Greed

In November of 2017, the Vatican announced it would stop the sale of cigarettes in its duty free shop and supermarket. Pope Francis claimed, “The Holy See cannot contribute to an activity that clearly damages the health of people.” (Evidently, they were previously unaware of the 6 million people who die from cigarette-related deaths every single year.)

Ahh…the lottery. That extra tax on people who are really bad at math. Many believe it’d be great to hit the jackpot, or at least know the winner who strikes it rich.

But according to research, you probably want to be as far away from the winner as possible.

Let’s say you were going to try and chart a first-ever course through the frigid Arctic Ocean. What would you pack for the trip? Equally important, what would you not pack for the trip?

In 1845, Sir John Franklin learned the answers to both questions the hard way….

Pop Quiz: Which kid is most likely to be greedy and judgmental?

The kid being raised by atheists.
The kid being raised by wolves.
The kid walking home from Sunday School.

Final exams are often a stressful season in the lives of college students. But one professor at the University of Maryland adds to the chaos by making his students think about test answers other students will give!

And the results often reveal deep insights about our society.

When the scoreboard at Aberdeen High School’s football field fell into disrepair, a few alumni – who just happen to play in the NFL – stepped forward to save the day. They wrote a big check and gave it to the school…along with one condition.

But the cash-strapped school called an audible at the line of scrimmage.

In 1940, Langdon Gilkey, equipped only with a degree in philosophy from Harvard, went to China to teach English at Yenching University. Three short years later, he was taken prisoner when the Japanese Army came crashing into the city.

His confinement taught him a powerful lesson: fellow prisoners could be less merciful than the enemy.

We’ve all come home from doctor visits only to be greeted by our family members wanting an answer to the same question: What did the doctor say?

But after years of experience, I’ve come to learn that what the doctor “says” and what the doctor “means” are completely different.

Neurologists specialize in studies of the brain and nervous system. Over the years, these doctors have been on the forefront of medical breakthroughs that have helped millions of people around the world. They’ve made some fascinating discoveries about our beliefs, our actions, and how we live our lives.

Like this one.