Science News for Writers

behappy When it comes to our brains, there's no such thing as normal There's nothing wrong with being a little weird. Because we think of psychological disorders on a continuum, we may worry when our own ways of thinking and behaving don't match up with our idealized notion of health. But some variability can be healthy and even adaptive, say researchers, even though it can also complicate attempts to identify standardized markers of pathology. "I would argue that there is no fixed normal," says clinical psychologist and senior author Avram Holmes of Yale University. "There's a level of variability in every one of our behaviors." Healthy variation is the raw material that natural selection feeds on, but there are plenty of reasons why evolution might not arrive at one isolated perfect version of a trait or behavior. "Any behavior is neither solely negative or solely positive. There are potential benefits for both, depending on t...

Source: ngm.nationalgeographic.com I enjoy well-researched historical fiction, especially when it provides an education about the times atop an interesting story, well-developed characters and unexpected plot twists. Today's post is about Cahokia, a city of 20,000 native Americans now known to be from diverse cultures, always fertile ground for fiction.  While several authors have stories bases on this ancient city, this research opens the doors for conflict of the sort that creates story.   Any takers?  I would love to read something based on this urban city of a thousand years ago. Native American City on the Mississippi Was America's First 'Melting pot' Suggested Reading Click on image N ew evidence establishes that Cahokia, a sprawling, pre-Columbian city situated at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, hosted a sizable population of immigrants. Cahokia was an early experiment in urban life, said Thomas Emerson, who led the...

Oct. 15, 2013 — There is a science to crafting a good bit and delivering a one-liner that sets off a roar of laughter from the audience. And like any skill, Peter Orazem and Gavin Jerome believe it's one students in their Comedy College course at Iowa State University can learn -- no joke, they can learn to be funny. "I get the question all the time, 'Can you teach someone to be funny? Either you're funny or you're not, right?' No, comedy is like any other skill, like welding, carpentry or brain surgery. There are tricks, techniques and formulas that if you study them, you will be funnier," said Jerome, a professional entertainer who has partnered with Orazem to teach the course. Orazem, a University Professor of economics at Iowa State University, is living proof. He continues to master the skill he first developed as a student in one of Jerome's comedy workshops. And he admits his routine has come a long way since learning some of the tricks and...