At NPSC we know that one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to learn new things. Unfortunately, with all of the information available to us, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sift through the web to find the gems.

So, we’ve decided to do it for you! Every Friday, you can find five new articles or videos from the week that will stretch your mind, fuel your spirit, and feed your brain.

“ARE THERE ZOMBIE VIRUSES IN THE THAWING PERMAFROST?” by Michaeleen Doucleff, npr.org

“In the past few years, there has been a growing fear about a possible consequence of climate change: zombie pathogens. Specifically, bacteria and viruses — preserved for centuries in frozen ground — coming back to life as the Arctic’s permafrost starts to thaw.”

“THE FIRST ICE SKATES WEREN’T FOR JUMPS AND TWIRLS—THEY WERE FOR GETTING AROUND” by Laura Poppick, smithsonianmag.com

“Carved from animal shin bones, these early blades served as essential winter transport.”

“SEWICKLEY MAN DONATES $37 MILLION DOLLARS AFTER DEATH” by Cristina Holzer, pittsburghmagazine.com

“A man whose loved ones say lived a simple life has made the second-largest donation in the history of a Pittsburgh nonprofit.”

“WHAT DOES ‘THE’ MEAN?” by Arika Okrent, mentalfloss.com

“’The’ does not seem like a difficult word, but it’s very hard to explain to someone who isn’t a native speaker.”

“EXERCISE ALTERS OUR MICROBIOME. IS THAT ONE REASON IT’S SO GOOD FOR US?” by Gretchen Reynolds, nytimes.com

“Exercise may change the composition and activity of the trillions of microbes in our guts in ways that could improve our health and metabolisms over time, a new study finds.”

At NPSC we know that one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to learn new things. Unfortunately, with all of the information available to us, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sift through the web to find the gems.

So, we’ve decided to do it for you! Every Friday, you can find five new articles or videos from the week that will stretch your mind, fuel your spirit, and feed your brain.

“SHE RAN FROM THE CUT, AND HELPED THOUSANDS OF OTHER GIRLS ESCAPE, TOO” by Jina Moore, nytimes.com

“For Maasai families, the cutting ceremony is a celebration that transforms girls into women and marks daughters as eligible brides.”

“THE LOST ORIGINS OF PLAYING-CARD SYMBOLS” by Adrienne Bernhard, theatlantic.com

“Cards have been used for gambling, divination, and even commerce. But where did their “pips” come from?”

“WHAT AMERICA’S FIRST COOKBOOK SAYS ABOUT OUR COUNTRY AND ITS CUISINE” by Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald, smithsonianmag.com

“But the cakes expressed best what this first cookbook had to say about its country. It was a place that acknowledged its British heritage, to be sure—but was ultimately a new kind of place, with a new kind of cuisine, and a new kind of citizen cook.”

“A 92-YEAR-OLD HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR EXPLAINS WHY HIS DUTY WILL NEVER BE DONE” by Eric Pfeiffer, good.is

“92-year-old Ed Mosberg says, “For me, every day is the Holocaust.”

“HOW TO TELL IF SOMEONE’S BLUFFING: BODY LANGUAGE LESSONS FROM A POKER PRO” by Live Boeree, bigthink.com

This one could be a lot of fun!

At NPSC we know that one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to learn new things. Unfortunately, with all of the information available to us, it can feel almost impossible to find the time to sift through the web to find the gems.

So, we’ve decided to do it for you! Every Friday, you can find five new articles or videos from the week that will stretch your mind, fuel your spirit, and feed your brain.

“HOW YOUR BRAIN TURNS WORDS INTO LANGUAGE” by Michele Debczak, mentalfloss.com

“…when it comes to actually speaking, reading, and listening to words, some parts of our brain do more heavy lifting than others.”

“DIZZY GILLESPIE AND HIS BENT TRUMPET” by Joseph Stromberg, smithsonianmag.com

“…the most lasting symbol of his remarkable career may well be his signature “bent” trumpet—and the story of how the American History Museum got its hands on one of these unusual instruments is just as unconventional as Gillespie himself.”

“52 PLACES TO GO IN 2018” by nytimes.com

“A starter kit for escaping into the world.”

“MILLENNIALS ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. THIS MAY BE WHY” by Philip Perry, bigthink.com

“A new study finds that this generation carries much higher levels of perfectionism, and that these elevated expectations may be to blame.”

“74 THINGS THAT BLEW OUR MINDS IN 2017” by The Atlantic Editors, theatlantic.com

“The Atlantic’s science, technology, and health reporters learned a lot this year.”