

Breaking a Barrier: On Doing the Impossible
Breaking through barriers: we humans love it! Not necessarily putting ourselves at risk, but living vicariously through someone else,...


The Bumpy Elevator Ride to the Top
Allegedly, this year Noah has knocked out Michael as the most popular baby boy name in the US. Perhaps among the names least likely to...


The Weed in your Brain
Taraxacum is not some newly found dinosaur. It is the scientific name for the pesky weed commonly called the dandelion. The dandelion...


Why Your Mindset Might be Throwing You Curveballs
Are you wired for success? And by “success”, I’m not necessarily talking about monetary reward. In her paper “The Mindset of a Champion”,...


The Reptile Brain Fights Back: Extinction Bursts
Let’s suppose that you’ve got a habit you want to break. You’ve followed the following five habit-breaking rules: 1. Tell a friend you’re...


Straws, Steps, and the Importance of Thinking Small
There is a famous Arabic proverb where a camel loaded beyond capacity collapses after a single straw too many, hence, ‘the straw that...


Seeing Red, or, The Superpower You May Not Even Know You Have
StartFragmentI don’t need to tell you that sight is important for most people. It is estimated that the brain devotes 50% of its activity...


Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Secret to Will-Power
If you run up a long steep incline, it doesn’t take very long before you burn through the energy stored in your muscles and find your...


Cheating the Ten Thousand Hour Rule
The 10,000 hour rule helped to make Malcom Gladwell’s book, Outliers a smashing success. Gladwell got the idea from the work done by Dr....


Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Flow
The Declaration of Independence famously champions "the pursuit of happiness". For many, joy and personal fulfillment are one and the...