Collaborative processes and approaches for social benefit. Networking. Politics.
Submitted by procreative-admin on Fri, 02/09/2011 - 11:08am
A healthy social life may be as good for your long-term health as avoiding cigarettes, according to a massive research review released Tuesday by the journal PLoS Medicine.
...
those with poor social connections had on average 50% higher odds of death in the study's follow-up period (an average of 7.5 years) than people with more robust social ties.
...
The immune systems of people with lots of friends simply worked better, fighting off the cold virus often without symptoms.
Submitted by procreative-admin on Wed, 22/06/2011 - 12:07pm
Interesting article, particularly the range of comments at the bottom.
"There is an inverse correlation between the availability of pornography and rape: the more porn that's available, the less rape," said Ogas, adding extreme pornography was a rare indulgence and did not spill over into the viewer's real life.
"Almost all fears about the negative or corrupting influence of pornography are misguided, and usually applied to other people's sexual interests."
Submitted by procreative-admin on Fri, 11/03/2011 - 3:15pm
A wonderful interpretation of farmyard life by an Carla Carlisle (London Telegraph).
Scientists have discovered that hens can feel empathy. They don't know the half of it, says Carla Carlisle.
...
The story White never wrote was one that I reckon he deemed too hard for young readers to take: the story of a tame hen who wilfully tore a chick to pieces and then, crazed with remorse, went into the cellar and committed suicide by eating mothballs.
Submitted by procreative-admin on Wed, 08/09/2010 - 5:54am
It is often said that "money doesn't buy you happiness" but some certainly helps relieve unhappiness.
And from decades of research we now know that poverty, or low social status is definitely correlated with poor health and early mortality.
Stanford researches quantify what is the threshold in income to be 'happy' (at least in the USA).
Submitted by procreative-admin on Sun, 08/08/2010 - 1:05pm
An interesting article by Fiona Smith (Sydney Morning Herald) on the reliance of people on the context and circumstances giving them 'confidence'.
Which means what is seen as 'confidence' is often surface-layer, reliant on external structures, not on internal values or personal strength -- what we might call a 'fair-weather confidence'.
From the article:
Submitted by procreative-admin on Mon, 14/06/2010 - 7:54am
An excellent article by Ross Gittins on the deeper psychological factors driving booms and busts.
"... it's taken the global financial crisis to help us rediscover that truth: the main reason economies fluctuate as they do is the changing psychology of the people who compose the economy."
Submitted by procreative-admin on Mon, 14/06/2010 - 6:38am
Big picture stuff, reported by Ross Gittins (Sydney Morning Herald) on paper by Michael Schluter re radical and substantial reform of social, economic systems. Based on Christian principles, but with expected practical productive (qualitative) benefits.
The systems (political, social, economic) within which we live can constrain or enhance our creativity and productivity. A stronger focus on relationships would have many benefits.