University of Pittsburgh – As aging slows body clock, a new one starts ticking

As a person ages, their circadian clock begins to slow down. But a study of nearly 150 human brains suggests that’s also when a new biological clock kicks in. A 24-hour circadian rhythm controls nearly all brain and body processes, such as the sleep/wake cycle, metabolism, alertness, and cognition. These daily activity patterns are regulated by certain genes that are …

Christy Rodgers – The Browning of the World: Blame the Greed of the Rich

There are a lot of seemingly disparate things happening at various levels of scale in the world outside my window these days. But there is one color that describes them more than any other. My world is browning. As deserts grow and forests shrink, as smog, soot and dust clouds fill the skies horizon to horizon, as average heat levels …

Is American Patriotism Getting Out of Hand?

It’s been called the last refuge of scoundrels. It is undeniably linked to “us-against-them” tribal impulses, rooted in emotion and often impervious to reason. It feeds nationalism and militarism, making it a potentially dangerous phenomenon in a world of modern weaponry. Yet patriotism—outward, vocal, and enthusiastic patriotism—is still considered a vital element in American politics, an aspect of our culture that we …