I wrote fewer features than usual this year, to give more time to my work on “Orchids and Dandelions,” the book I’m now slaving away at. But I was still able to find ten piece I wrote either here or for other publications that I feel good about offering in a “best of 2012” spirit. Hope you enjoy, and thanks, immensely, for reading.
They Froze for Science — and Got the Eggs,
Neuron Culture
Incalculable suffering, immeasurable futililty, unmatchable grace.
What the “worst journey in the world” shows about great science.
Can Genes Send You High or Low? The Orchid Hypothesis A-Bloom
Neuron Culture
An update on the orchid-dandelion hypothesis.
Madness, Genius, & Sherman’s Ruthless March
Neuron Culture
Sherman’s empathy was inextricable from his cruelty,
his madness from his genius.
SMILE: The Astonishing Destructive Power of Positive Thinking
Download The Universe
Frightening how much fun I had savaging this book.
“To glaze this donut, Gutman turns to science.
He finds many studies but, apparently, few commas.”
Batman Returns: How Culture Shapes Muddle Into Madness
Neuron CultureIn the wake of the Aurora shootings, I ask:
How does culture shapes the expression of mental dysfunction?
The Hole in My Brain: Amnesia’s Lessons About Memory, Depression, and Love
Story Collider
Struggling to find my kids’ preschool, I wander all over my hippocampus.
Smart is the Norm, Stupidity Gets More Interesting
The New York Times.
The first of my “Mind” columns at the Times.
Inspired by Kevin Mitchell’s The genetics of stupidity.
photo by fdecomite, via flickr. creative commons, some rights reserved
The New Temper Tantrum Disorder
SlateA new diagnosis says more about problems with psychiatry
than about problems with kids.
Restless Genes
National Geographic
How a long conversation between genes and culture has shaped our exploratory urge.
A New Focus on the ‘Post’ in Post-Traumatic Stress
New York Times
What if the ‘traumatic event’ isn’t the traumatic event?
(Photo by Faugel, Some rights reserved.)