“Broadcast” Began in a Farmer’s Field Long before anyone broadcast news, music, or television, farmers were broadcasting seeds. The word combines broad with cast, meaning “to throw.” Beginning in the…
Why do we focus on trivial things? Why Small Details Get So Much Attention “Bikeshedding” is the tendency for groups to spend far more time debating simple, low-stakes details than…
Why “Awkward” Originally Meant “Facing the Wrong Way” Today, awkward describes an uncomfortable silence, a clumsy movement, or a socially embarrassing moment. But originally, it was much more literal. The…
The Chin: Evolution’s Most Mysterious Bump Look at a chimpanzee, Neanderthal or Homo erectus skull: none possesses a true projecting chin. Among known animals, this little shelf of bone appears…
What’s the Difference? Dementia is not one specific disease. It is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms involving problems with memory, thinking, judgment, language, or everyday functioning. It…
Lamb Biryani Recipe Ingredients 1 teaspoons chili powder 2 tablespoons garam masala (Not Kopuram) 1 tablespoon coriander powder (Not Kopuram) 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon ginger powder 1 teaspoon…
Why Doing Someone a Favor Can Make You Like Them More We usually think liking causes favors. We like someone, so we help them. But sometimes the reverse happens: helping…
A chimpanzee may sleep about nine to ten hours; humans average closer to seven. Based on our body size, diet and evolutionary relationships, researchers estimate that we should sleep roughly…
A “Window” Was Once a Wind-Eye The word window began as a vivid picture: an eye through which the wind could enter. It comes from the Old Norse word vindauga,…
The Tiny Gesture That May Have Opened the Door to Language Around their first birthday, babies begin performing a remarkable act: they point—not only to request something, but simply to…