How Meditation May Change the Brain
"Over the holidays, my husband went on a silent meditation retreat. He said the experience was so transformational that he has committed to meditating for two hours daily, one hour in the morning and one in the evening. He's running an experiment to determine whether and how meditation actually improves the quality of his life," one NY Times contributor writes. Scientists say that meditators like ... posted on Feb 11 2011, 5,598 reads

Baby Reunited with Doctor Who Saved Her
In her thoughts and prayers over the past year, Nadine Devilme has thanked God countless times for saving her baby after Haiti's earthquake. She's also wanted to thank the doctor who treated Jenny Alexis after the 2-month-old spent four days alone, crushed in the rubble with nothing to drink. There was one problem: Devilme never knew the doctor's name, never knew exactly whom to thank for treating... posted on Feb 10 2011, 3,925 reads

Southern Masked Weaver
They call it home. The delicate orb that sits on the tree branch, a woven tangle of grass and twigs all strategically placed. It's small and inconspicuous enough that you'd probably miss it walking by. Luckily, one photographer didn't. "It was a priceless opportunity to watch these amazing builders constructing their homes from the very beginning till the end, from the first framework made of a fe... posted on Feb 09 2011, 3,996 reads

Removing Stigma One Idli At A Time
A small idli shop in south Tamil Nadu, India, is the talk of the town. At daybreak, people crowd around to buy idlis and dosas from two women who are HIV positive. Despite the stigma of HIV/AIDS in their town, the customers are aware of their condition and continue to patronize their shop. With community support, Vijayarani and Sumathy have overcome the devastating news, "look as healthy as any... posted on Feb 08 2011, 2,347 reads

Generous Vegetable Seller
After the morning hustle, a lone lamp shines on a vegetable stall. With head bowed, Chen Shu-Chu is the first to arrive in the market and the last to leave. She earns marginal profits. Yet, her frugality has allowed her to donate NT$10 million (about 350,000 US $) towards various charitable causes, including schools, orphanages and poor children. The generosity of a woman with such a humble income... posted on Feb 07 2011, 2,860 reads

Runner Crawls to a Finish For Her Coach
Jim Tracy, a cross-country coach at San Francisco's University High School, was recently diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and now walks with difficulty using braces on his legs and his back. But that doesn't stop him from coaching. And inspiring. At the state meet this year, star runner Holland Reynolds collapsed near the finish line. Despite all odds, she finished the race, crawling on hand a... posted on Feb 06 2011, 2,097 reads

Children Show They Can Make a Difference
Parents want their kids and teens to care about others - whether at school, in their community, or in need a continent away. The good news is that children "are sort of hard-wired" to want to help others, says Michael Ungar, author of "The We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids." "They want to take on responsibility." From a second grade environmentalist to a 21-year-old peacemaker, here... posted on Feb 05 2011, 4,775 reads

Mall Shoppers Get a Surprise
Shopping can be exhausting, whether or not it's the holiday season. Enjoying a meal of pizza and Coke in the food court one afternoon, mall shoppers were also served an unsuspecting and generous reminder of life's spontaneous miracles.... posted on Feb 04 2011, 9,902 reads

Graphene Wins Nobel Prize
Two University of Manchester scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for their pioneering research on graphene, a one-atom-thick film of carbon whose strength, flexibility and electrical conductivity have opened up new horizons for pure physics research as well as high-tech applications. Graphene is one of the strongest, lightest and most conductive materials known to humankind. It's al... posted on Feb 03 2011, 3,842 reads

His Life's Calling is To Die Well
Jim Stanicki is at a party, where he's having a great time with his family and friends. But when it's time to go, he says he has to go, and his intention is to go well. Stanicki says it is his life that is the party. After being diagnosed with bronchoalveolar cancer almost four years ago, he has shared the highs and lows of his journey with friends online through Inspire.com, a health and wellness... posted on Feb 02 2011, 3,563 reads