Vikings Dressed Flamboyantly

Pre-Christian Vikings dressed more flamboyantly than previously thought with the use of vivid colours, silk ribbons, and bits of mirrors. The study identifies men as especially vain, and women as provocative dressers.

Vikings Dressed Flamboyantly

Positive And Negative Messages In Advertising

As purchasing deadlines get nearer, a consumer's focus on products promising positive outcomes shifts to a willingness to pay more to help avoid an argument or other negative outcome.

Positive And Negative Messages In Advertising

Suppressing Anger Shortens Life

Couples in which both partners suppressed their anger when unfairly attacked by the other died earlier than those in relationships where one or both expressed their anger
and resolved underlying conflict.

Suppressing Anger Shortens Life

Americans At Higher Risk Of Stroke

American adults have a higher prevalence of stroke than Europeans, due in part to a higher rate of risk factors and barriers to health care in the United States. The study found that American men had a 61 per cent greater chance of having a stroke and American women had almost twice the chance compared to their European equivalents.


Americans At Higher Risk Of Stroke

The Brain And Differences In Boy/Girl Language Learning

Areas of the brain associated with language work harder in girls than in boys during language tasks, and boys and girls rely on different parts of the brain when performing these tasks. Researchers explain that although girls' superior language abilities have long been acknowledged, this study is the first to provide a possible biological explanation for the differences.

The Brain And Differences In Boy/Girl Language Learning

Madeira

A visit to Madeira is like a nice weekend or a day in the country. It is both familiar and a delightful change from routine life for northern Europeans.

Semi-tropical and located in the Atlantic Ocean, 600km off Morocco, Madeira is an autonomous part of Portugal and is therefore within the Euro-zone. The island has been transformed by European Union funding over the past decade. A new airport with a remarkable runway carried on stilts over sea and cliffs allows easier access from mainland Portugal and other parts of Europe. Access to many coastal and inland villages is being improved with extensive tunnelling through the mountainous terrain.

Madeira - An Introduction

Madeira - History

Funchal, Madeira

Funchal Hotels, Madeira

Reid's Hotel, Madeira

Are International University Rankings Misleading?

A new 2008 Edition of the Times Higher-QS World University Rankings has been released showing a dominance of US and UK universities in the top ten. But research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine concluded that international university rankings are "misleading and should be abandoned".


Are International University Rankings Misleading?

Music And The Effects Of Alcohol

Research led by the Université de Bretagne-Sud found that playing loud music in licensed premises led customers to drink more alcohol over a shorter time period.

Music And The Effects Of Alcohol

Children and Parents' Antisocial Behavior

Recent research from the University of Chicago found that a mother's parenting style and a baby's temperament in the first year of life can reliably predict subsequent behavioral problems.

Children and Parents' Antisocial Behavior

Aging Worms

Specific genetic pathways have been identified that drive the aging process in worms.

Aging Worms

Choosing A Mate

Beauty is still of paramount consideration for men while women are more discriminating, placing greater emphasis on the need for security and commitment.

Also, recent research from psychologists at McGill University has identified gender differences in responses to flirtation. Researchers found that men tend to consider their current partners less favorably after meeting an attractive unattached woman whereas female partners are more likely to work on strengthening existing relationships.

Choosing A Mate

Introduction to Psychology

Gillian Butler observes that one of the major problems of Psychology is that science demands that 'facts' should be objective and verifiable, but the workings of the mind cannot be observed in the way that we can observe the functioning of (for example) an engine. Instead, they are perceived only indirectly, requiring that we infer them from what can be observed: behaviour.

Introduction to Psychology

William James and the Principles of Psychology

William James (1842-1910) was one of the founders of modern Psychology. He exercised a positive and pragmatic influence on the development of the young science. William James was the brother of novelist Henry James, with whom he shared a powerful command of the English language. William James' Principles of Psychology (1890) took him over a decade to write and amounted to 1500 pages. James was a considerable reader and had absorbed much of the writings of the Scottish, English, French and German schools of Psychology but he produced his own interpretations of the subject. In his 'Principles', James defined Psychology as the 'science of mental life'.

William James and the
Principles of Psychology

Youth Problems

Research from Ohio State University has challenged the common perception that girls tend to internalize their problems, becoming depressed or anxious, while boys externalize, committing violence against people or property.

In another study, young people with pre-existing relationship difficulties were found to be more likely to develop anxiety and depression than the other way round, this being particularly the case when entering adulthood.


Youth Problems

Daytime Napping And Disturbed Sleep

Poor sleeping at night has been linked to daytime napping for older adults and practising tai chi chih, the western version of an ancient Chinese martial art, helped improve sleep quality in another study of older adults.

Daytime Napping And Disturbed Sleep

Bullying

Two recent studies on bullying:

Research from Yale School of Medicine has identified an apparent link between bullying or being bullied and suicide in young people.

Research from Ontario's York University and Queens University found that young people who bully tend to have problems in other relationships, such as with parents and friends. The study concludes that effective prevention and intervention strategies should include those relationships, as well as aggression and morality issues arising from bullying itself.

Bullying

Controversy Over Breast Self-Examination

A review into the effectiveness of regular breast self-examination concludes that despite its promotion in health advice to women there is no evidence that it has contributed to a reduction in breast cancer deaths.


Controversy Over Breast Self-Examination

Be Happy - But Not Too Happy

Although women start life happier than men, they experience more difficulty in achieving their goals and end up less happy as a result. Researchers also conclude that happiness is a worthy goal for the unhappy, but the endless pursuit of ever more happiness may be counterproductive.

Be Happy - But Not Too Happy

Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes

What are bulbs and how do you distinguish them from corms, tubers and rhizomes?

Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes

Smart Bulbs

How deep should bulbs be planted? According to a study published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science it may not matter because bulbs can move themselves deeper into the ground, seemingly in search of better, moister growing conditions.

Smart Bulbs

Ferns - Popular Victorian Plants

Ferns are ancient plants. Their ancestors and related species dominated the earth when the great coal deposits of the carboniferous age were laid down around 300 million years ago. You might say that today's coal is largely made from the compressed remains of ancient ferns.

Today, according to The Fern Grower's Manual there are some 12,000 named species around the world with new types being regularly discovered. They range in size from the tiny to tree-like structures. Ferns propagate from spores rather than seeds, although this was not understood until 1794 when John Lindsay, a British surgeon in Jamaica, grew ferns from 'dust' collected from adult plants.

Ferns: Popular Victorian Plants

Instinctive Staring

Research from Agnes Scott College published in Psychological Science studied the instinctive tendency for people in a group to stare at the person most likely to be offended if a controversial comment is made.

Instinctive Staring

Westward Ho

The price of land in nineteenth century America was a significantly less important factor in Westward Expansion than population growth and technological innovation leading to decreased transportation costs.

Westward Ho

Distance Learning

Researchers from the University of Missouri studied the demographics and personality types of adult distance learners and concluded that this increasingly popular option may not be suitable for everyone.


Only 30 Per Cent Of Distance Learners Complete Their Courses

Adolescents With Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia severely impacts future health and functioning of youths.

Adolescents With Chronic Insomnia

Husbands Create Housework

Being married results in an extra seven hours a week of housework for women, whereas having a wife saves men about an hour.

Husbands Create Housework

Vancouver Island

"... the largest isle in North America's Pacific, stretches for more than 450 superb kilometers off the west coast of British Columbia. A magnificent chain of rugged snow-capped mountains, sprinkled with lakes and rivers and pierced by deep inlets, effectively divides the island into two distinct sides: dense, rain-drenched forest and remote surf- and wind-battered shores on the west, and well-populated, sheltered, beach-fringed lowlands on the east. At the northern and southern tips lie large regions of low, rolling hills."

Vancouver sland
Ucluelet - For All Reasons, for All Seasons
West Coast Changes and Challenges: Ucluelet Charts Dynamic Course for Island Community

Closing the Distance

Every kid wants to grow up to be like his father, and Jeff Bukantz was no different - but unfortunately for Jeff, his father was a four-time Olympian and one of the greatest fencers ever! In his sentimental memoir Closing the Distance: Chasing a Father's Olympic Fencing Legacy, Jeff recounts the trials and tribulations he encountered while trying to follow in the footsteps of Danny Bukantz, a great man both on and off the fencing strip.

Closing the Distance

More Biographies

Outdoor Paris

July is a superb time to be outdoors in Paris. Together with its historical heritage and fine architecture, Paris is also typified by culturally-rich gardens with a variety of stylistic influences. Paris claims no fewer than 465 parks and 484,000 trees in those parks, along streets and roads, schoolyards and walkways. This makes walking, cycling (there is a citywide bicycle rental scheme) or roller-blading a pleasure.

More at: Paris and Eurodisney

Ancient Canadian Fort Reveals First Nations History

A fortified village pre-dating the arrival of Europeans in Western Canada - the only one of its kind so far discovered on the Canadian plains - is producing intriguing evidence of a hitherto unknown First Nations group settling on the prairies. It is also rekindling ties between the Siksika Nation (Blackfoot) and other groups in the U.S.

Ancient Canadian Fort Reveals First Nations History

Jaipur: City Palace

Jaipur's City Palace is both a royal residence and a museum open to the public. The buildings are intricately decorated and guarded by the Maharajah's staff in full uniform. The palace is surrounded by a high wall in the centre of Jaipur.

Jaipur: City Palace

Delhi Tombs

Humayun's Tomb is sited near Nizamuddin, the centre of medieval Moslem Delhi. Its construction was begun in 1564 after the second Mughal emperor's death by his widow Haji Begum, mother of Akbar. The gardens around the site have a number of other tombs.

Delhi Tombs

Old Delhi

The Red Fort, Old Delhi

Delhi dates back to 1000 BC but the most famous features of Old Delhi reflect the period of Moslem rule, so that, according to the Rough Guide, Delhi is a 'veritable museum of Indo-Islamic architecture.'

Old Delhi

Delhi: The Red Fort

Lal Qila, the Red Fort, is the largest monument in Old Delhi. Built for Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, the Fort was erected between 1639 and 1648. Its red sandstone walls, turrets and bastions were modeled on the royal citadel at Agra.

Delhi: The Red Fort

Too Little Or Too Much Sleep?

Study shows that children and adults who are short sleepers have a consistent increased risk of obesity.

Too Little Or Too Much Sleep?

New Light On Altruism

Research led by the University of Nottingham published in Science has shed new light on ways in which people are prepared to sacrifice personal advantage for the common good and what happens when "freeloaders" take advantage of their altruism.

Researchers explain that understanding decision-making processes behind cooperation is a key element in addressing major contemporary issues such as recycling and climate change.

New Light On Altruism

Women Are More Forgiving

Men find forgiving more difficult than women but this gender gap closes if men develop empathy toward an offender by seeing they may be capable of acting in a similar way themselves.

Women Are More Forgiving

Gut Feelings

Research has shed new light on "gut feelings" arguing that they are real psychological phenomena that should be taken seriously.

Gut Feelings

Stress And Cancer Surgery

Research from Tel Aviv University published in Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity has shown that psychological and physiological stress before during and after cancer surgery impairs immune system functioning and that blocking the influence of major stress hormones may improve outcome.

Stress And Cancer Surgery

Soaking Potatoes Leads To Healthier Chips

Soaking potatoes in water before frying can reduce levels of acrylamide, a naturally occurring chemical formed when starch-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures.

Soaking Potatoes Leads To Healthier Chips

How Culture Affects The Recognition Of Emotions

Research from the University of Alberta, Canada and Hokkaido University, Japan published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology has found significant differences in how people from eastern and western cultures assess interpersonal situations.

How Culture Affects The Recognition Of Emotions

Acne Inhibits Exercise

Research from Bath University published in the Journal of Health Psychology has found people with acne who are highly anxious about their condition report being less likely to get involved in sport or exercise.

Acne Inhibits Exercise

Selecting The Proper Pond Pump

Whether you own a preformed, or liner pond, a pond pump plays a vital role in maintaining balance in any garden pond or water feature. It's no surprise that stagnant bodies of water, are inviting to mosquito infestations, which are a major concern with West Nile Virus. Not only do these stagnant ponds have a wretched smell, they look un-appealing, and will be very un-inviting to guests or wildlife. This is why pond pumps are of the utmost importance, to regularly circulate water and maintain the health of your pond.

More at: Selecting The Proper Pond Pump

Bronze Age Iberia

New light on Bronze Age life in the Iberian Peninsula.

Bronze Age Iberia

Mayans Used Glittering Pigments On Their Buildings

Ancient Mayans used lustrous pigments to make their buildings glitter in daylight.

Mayans Used Glittering Pigments On Their Buildings

Anxiety And Heart Attacks

Longstanding anxiety significantly increases the risk of heart attack in men, even when other common risk factors are taken into account.

Anxiety And Heart Attacks

Explaining To Mother Helps Problem-Solving

Children are best able to identify the solution to a problem when they explain it to their mother.

Explaining To Mother Helps Problem-Solving

Origins Of Pacific Islanders

New research throws light on long-standing controversies surrounding the origins and genetic relationships of Pacific Islanders.

Origins Of Pacific Islanders

Books about the Vikings

A new selection at:

Books about the Vikings

Interpreting Health Information On The Web

While Internet searches to answer health-related questions can yield a huge amount of data, people tend to pay more attention to information that matches pre-existing beliefs.

Interpreting Health Information On The Web

Dementia Screening

A recent commentary arguing against routine screening for dementia by physicians working in primary care settings has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association

Dementia Screening

Disclosing Bad News

Using negotiation skills to help clinicians handle requests from family members not to reveal bad news to a patient.

Disclosing Bad News

Never Too Late To Change Your Lifestyle

Older adults can achieve significant health improvements with simple and realistic lifestyle changes.

Never Too Late To Change Your Lifestyle

Bestselling Computing Books

Updated selection of the best computing and internet books:

Bestselling Computing Books

Recovery From Substance Abuse

An expert panel's report recently published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment concludes that abstinence from alcohol and drugs is only the initial stage in recovery for people with substance abuse disorders. The report from the Betty Ford Institute explains that although recovery is generally recognized as a primary treatment goal, there is no widely accepted definition of what the term actually
means.

Recovery From Substance Abuse

Lifestyle Habits

Child health psychologists should play a greater role in development of positive
lifestyles thus contributing to adult disease prevention.

Lifestyle Habits

Hearing Messages

Hearing messages embedded in meaningless noise could be an early sign of schizophrenia.

Hearing Messages

Machiavellian Monkeys

Humans and rhesus macaque monkeys share tendencies towards nepotism and political maneuvering.

Machiavellian Monkeys

Survey Of Caistor Roman Town

A survey of Caistor Roman town near Norwich sponsored by the British Academy has given dramatic new insights into the nature of this settlement and confirms it as a site of international importance.

Survey Of Caistor Roman Town

20,000 New Cancer Cases A Day Worldwide

A report from the American Cancer Society estimates that 2007 saw over 12 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths (about 20,000 a day) worldwide. Of these, 5.4 million cases and 2.9 million deaths occurred in economically developed countries, compared to 6.7 million cases and 4.7 million deaths in developing economies.

20,000 New Cancer Cases A Day Worldwide

Roman-Byzantine Era Synagogue Found

Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered an ancient synagogue among the ruins of a large Jewish village from the Roman-Byzantine era at the foot of the Mt Nitai cliffs overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

Roman-Byzantine Era Synagogue Found

Chocolate's Early History

The earliest known cacao consumption has been identified from analysis of pottery shards found at the site of Puerto Escondido in northern Honduras.

Chocolate's Early History

Cancer Viruses

Ground-breaking research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University published in PloS One has demonstrated successful treatment of cancers by targeting causative viruses and raised the possibility of prevention by destroying virus-infected cells before they turn cancerous. Researchers explain that nearly 20 per cent of human cancers result from pre-existing viral infections, for example liver cancer (caused by hepatitis B and C viruses), cervical cancer (caused by human papillomaviruses) and some types of lymphoma (caused by the Epstein-Barr virus).

Cancer Viruses