"Superheroes are lending a helping hand to a hospital in Brazil that takes care of kids fighting cancer. Batman, Superman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman are just some of the friendly faces taking on chemotherapy treatment alongside kids at the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil."... posted on Mar 01 2014, 12,760 reads

Moin Khan: A Man, A Motorcycle & A Mission
Moin Khan was born and raised in Lahore but went to the United States to attend university. Frustrated with the way in which his home country was portrayed in the media, he decided to leave his comfort zone and embark on an epic journey back to Pakistan. For 18 month he lived on boiled rice and ketchup, held 3 jobs and worked 70 hrs a weeks to save up enough money to ride his motorcycle from San F... posted on Feb 28 2014, 3,102 reads

The Power of Hesitation
Whether lingering too long over the menu at a restaurant, or abrupt U-turns by politicians, flip-flopping does not have a good reputation. By contrast, quick, decisive responses are associated with competency. Steve Fleming, a cognitive neuroscientist, wonders whether the allure of decisiveness might be leading us astray. Perhaps, when faced with a novel scenario, there is a benefit from being slo... posted on Feb 27 2014, 7,388 reads

The Real-life Courage of Harry Potter Fans
When teacher, Andrew Slack, finally conceded to the pleadings of his students - he had no idea what he was getting into. They had been begging him to read the Harry Potter series -- an enchanting story about a teenage wizard who uses his magic to conquer the dark forces world. At first, Slack was mesmerized by the stories -- captivated by the notion that one boy could do so much good. And then on... posted on Feb 25 2014, 30,150 reads

Why Are We So Wired To Connect?
What drives our powerful need for social interaction? And what makes being alone difficult? These are just a couple of the questions that Matthew Lieberman, a social neurologist from the University of California, explores in his newest book, Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect. Through his research, Lieberman has identified compelling evidence demonstrating the neuroscience behind our huma... posted on Feb 24 2014, 20,454 reads

Two Days of Infinite Love in South Texas
"Four mothers started Infinite Love in Southern Texas, as a way to transform the suffering in their own lives into compassion. One went through a tough divorce, another's son fell off a third story and is now paralyzed from waist down, another lost her husband to cancer. As biological sisters, they nurtured each other but the tipping point came when their 30-year-old nephew, Vishal, passed away fr... posted on Feb 23 2014, 4,266 reads

12-Year Old Musician With A Big Heart
Aiden Hornaday was 8 years old when he picked up his brother's dusty harmonica with no idea of how to play it. The next day, waiting for his mother at a restaurant, he took off his cap and started playing, and got 80 unexpected dollars in tips "just for taking his hat off." That night, he decided to donate the $80 to fight intestinal parasites for African orphans, and the seeds of Aiden Cares was ... posted on Feb 22 2014, 3,689 reads