Adventures in Depression - StumbleUpon

Adventures in Depression - StumbleUpon My mom baked the most fantastic cake for my grandfather's 73rd birthday party. The cake was slathered in impossibly thick frosting and topped with an assortment of delightful creatures which my mom crafted out of mini-marshmallows and toothpicks. To a four-year-old child, it was a thing of wonder - half toy, half cake and all glorious possibility. But my mom knew that it was extremely important to keep the cake away from me because she knew that if I was allowed even a tiny amount of sugar, not only would I become intensely hyperactive, but the entire scope of my existence would funnel down to the singular goal of obtaining and ingesting more sugar. My need for sugar would become so massive, that it would collapse in upon itself and create a vacuum into which even more sugar would be drawn until all the world had been stripped of sweetness. I had tasted cake and there was no going back. My mom had prepared the cake early in the day to get the task out of the way. I had to stay focused.

Nature's laws may vary across the Universe (PhysOrg.com) -- One of the laws of nature may vary across the Universe, according to a study published today in the journal Physical Review Letters. One of the most cherished principles in science - the constancy of physics - may not be true, according to research carried out at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Cambridge. The study found that one of the four known fundamental forces, electromagnetism - measured by the so-called fine-structure constant and denoted by the symbol ‘alpha' - seems to vary across the Universe. The first hints that alpha might not be constant came a decade ago when Professor John Webb, Professor Victor Flambaum, and other colleagues at UNSW and elsewhere, analysed observations from the Keck Observatory, in Hawaii. Those observations were restricted to one broad area in the sky. "The results astonished us," said Professor Webb.

RT @edyong209: Threefold variation in UK bowel cancer death rates! Wait, that's less than what you expect from chance ... A funnel plot of bowel cancer mortality rates in different areas of the UK The BBC has found a story: "'Threefold variation' in UK bowel cancer rates". The average death rate across the UK from bowel cancer is 17.9 per 100,000 people, but in some places it's as low as 9, and in some places it's as high as 30. What can be causing this? Journalists tend to find imaginary patterns in statistical noise, which we've covered many times before. Paul Barden is a quantitative analyst. We know that there will be random variation around the average mortality rate, and also that this will be different in different regions: local authorities with larger populations will have less random variation than areas with smaller populations, because the variation from chance events gets evened out more when there are more people. You can show this formally. Then Barden sent his blog to David Spiegelhalter, a professor of statistics at Cambridge, who runs the excellent website "Understanding Uncertainty".

Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived Additional notes from the author: If you want to learn more about Tesla, I highly recommend reading Tesla: Man Out of Time Also, this Badass of the week by Ben Thompson is what originally inspired me to write a comic about Tesla. Ben's also got a book out which is packed full of awesome. There's an old movie from the 80s on Netflix Instant Queue right now about Tesla: The Secret of Nikola Tesla. It's corny and full of bad acting, but it paints a fairly accurate depiction of his life.

The Top 10 Psychology Studies of 2010 | Psychology Today - StumbleUpon 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. If you extract the wisdom from these ten studies and apply them in your own life, 2011 just might be a very good year. 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. J. 2) How to Make Everything Seem Easier J. 3) How To Manage Your Time Better M. J.

Expectations vs. Reality (16 Pics) | - StumbleUpon Things don’t always go as planned. Check out the pics below to see a few examples of what happens when our expectations get punched in the face by reality. via via Tickling Expectations: Reality: via via via via via You may also like: Visualizing How A Population Grows To 7 Billion 7 Billion: How Did We Get So Big So Fast? Watch as global population explodes from 300 million to 7 billion. Sometime Monday, the world will have more humans than ever: 7 billion, according to the U.N. The U.N. estimates that the world's population will pass the 7 billion mark on Monday. Much of that growth has happened in Asia — in India and China. Due in part to that region's extreme poverty, infant mortality rates are high and access to family planning is low. As NPR's Adam Cole reports, it was just over two centuries ago that the global population was 1 billion — in 1804. As higher standards of living and better health care are reaching more parts of the world, the rates of fertility — and population growth — have started to slow down, though the population will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. U.N. forecasts suggest the world population could hit a peak of 10.1 billion by 2100 before beginning to decline.

RT @GuardianTeach: Just in case you missed @dajbelshaw blog on mobiles in class here it is again pls RT In an interview earlier this year Education Secretary Michael Gove hinted that he would like to see mobile phones banned in schools. Claiming they lead to "disruption" and can be used for bullying, Mr Gove bracketed mobile phones and iPods in the same category as weapons such as knives. Many objected to this broadside with an online petition. As a former Director of E-Learning, teacher for seven years, and current educational researcher, I have witnessed transformational learning experiences where mobile devices such as iPods and mobile phones have been key. Part of the problem stems from the fact that all of us own a mobile phone and all of us went to school. That's not to say that all teachers want to see mobile devices used in the classroom, of course. An unacknowledged fear - but that which parents and teachers perhaps fear most - is that mobile learning is a "trojan horse" for a whole raft of changes sweeping the educational landscape. Could you be one of our bloggers?

An Essay On Depression Depression is not only a state of being sad, it is a disease that conquers the ability to feel emotion, whether good or bad, whatsoever. Depression not only involves the mind, it also involves the body and thoughts. In different cultures some complain of excessive headaches and extreme pain and this is identified as depression, moderate or otherwise. This disease can be passed down through genes or can follow external events or can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Major Depression is the most severe case of depression that there is. Dysthymic Depression is a low level of depression that lasts up to at least two years and in most cases longer. Bipolar Depression, also known as, Manic Depression, is yet another type of Depression. Although all age groups are open to depression, teenagers are the most common to be heard of being affected by the disease. Depression’s cost to the United States economy every year is estimated at forty-four billion dollars.

10 Instant Emotional Fitness Tools When things get out of control and you momentarily lose your emotional balance, there are any number of little things you can do to regain it. Here are ten tools to help get you started. 1. Wash your hands and face and brush your teeth. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. None of these tasks has to be uncomfortable or take you much time. Dr. Show Me Your Money Face! - StumbleUpon Proving that money can buy happiness, these money/face mashups are stacking up quick around the web. The visual trick has been around for a while now, but not until this week when Reddit user MadSon11 posted his head matched with Alexander Hamiltons jaw (above) did the meme really get some legs. Redditors the world over have posted images using both U.S. bills and their own currency. See Also SHOW ME YOUR TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA NOSES! Want to show off your own Money Face? MadSon11′s lower money face. …and I couldn’t help it… yours truly showing some serious George Washington glare. Want more strange faces? Via: reddit.com Known in some circles as the most amazing man in the universe, he once saved an entire family of muskrats from a sinking, fire engulfed steamboat while recovering from two broken arms relating to a botched no-chute wingsuit landing in North Korea.

Bangkok Underwater - Alan Taylor - In Focus Heavy monsoon rains have been drenching Southeast Asia since mid-July, causing mudslides and widespread flooding. The deluge has now reached Bangkok, with rising water and associated problems affecting most of the city's 10 million residents. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that parts of the capital could be inundated by up to 1.5 meters of water and remain flooded for up to a month. Around Bangkok, the second-largest airport has closed, food prices are soaring, clean water is becoming scarce, and the country is declaring a holiday from Thursday until Monday to allow people to evacuate. The Chao Phraya river is predicted to overflow its banks in the city sometime today, and authorities say that if the protective dikes fail to hold the water, all parts of Bangkok will be vulnerable to the floodwater. [42 photos] Use j/k keys or ←/→ to navigate Choose: Residents evacuate from their flooded town, north of Bangkok, on October 25, 2011.

“@nlafferty: OER in the field: institutions solving problems openly from @dkernohan - for life in a 'cold climate' With the uncertainties of a new funding model to deal with, it is becoming harder than ever to convince institutional managers to support nice-to-have projects. Everything needs to be justified, both on a balance sheet and within a wider battle for hearts and minds. But the way in which open educational resources (OER) allow institutions to meet their strategic goals alongside making the world a better place means that it is moving from being nice-to-have to becoming an essential component of academic practice. More than 10 years on from the formal establishment of the OpenCourseWare project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the casual observer could be forgiven for assuming that the case for OER (materials suitable for learning and teaching, made available for reuse under an open licence) had been made and accepted. David Kernohan is a programme manager at JISC, an organisation that encourages UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies.

How To Be Kind To Yourself “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness” – Seneca A couple of days ago someone said to me: “Be kind to yourself!” Ever since hearing these words they have been stuck in my head. I have always understood the importance of kindness, but I have always focused on kindness to others. I started with how it feels to have someone be kind to you. I’ve been thinking about how you can be kind to yourself and benefits of doing so. Be Patient It is important to be patient with yourself if you are battling with a task. Now I think: “What if I had said that to myself and not relied on the teacher to divert me from unkind behavior towards myself?” Watch Your Words Everybody has self-talk or self-chatter. I know that if someone said directly to me some of the reprimands that I give myself, I would be extremely hurt. Encourage Yourself When things are tough or you are battling with something, encouragement is a wonderful means of giving you a boost. Forgive Give Listen Allow