The Trust Molecule
Could a single molecule—one chemical substance—lie at the very center of our moral lives? Read more Research that I have done over the past decade suggests that a chemical messenger called oxytocin accounts for why some people give freely of themselves and others are coldhearted louts, why some people cheat and steal and others you can trust with your life, why some husbands are more faithful than others, and why women tend to be nicer and more generous than men. In our blood and in the brain, oxytocin appears to be the chemical elixir that creates bonds of trust not just in our...
read moreHow Preschool Behavior Can Predict Addiction and Problem Gambling in Adulthood
Children’s behavior at age 3 offers some surprising clues about their risk of developing addictive behaviors like problem gambling or drug misuse in their 30s, according to data from an ongoing study of nearly 1,000 people in New Zealand. Read...
read moreQuick and Easy Stress Busters for 10 of the Most Common Stressors
… I know I’m stressed, but I’m so busy that sometimes just thinking about adding stress-relieving activities to my overflowing schedule is stressful. Read more
read moreHappier in 5 Minutes a Day
Remember when you got a raise and bought a new car, and you’ve been happy ever since? Neither do I. It doesn’t work that way, does it? We buy things, we achieve goals, we indulge ourselves—but none of it gives us lasting happiness. Read more
read moreNew View of Depression
Scientists are increasingly finding that depression and other psychological disorders can be as much diseases of the body as of the mind. People with long-term psychological stress, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder tend to develop earlier and more serious forms of physical illnesses that usually hit people in older age, such as stroke, dementia, heart disease and diabetes. Recent research points to what might be happening on the cellular level that could account for this. Scientists are finding that the same changes to chromosomes that happen as people age can also be found in...
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