LINKS - June 5th, 2024
Welcome to LINKS — my attempt to provide Rhapsody readers with five interesting stories that tell us something about what it means to be human . LINKS is published every Wednesday. Have a link you want to share? Drop it in the comments.
Neurodivergent Kids Flourish When They’re Taught How Their Brains Work
By Jerome Schultz, Scientific American
“There is a simple and effective answer: When kids have a better understanding of the condition that affects their learning, they tend to have a better self-concept, and they are more likely to feel empowered and motivated to self-advocate. These keys unlock a child’s potential, resulting in better academic performance and better mental health.”
Bronze Age nomads used cauldrons for blood sausage and yak milk
By Laura Baisas, Popular Science
“Humans have loved fine cookware and milk for thousands of years across multiple continents. Now, a high-tech protein analysis of cauldrons used by nomadic people in present day Mongolia during the Bronze Age indicates that the cookware was used to make sausages and ferment milk. The findings are described in a study published June 5 in the journal Scientific Reports and potentially pushes back the previously understood timeline of when yaks began to be domesticated in the region by thousands of years.”
Americans Aren't Nostalgic for the Past. They Are Nostalgic for Being 15.
By Eric Boehm, Reason
“And that age is roughly when you were between 11 and 16 years old—regardless of when you were born. Across generations, Americans seem to believe that the best music, the best television, the top sporting events, and the strongest communities are the ones they experienced in their adolescence and early teen years. That's the conclusion drawn by the data crunchers at The Washington Post, who distilled some fascinating recent polling data from YouGov's survey of Americans' views about different decades.”
Betty Sue Flowers on Myths and Modernity
From iai TV
“Betty Sue Flowers has always been interested in myths for their enduring potential, power, and influence. In this interview, Betty Sue Flowers explores how myths and legends still shape contemporary life, from religious stories and heroic tales to the narratives that shape our histories and economies.”
Menstrual periods are arriving earlier for younger generations, especially among racial minority and lower-income individuals
From Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
“The findings showed that BMI at age of menarche could explain part of the trend toward periods starting earlier—in other words, that childhood obesity, a risk factor for early puberty and a growing epidemic in the U.S., could be a contributing factor to earlier menarche. Other possible factors that might explain the trend include dietary patterns, psychological stress and adverse childhood experiences, and environmental factors such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and air pollution.”