Night Owls Rejoice! The Truth About Sleep

by interestingfacts.com    About 35 percent of American adults get less than seven hours of sleep a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That’s not enough.    Often we either can’t get to sleep, or we think of sleep as wasted time. What actually goes on while we’re lying there? Why are …

The Science Behind Flying Time And Aging

by Kevin Burton    This is a story about “approach motivation” and “the ganas,” also known as time flies when you’re having fun.    See also: time flies all the time.    “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Nobody had to explain that one to you, even the first time you heard it. Here’s some …

Could You Wait Until 10 To Have Your Coffee?

by Kevin Burton    Do you know what cortisol is?    Well I didn’t. But now a dietician is saying that you and I should delay our morning coffee because of it.      Supposedly 10 a.m. is the optimum time for your first coffee.    Sorry, but by the time the little hand reaches the …

Playing Musical Instrument Good For The Brain

by Kevin Burton    I’m still hanging on to a notion, planted by a Steely Dan song.    If you know some of that Steely Dan imagery, that sounds kind of dangerous. Let me explain.    I love Steely Dan and I love “Deacon Blues.” I have judged the United States as a nation because …

The Healing Science Of Practicing Kindness

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira CNN    When my father died of bone cancer last year, I received an outpouring of messages from friends and family sharing their condolences.    While I appreciated everyone who reached out, I was especially grateful for two of my former college roommates who surprised my family with a delivery of bagels …

A Taboo Subject: The Mental Health Of Pilots

by Catherine Ho San Francisco Chronicle    An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines on a San Francisco-bound commercial flight last month has drawn renewed attention to airline pilot mental health — a topic long considered taboo in the industry but one that has generated more scrutiny in recent years since the …

Doctors Perform First Whole Eye Transplant

by Jacqueline Howard CNN    It was a moment Meagan James never expected to witness.    A surgical team at NYU Langone Health in New York had performed the world’s first successful whole-eye transplant in a living person: her husband, Aaron James.    After an accident at work led to the loss of his left …

Here’s To Life In The Age Of Invisibility

by Kevin Burton    The same little girl said a sunshiny “hi” to me twice in the grocery store Tuesday. This was astounding to me, since I am invisible.    You make your circuits in a smallish store and you may cross paths with the same people multiple times.    I gave the girl the …

Something New Brewing In The Coffee Pot?

by Kevin Burton    Johann Sebastian Bach wrote an ode to coffee, which means I wouldn’t have to. His would surely suffice.    By all rights though, I should.    Most of us wanted to sample coffee as young teens, exploring the world of grownups. That desire was heightened by the fact that adults tried …

I Guess Static Cling Is A Thing After All

by Kevin Burton    Serving up quibbles and bits for Saturday breakfast on Page 7.  Stray ideas, quick hitters, random asides.    It’s food for thought, albeit maybe not real deep thought…..    So, I spent the first 90 percent of my workday Friday with a washcloth stuffed inside my shirt. I put on a …