Find search engines from across the world with Search Engine Colossus Blog My new book on sleep and dreaming, Night School, is published today. It has been 2 years in the making and so I am very excited to see it out there! Based on research, mass-participation experiments and the world’s largest archive of dream reports, it reveals how to… …get the best night’s sleep of your life …discover what your dreams really mean …learn information while you sleep ….banish jet-lag, nightmares and snoring To give you a flavour of the material, here are 7 surprising facts about sleep and dreaming… 1) If you want to feel sleepy when you head to bed …Banish the blues: Blue light from computer screen and smartphones keeps you awake. 2) If you want to fall asleep quickly…Use positive imagery and the paradox principle: First, imagine yourself in a very pleasant scenario. 3) If you lie in bed feeling worried …The list: If you have a lot on your mind, make a list of all of the things that you have to do the next day. I hope you enjoy Night School!
8 Best Free Tools for Internet Security If you're one of those Internet users helping to make "password" the most popular online password for the umpteenth year in a row, you desperately need some help with your Internet security. Online security threats get more sophisticated every year and now, more than ever, it's important to keep your protection tools up-to-date. Luckily for you, web users are often frugal, and you can use and download a multitude of great security tools free of charge. We've compiled the eight best free security tools available. What are some other free security tools that you use? Note: This gallery is organized alphabetically. Image: Flickr, webhamster
The Good Mood Clinic 14 Google Tools You Didn't Know Existed Now that you've written your eulogies for Google Reader, it's a good time to remember that Google has an abundance of other resources that may not be as popular but still deserve a spotlight. We rounded up some lesser-known Google tools and applications that could help you cope with the loss of Reader and rekindle your love for Google. From fun tools like Google Ngram Viewer to useful resources like Full Value of Mobile Calculator, you'll find an array of tools for developers to small business owners to the average consumer. Take a look at the gallery and let us know what your favorite Google tool is in the comments. Image courtesy of Flickr, Scobleizer.
Struggle Means Learning: Difference in Eastern and Western Cultures By Alix Spiegel In 1979, when Jim Stigler was still a graduate student at the University of Michigan, he went to Japan to research teaching methods and found himself sitting in the back row of a crowded fourth-grade math class. “The teacher was trying to teach the class how to draw three-dimensional cubes on paper,” Stigler explains, “and one kid was just totally having trouble with it. His cube looked all cockeyed, so the teacher said to him, ‘Why don’t you go put yours on the board?’ So right there I thought, ‘That’s interesting! He took the one who can’t do it and told him to go and put it on the board.’ ” Stigler knew that in American classrooms, it was usually the best kid in the class who was invited to the board. In Japanese classrooms, teachers consciously design tasks that are slightly beyond the capabilities of the students they teach, so the students can actually experience struggling with something just outside their reach. But the kid didn’t break into tears. ‘Struggle’ Related
Why Atheism Will Replace Religion Atheists are heavily concentrated in economically developed countries, particularly the social democracies of Europe (Barber, 2012). In underdeveloped countries, there are virtually no atheists . Atheism is thus a peculiarly modern phenomenon. First, as to the distribution of atheism in the world, a clear pattern can be discerned. The question of why economically developed countries turn to atheism has been batted around by anthropologists for about eighty years. Atheists are more likely to be college-educated people who live in cities and they are highly concentrated in the social democracies of Europe. It seems that people turn to religion as a salve for the difficulties and uncertainties of their lives. In addition to being the opium of the people (as Karl Marx contemptuously phrased it), religion may also promote fertility, particularly by promoting marriage , according to copious data reviewed by Sanderson (2008). References Barber, N. (2012).
15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy Luminita Saviuc, Purpose FairyWaking Times Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. 1. 2. “By letting it go it all gets done. 3. 4. “The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. 5. “A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind.” 6. 7. 8. 9. “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.” 10. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” 11. “The only fear we have to fear, is fear itself.” 12. 13. 14. 15. About the Author Luminita is the author of the fantastic blog, Purpose Fairy, where this article was originally featured.
Hearing Voices Network: Welcome 15 Mindblowingly Awesome Chemistry GIFs You don’t need to watch Breaking Bad to know that chemistry is pretty awesome. Below, we explore our favorite 15 chemistry GIFs and the science behind them (when we could figure it out): Melting Metal With Magnets The Science: The copper wire has a significant amount of AC electricity running through it, causing it to act like a really strong electromagnet. Orange LED Light In Liquid Nitrogen The Science: When an LED is immersed in liquid nitrogen, the electrons lose a lot of thermal energy, even when the light isn’t turned on. Awesome Chemistry GIFs: Heating Mercury Thiocyanate Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed By Potassium Iodide
The Top 10 Psychology Studies of 2010 The end of 2010 fast approaches, and I'm thrilled to have been asked by the editors of Psychology Today to write about the Top 10 psychology studies of the year. I've focused on studies that I personally feel stand out, not only as examples of great science, but even more importantly, as examples of how the science of psychology can improve our lives. Each study has a clear "take home" message, offering the reader an insight or a simple strategy they can use to reach their goals , strengthen their relationships, make better decisions, or become happier. 1) How to Break Bad Habits If you are trying to stop smoking , swearing, or chewing your nails, you have probably tried the strategy of distracting yourself - taking your mind off whatever it is you are trying not to do - to break the habit. That's because habit-behaviors happen automatically - often, without our awareness. J. 2) How to Make Everything Seem Easier J. 3) How To Manage Your Time Better M. 4) How to Be Happier J.