David A Weintraub, Vanderbilt University

How will humankind react after astronomers hand over rock-solid scientific evidence for the existence of life beyond the Earth? No more speculating. No more wondering. The moment scientists announce this discovery, everything will change. Not least of all, our philosophies and religions will need to incorporate the new information.

Searching for signs of life

Astronomers have now identified thousands of planets in orbit around other stars. At the current rate of discovery, millions more will be found this century.

Having already found the physical planets, astronomers are now searching for our biological neighbors. Over the next fifty years, they will begin the tantalizing, detailed study of millions of planets, looking for evidence of the presence of life on or below the surfaces or in the atmospheres of those planets.

And it’s very likely that astronomers will find it. Despite the fact that more than one-third of Americans surveyed believe that aliens have already visited Earth, the first evidence of life beyond our planet probably won’t be radio signals, little green men or flying saucers. Instead, a 21st century Galileo, using an enormous, 50-meter-diameter telescope, will collect light from the atmospheres of distant planets, looking for the signatures of biologically significant molecules. Continue reading →

 Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton and Sigmund Freud are three of the most revered geniuses in human history. They changed the artistic landscape, changed the way we see the universe and even changed the way we see ourselves. However, the one thing that they have in common is they all had terrible childhoods.

A bad start to life can be a grave setback for anyone. As a child, you are often a product of your environment, helpless to any physical and emotional abuse that you are subjected to. Da Vinci, Newton, and Freud are an example to anyone that faced a difficult beginning that it doesn’t have to define you. 

It is a challenge that I have faced myself. Growing up in a home with a frequently absent and near silent father as a result of PTSD after serving in the army and a manic depressive mother, neither myself or my two brothers had a particularly settled existence – although I was lucky to have two loving, albeit flawed parents. In comparison with many people, I had a harmonious childhood.

In spite of the more severe struggles that you may have faced during your upbringing, it is crucial to learn from your experiences and not let them negatively affect the rest of your life. It is a struggle that millions of people around the world contend with every day. However, there are ways to ensure that the painful experiences that you faced shape you into a better, more empathetic person.

1. Reframe your narrative

Looking back on a miserable or abusive childhood puts you in the position of a helpless victim. It can make you feel unloved and unwanted. This feeling drags you into a cycle of mental self-abuse. However, by placing yourself in your own memory, you can empower yourself.

Instead of feeling helpless, think back to the time when you were a child, then consider how you pushed yourself out of that situation to become the person you are today. The child in your memory ceases to be a victim and becomes a powerful symbol of just how far you’ve come. As Dr. Harold Bloomfield, psychiatrist and author, says ‘you can find value in past adversity, you can neutralize its harmful effects and foster healing.’

2. Reject shame and blame

Shame is a spiral that can be the most difficult of all to recover from. It affects you like no other emotion because it attacks who you are as a human being. Bloomfield describes it as the ‘cancer of the spirit’ as it gives you the feeling that you are undeserving of joy or love. Continue reading →

Did you know that the CIA killed President John F. Kennedy? He had demanded information about a UFO he had sighted and the CIA assassinated him to prevent the truth about aliens coming to light.

NASA has discovered a mysterious satellite they call the ‘Black Knight’ in orbit around Earth. Theorists believe it is a UFO from another civilized planet. Skeptics dismiss it as space junk.

Extraterrestrial enthusiasts argue heatedly with cynics. How could the ancient Egyptians have assembled pyramids that were architecturally advanced for their time if not for help from space? Even Albert Einstein said that time travel is possible if we can beat the speed of light.

The theorists view the unbelievers as narrow-minded and dull. In contrast, the skeptics think of them as delusional to trust outrageous claims with little scientific credibility.

Stereotypes vs Psychology

Theorists and skeptics are put to the test in a study done by Viren Swami University of Westminster and Malaysia University, along with psychologists Jacob Pietschnig, Stefan Stieger, and Martin Voracek.

They composed an Extraterrestrial Beliefs Scale (EBS). They included three sub-tests in the 37 items on the EBS to examine the subjects belief on the topic of UFO, the government involvement, and the importance of scientific research.

Continue reading →

When you reminisce about your life, looking through a photo album, or chatting with friends and family, you will probably go through a real mix of emotions, recollecting the good times and the bad. Some more poignant moments might stand out to you – perhaps there were times you reached a crossroads in your life and had to make a big choice?

 Each of us faces decisions like that throughout life, and none of us can know what is going to happen in the future so often we end up making, what we later look back on as, bad decisions. Now, a study from the University of Illinois has shown that it is in these very moments – when we feel regret – that we actually reveal some deep secrets about our psyches.

Neale J. Roese and Amy Summerville have come to an incredible discovery through an in-depth study of regret, concluding that our biggest remorse can reveal to us where our greatest potential lies.

Regret as Emotion

Roese and Summerville began by looking at the sensation of regret in general and trying to get an understanding of how those feeling it perceive it. Going into the study, they had expected that everyone would see regret as a negative emotion but were surprised to find that there was a mixture of both positive and negative associations attached to it. In fact, people generally perceived regret in a favorable light. Continue reading →

There is a growing body of research that Big Pharma is trying to keep under wraps and hide from you that reveals the threat medical marijuana poses. These multi-billion dollar drug companies are doing anything and everything they can to prevent the legalization of medical marijuana, but the reasons behind this are not necessarily in the public’s best interests.

As it turns out, they are desperately trying to hold onto their place in the market, and the profits that come with it, even if it’s at the expense of thousands of American lives. Because it appears that in states where medical marijuana is legal, people are turning to it as their medication of choice, over painkillers and other prescription drugs.

This is happening so much so, in fact, that the pharmaceutical industry could end up losing a lot of money should the legalization be rolled out any further. Surprisingly, it is not health that is at the heart of this issue, rather, profits.

The Research

In groundbreaking research by father-daughter team Ashley and W. David Bradford, at the University of Georgia, it was revealed just how big of an impact medical marijuana is having on prescribed drug use.

The study also bridged the gap in the understanding of why people are buying marijuana from dispensaries – before there were questions as to whether it was being used for the right reasons, but this study was able to show that people are indeed turning to pot as a viable medical alternative to prescription-based medication.  Continue reading →

Almost inevitably, conflict and arguments will break out between even the most important and loved figures in our lives. The unfortunate truth is that many of us have been burdened with a broken relationship with the people who raised us (or didn’t) for years. That’s not what we’re talking about here.

When there is serious tension in a relationship, you don’t need a list of symptoms to know that you need to heal and detox the relationship. However,most people can miss the subtle signs that beneath the bond shared with your parents lies a broken element- something that doesn’t fit.

You can choose to ignore the red flags and end up having a decent relationship with mom and dad for years. But the truth is, you will never reach a fulfilling and healthy relationship unless you address these things. We believe that it’s worth it.

1. You Always Want Them Around

Your parents are precious to you, and even more so when you’re an adult. But, if you find yourself automatically depending on them to help with daily tasks like babysitting, fixing things around the house, lending money, or calming you down during a stressful time, it’s possible you’re still carrying around the old dynamics of a parent-child relationship.

 Adult children and their parents maintain a healthy relationship using clear boundaries. You should be able to accomplish everything on your own, without constantly dragging mom or dad into the picture. If you’re married or in a relationship, your partner should be your emotional support, not them. Continue reading →