8 Ways to Keep Cool in Summer
The torrid summer of 2010 will cap off the hottest decade ever recorded on our planet. In efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, people across the globe are stepping up and cooling down, AC-free. "The key is to focus on people-cooling, not building-cooling," states author Steven Cox. "Your body is constantly converting chemical energy from food into heat... But filling a home with chilled, stil... posted on Aug 24 2010, 3,841 reads

The Power of Trust
Many of us have conflicted responses when we are approached by a homeless person asking for change. Sometimes, we feel compelled to give. Other times, we are skeptical, or in a hurry. But for one woman in New York City, the power of trust in a fellow human being trumps all uncertainty. When recently approached by homeless Jay Valentine outside a restaurant one evening, Merrie Harris found herself ... posted on Aug 23 2010, 3,765 reads

11-Year-Old Feeds Thousands
It all began in third grade, when Katie Stagliano didn't know what to do with her 40-pound cabbage. She ended up taking it to a local soup kitchen, where her first encounter with homelessness inspired her current journey. Now, in sixth grade, Katie's six gardens have produced over 4,000 pounds of vegetables to feed the needy. "It makes you feel so good to see someone that young with that amount of... posted on Aug 22 2010, 4,113 reads

In Pursuit of Silence
When all is silent, what do you hear? The first widely observed national moment of silence occurred in Britain in 1919. For two minutes, switchboard operators declined to connect telephone calls, subway cars and factory wheels ground to a halt, and ordinary citizens held their tongues. Within 10 years, the somber annual tradition had grown so popular that the BBC began to air the sound of the sile... posted on Aug 21 2010, 2,968 reads

A Forgotten Young Man
When one woman runs into a childhood neighbor, she falls to tears after learning the hardships that have cast a shadow over his life. After his parents died, he lost two older siblings. He had become a husband and a father, but found himself lost for meaning. "Fighting back tears, I asked him if he needed some help getting back on his feet. He said he wanted to start a small business of his own. ... posted on Aug 20 2010, 2,566 reads

Live Life as an Experiment
It was an experiment. Peter Bregman was returning an item to a store. The item was well within the return period, but there would be a 20 percent restocking fee. Having recently decided to live life as an experiment, Bregman decided to see if he could tap into the store manager's compassion to waive the fee. In the grand scheme of things, it was a small act. Yet in the process of experimenting, th... posted on Aug 19 2010, 7,389 reads

Box of Chocolates Marathon
For a serious distance runner, 7 hours, 48 minutes is not a great marathon time. But for Brian Fugere, it's a miracle. He'd been diagnosed with synovial sarcoma -- a rare soft-tissue cancer -- in his lung. Yet during his fourth cycle of chemotherapy, he still managed to drag an IV pole for all 26.2 miles. Oh, and this marathon took place in a hospital hallway. Inspired by Lance Armstrong's book th... posted on Aug 18 2010, 3,339 reads

The Two-Rupee Miracle
On the dusty streets of Pushkar, India, a few men stop for a smoke. When an old woman asks for a rupee to buy lunch, they promptly refuse and walk away. Eyes on their backs, the woman observes, "These young men will burn more than a rupee for their bad habit, but will never give a rupee to a hungry person." With her words echoing in his ears, one man returns to offer her two rupees. An hour later,... posted on Aug 17 2010, 6,056 reads

Scientists Discover by Sharing
A wealth of recent scientific papers on the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is announcing groundbreaking discoveries, thanks to an unprecedented initiative by key players in public, private and academic sectors: a collaborative effort to find the biological markers that show the progression of Alzheimer's disease in the human brain. The key to this Alzheimer's project was an agreement as am... posted on Aug 16 2010, 2,583 reads

How to Live and Die
Death is rarely spoken about in our homes. "I wonder why," remarks Khushwant Singh. At 95, Singh thinks of death very often. But he does not lose sleep over it. A self-described agnostic, Singh states that ultimately, he does "not know what happens to us after we die but one should help a person go in peace--at peace with himself and with the world." From his 95 years of experience, Singh offers e... posted on Aug 15 2010, 5,361 reads