Did you know that this famous lady could have ended up in Boston or Philadelphia, or further afield? These ten interesting facts might surprise you.
Author Archives: annettebrennan
7 Scientific Facts About the Benefit of Doing Good
The act of giving has benefits that not only impact the receiver of goodwill but also the giver. As well as making a person feel good there are many health benefits to acts of charity.
Wilma Rudolph Biography
Wilma Rudolph was a remarkable American athlete who overcame massive illness as a young child. Her achievements at the 1960 Olympics were impressive and inspirational.
‘Herd Mentality: Are we programmed to make bad decisions?
Most people want to be part of the popular crowd, but that desire could lead to bad decisions. Copying what our friends do or buy can result in relying too much on others. Find out why people should rely on their own instincts more than herd mentality.
The Power of Introverts
Nobel-Prize winner Albert Einstein was one. Susan Cain presents her ideas about the value of introverts. She argues that though many people today prize being social and outgoing, being contemplative and quiet should also be encouraged and celebrated. Listen to her TED talk or read the transcript.
Monkeys Can Do Math
Even though they aren’t in a math class, rhesus macaques can be trained to connect numerical values with symbols and give the correct answers to math problems. Dig deeper into the study about how monkeys learn.
Google Self-Driving Car Project
A self-driving car could well be a product of the not-so-distant future. How do you feel about a driverless car? What are the advantages? What do you think might concern people about such a vehicle?
Study: Wanting Things Makes Us Happier Than Having Them
Studies show that the thoughts of buying something new can provide as much pleasure as having that new purchase in the hand! And, for the materialistic, the happiness gained from a new purchase is short-lived.
Failure Is Your Friend: A New Freakonomics Radio Podcast
In this podcast, you will hear about how to predict the possibility of failure, how to avoid actually going through the failure, and then what can you do to sidestep it. Listen in to learn how to think ahead before you act.
10 Great Summer Jobs For Teens
Aside from providing a little extra pocket money, what are the benefits of a summer job? Forbes Magazine lists ten jobs that will provide an opportunity for gaining lifelong, transferable skills.
Buying begets buying: how stuff has consumed the average American’s life
Living beyond our means and having an attachment to possessions is something we’ve become accustomed to. We can put a false value on owning things, imagining a happiness that simply cannot be obtained through materialism.
Ai Weiwei Alcatraz tour: Legos, protest songs and prison cells
Although detained in China for being critical of the Chinese government, Ai Weiwei still manages to create art supporting human rights and free speech. Read this photo essay about a visit to Alcatraz, a former military prison, and view Weiwei’s art made of Legos that speaks up for people from around the world who were imprisoned or exiled from their countries.
Landslide Safety
Read through all four tabs for information on being prepared, responding during, and recovering after a landslide.
Are Infants Afraid of Heights?
Infants are afraid of strangers, but what about heights? When do people start to have fear of heights?
Cesar Chavez
Labor organizer Cesar Chavez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for working to improve working and living conditions for migrant farm workers. Learn how he found the courage to speak out, organize a farm workers’ union, and lead nonviolent marches and boycotts of California table grape growers.
A Volunteer Placement in Sri Lanka Changed My Life
A university graduate talks about the confidence and independence she gained through volunteering in Sri Lanka.
Can you be scared to death?
The fear of spiders, heights, claustrophobia, and the fear of needles are the most common fears we experience. Read about how the fight-or flight-response affects the heart when we’re scared.
What Americans Can Learn From Other Food Cultures
Food joins people together within and across cultures. American food is slowly becoming more localized over time like French, Mexican, Chinese and Italian cuisine which is made from the produce of the region and with ingredients to hand at a particular season.
Teen Climber Survives Deadly Everest Avalanche
Matt Moniz was named “Adventurer of the Year” in 2010 by National Geographic when he was just 12! At 17 years old he realized his dream to climb Mount Everest but was also caught up in a deadly avalanche.
Anne Frank was captured 70 years ago today. But what if she had escaped the Nazis?
Although she died in a concentration camp when she was 15, Anne Frank’s thoughts and feelings are alive and influence many writers today. Learn about the contemporary play and the novels that are part of Anne’s legacy.