If you find yourself on a perpetual quest for dopamine rushes—and you consider a summer diving and snorkeling getaway as the ultimate thrill—we’ve got news that could make your world a whole lot more enjoyable. Looking for pleasure doesn’t begin with grabbing a tank and heading to the Caribbean. Dopamine spikes the minute we start making plans to leave for a pleasurable escape, notes neuroscientist…
In the not-too-distant past, all U.S. entertainment magazine editors had to do to pump up readership was to feature actress Elizabeth Taylor on the cover. The public was obsessed with her seven marriages during an era in which two marriages bordered on scandalous behavior. Attitudes have changed at warp speed since then. In 2015, a Washington Post headline declared: “Millions of Americans have been married three…
When asked the question, “When did the phrase ‘go with the flow’ originate?” most people refer to the 1960s Hippie movement, when peace signs, tie-dyed shirts, and miniskirts ruled. But historians tell us that these guesses are off by 19 centuries! That’s when Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said that time is like a river, so we may as well go with the flow since change…
Whether you call him Papa, Daddy, Father, Baba, or an equally endearing title, your Dad most likely deserves rewards for being there when you need him most. As a toddler, he helped steer your first bike. As a pre-teen, he probably gave you lame advice about the opposite sex, and once you reached adulthood, you came to realize that whether you need a short-term loan…
Guidepost blogger Megan Cherkezian makes no apologies for being head-over-heels in love with the month of June—and not just because it’s traditionally the most popular month for weddings. She’s not planning one, so her take on why June is special has less to do with rice, bouquets, and veils than it does with the fact that she’s a romantic and she celebrates ordinary things that…
The notion of “re-charging” has undergone quite the evolution over time, say lexicologists. The word’s original meaning comes from 15th-century France where the verb was used to designate the process of reloading vessels and then applied to the invention of the battery in 1876. It took until 1921 for the concept of recharging to make the figurative pivot defined as the restoration of fitness and…
You may not realize how important continuity is when you assess yourself and the world, but in fact, the ability to count on other people, institutions, and systems are the backbones of successful societies as well as human accomplishments. “We all need to have the sense that things in our lives remain stable through time,” writes Harry Readhead in his essay published on Medium. “Continuity…
The British Broadcasting System (BBC) tends to feature programs that are classical, educational, and rich in photography, thus readers of the BBC website may have been confused by the headline that shouted, “Shopping a sale gives you the same feeling as getting high.” Reporter Alina Dizik was curious about what goes on in the brain and body when “enticed by a sale.” She cites the…
No matter the ages of your family members, they’re likely familiar with today’s buzziest acronyms. Your teens probably experience FOMO (fear of missing out) regularly, and thrifty grandparents know the value of BOGO (buy one, get one free) when they shop. Let them all know that there’s a new acronym on the scene: JOMO (the joy of missing out). Writes Richard Sima for The Washington…
Have you ever wondered where the concept of the sweepstake originated? We checked with Dan Jahn whose post on the Probability Works website gives browsers a fascinating explanation of what we often think of as a modern marketing strategy. Sweepstakes were first held in Shakespeare’s day when Middle English speakers introduced the “swepe stake” that consisted of games played, after which the winner was invited…