Rethinking the roots of altruism For decades, researchers working to understand how altruistic behavior evolved have relied on a concept known as inclusive fitness, which holds that organisms receive an evolutionary benefit—and are able to pass on their genes—through cooperative behavior. Now Harvard scientists say the theory is mathematically flawed and unnecessarily complicates the story of altruism's evolution. In a new study, Martin Nowak, a professor of mathematics and of biology, E.O. Wilson, the Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus, and Benjamin Allen, a research associate in mathematical biology and an assistant professor at Emmanuel College, find that not only is inclusive fitness impossible to calculate in most cases, but also that it often leads to incorrect conclusions. The research is described in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Our main goal is to develop a rigorous mathematical theory of evolution," Nowak said.
25 Psychological Life Hacks that Will Help You Gain the Advantage in Social Situations Social situations are among the most important in our lives. Yet, there is a huge chance that you are oblivious to the plethora of unwritten social rules that structure everybody’s behaviour. Failing to comply to these cultural imprints can cause irreversible damage. Just following them blindly will not get you ahead. Hacking them, however, will give you the best results possible. Therefore we bring to you these – 25 psychological life hacks that will help you gain the advantage in social situations 1) Assume comfort in any interaction. Our brain is an incredibly complicated instrument. In most of our social interactions, we find it difficult to feel comfortable among strangers because our brain tries to protect us from exposure. This however isn’t helping us when trying to be social and meet new people, is it? This is why assuming comfort is so powerful. 2) Pay attention to people’s feet when you are approaching them. If they turn both torso and feet, it means you are welcome. Admit it.
How to Get Started With Meditation" Four Basic Ways to Practice Meditation Follow your breath This is the most universal of all mindfulness techniques. First, exhale strongly a few times to clear the base of the lungs of carbon dioxide. If you are inspired by Eastern spiritual traditions, you might reflect upon an image or icon of the Buddha. Recite a mantra A mantra literally means "that which protects the mind."
Identify a person character using his/her hand writing The Psychology of Hand Writing:You can easily identify yours friends character using his/her handwriting. The study of handwriting is known as Graphology. Graphology is the study of character from handwriting. It takes us into the underworld of the subconscious, to the secrets we keep even from ourselves. In the previous post we posted about it gives the full history of study and definition of graphology here. But in this post we are posted only technique to study the mentality of person. Understanding Graphology: Your handwriting develops right from childhood. For an accurate analysis, written text should have been written in a natural manner and the effort should not be deliberate. What Facilitates Analysis A study of the following facilitates analysis :- The size of the letters. The style of writing based on lines. The spacing of lines and words. Letter formation. The angle or slant of writing. It's also important to know the age and educational standards of the writer. Very Small Writing:
10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin, famously “Put no trust in the benefits to accrue from early rising, as set forth by the infatuated Franklin …” – Mark Twain By Leo Babauta Recently, reader Rob asked me about my habit of waking at 4:30 a.m. each day, and asked me to write about the health benefits of rising early, which I thought was an excellent question. However, there are a ton of other great benefits. Now, let me first say that if you are a night owl, and that works for you, I think that’s great. Greet the day. How to Become an Early Riser Don’t make drastic changes.
How to Disagree March 2008 The web is turning writing into a conversation. Twenty years ago, writers wrote and readers read. The web lets readers respond, and increasingly they do—in comment threads, on forums, and in their own blog posts. Many who respond to something disagree with it. The result is there's a lot more disagreeing going on, especially measured by the word. If we're all going to be disagreeing more, we should be careful to do it well. DH0. This is the lowest form of disagreement, and probably also the most common. u r a fag!!!!!!!!!! But it's important to realize that more articulate name-calling has just as little weight. The author is a self-important dilettante. is really nothing more than a pretentious version of "u r a fag." DH1. An ad hominem attack is not quite as weak as mere name-calling. Of course he would say that. This wouldn't refute the author's argument, but it may at least be relevant to the case. DH2. DH3. This is often combined with DH2 statements, as in: DH4. DH5. DH6.
Daoist meditation Daoist Neijing Tu diagram of a neidan meditator's body as a microcosm of nature Daoist meditation refers to the traditional meditative practices associated with the Chinese philosophy and religion of Daoism, including concentration, mindfulness, contemplation, and visualization. Techniques of Daoist meditation are historically interrelated with Buddhist meditation, for instance, 6th-century Daoists developed guan 觀 "observation" insight meditation from Tiantai Buddhist anapanasati "mindfulness of breath" practices. Traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts have adapted certain Daoist meditative techniques. Some examples are Daoyin "guide and pull" breathing exercises, Neidan "internal alchemy" techniques, Neigong "internal skill" practices, Qigong breathing exercises, Zhan zhuang "standing like a post", and Taijiquan "great ultimate fist" techniques. Terminology[edit] Types of meditation[edit] Other keywords[edit] Jump up ^ Sha, Zhi Gang (2010). Warring States period[edit]
Healing Gemstones For Your Zodiac Sign Almost all of the healing gemstones work for every zodiac sign, but some gemstones are definitely more powerful because they have a vibrational resonance with a particular zodiac sign. For instance, a chunk of rose quartz can help heal relationship problems for all of the signs, but it an especially powerful stone for a Taurus or Libra. These two Zodiac signs are ruled by the planet Venus and so is the stone rose quartz. Here’s a look at which healing gemstones are best for your zodiac sign. The diamond is an Aries birthstone, but it can also help keep this sign psychologically in balance, organized and feel less troubled in general. The Taurus is a people pleaser who benefits from carrying a yellow topaz. The Sapphire helps the Gemini be inspired by greater things as its blueness is reminiscent of the vastness of the sky. A Cancer often feels left out of the loop and carrying a diamond can help them find the self esteem they need to feel psychological healthy.