Giftedness and genius: Crucial differences

By: Arthur J. Jensen In C. P. Benbow & D. J. Lubinski (Eds.), Intellectual talent: Psychometric and social issues (p. 393–411). Johns Hopkins University Press. 1996 Summary Genius. Socially recognized outstandingly creative achievement. Multiple (common) traits combine to create (rare) exceptional achievement.

Read More Giftedness and genius: Crucial differences

Why does COVID-19 disproportionately affect the elderly?

By: Amber L. Mueller, Maeve S. McNamara, David A. Sinclair Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School Preprint, 30 April 2020 – not peer reviewed. Summary Severity and outcome of COVID-19 largely depends on a

Read More Why does COVID-19 disproportionately affect the elderly?

Interventions for Human Frailty: Physical Activity as a Model

By: Linda P. Fried In: Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 2016 Jun 1. Date: 2016 Summary Life span has expanded. Added about 30 years in life span over the last 100 years. Mostly due to: Public health interventions targeting infectious

Read More Interventions for Human Frailty: Physical Activity as a Model

Life’s Information Hierarchy

The explanation for the complex, multi-scale structure of biological and social systems lies in their manipulation of space and time to reduce uncertainty about the future. By: Jessica C. Flack Date: April 2014 In: Santa Fe Institute Bulletin and From

Read More Life’s Information Hierarchy

Circuit Breakers

By: Luca Dellanna Date: April 21, 2020 In: Personal Blog Key Subjects Regulations tend to be optimized for everyday life. Not for emergency situations (such as the current pandemic). Need for circuit breakers. Alternative regulations that kick-in fast during an

Read More Circuit Breakers

How does coronavirus kill?

Clinicians trace a ferocious rampage through the body, from brain to toes. By: Meredith Wadman, Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Jocelyn Kaiser, Catherine Matacic In: Science. Apr. 17, 2020 How does the virus attack cells around the body? A clear picture is elusive.

Read More How does coronavirus kill?

Sleeping with the Baby

By: John Seabrook In: New Yorker, October 2015 Babies and sleep. Polyphasic sleep. Babies tend to sleep in bouts, not distinguishing between night and day. Opposite of monophasic sleep: one seven- or eight-hour chunk at night. REM sleep (dream stage).

Read More Sleeping with the Baby

The Fragile Generation

Bad policy and paranoid parenting are making kids too safe to succeed. By: Lenore Skenazy and Jonathan Haidt In: Reason, December 2017 Summary Key claim: kids are over-protected and under-prepared. We raise kids unaccustomed to facing anything on their own,

Read More The Fragile Generation

The information theory of individuality

By: David Krakauer, Nils Bertschinger, Eckehard Olbrich, Jessica C. Flack, Nihat Ay In: Theory in Biosciences Date: 24 March, 2020 Introduction There is little agreement (in biology) about what individuals are. Few rigorous quantitative methods for their identification. Information theory

Read More The information theory of individuality

Geroprotective and senoremediative strategies to reduce the comorbidity, infection rates, severity, and lethality in gerophilic and gerolavic infections

By: Alex Zhavoronkov In: Aging Date: 31 March, 2020 Summary COVID-19 disproportionately harms the elderly. Infection rates, severity, and lethality all increase with age. Mostly because of higher levels of comorbidity among elderly. May also be due to decreased immune

Read More Geroprotective and senoremediative strategies to reduce the comorbidity, infection rates, severity, and lethality in gerophilic and gerolavic infections