Laughing is good for your mind and your body – here's what the research shows

Whether in the form of a discreet titter or a full-on roar, laughter comes with many benefits for physical and mental health.

Janet M. Gibson, Professor of Cognitive Psychology, Grinnell College • conversation
Nov. 23, 2020 • ~8 min
brain emotion psychology wellbeing stress emotions positive-psychology laughter well-being humor mental-well-being human-brain emotional-well-being smiling social-bonds social-bonding

'Morality pills' may be the US's best shot at ending the coronavirus pandemic, according to one ethicist

Rather than a vaccine to beef up your immune system, a psychoactive substance could boost your cooperative, pro-social behavior – curtailing the selfish actions that spur on coronavirus's spread.

Parker Crutchfield, Associate Professor of Medical Ethics, Humanities and Law, Western Michigan University • conversation
Aug. 10, 2020 • ~9 min
covid-19 coronavirus emotion cooperation psilocybin social-distancing altruism oxytocin face-masks masks public-goods performance-enhancement cognitive-enhancement experimental-economics sociopath human-enhancements rules wearing-masks

Want to stop the COVID-19 stress meltdown? Train your brain

With the county facing a crisis in emotional health, we may need two vaccines: one for COVID-19 and another for toxic stress. Here's a technique for dealing with all that stress.

Laurel Mellin, Associate Professor Emeritus of Family & Community Medicine and Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
June 10, 2020 • ~8 min
health brain neuroscience mental-health brain-training emotion psychology stress therapy

Mobile technology may support kids learning to recognize emotions in photos of faces

Understanding others' emotions is a crucial social skill. Counter to concerns about screen time stunting kids' development, one study suggests they're getting better at recognizing emotion on screen.

Yalda T. Uhls, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers and Assistant Adjunct Professor in Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
June 2, 2020 • ~6 min
emotion child-development research-brief emotions screen-time adolescents adolescence smart-phones screens ipad tablet-computing tablets screentime videochat

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