Articles

Is it a myth that plants respond to human/plant interaction? Years ago my friend and I heard that talking to plants help them grow so we each prepared pots with the same soil and the same plants. We watered them equally. Then we talked to one plant but not to the other. After a month we noticed that the plants we spoke to flourished while the other plants were not as vibrant. Science now shows that plants interact with each other. We seem to be part of a universal communication system even if we don’t all speak the same language. more »

Chet Lunner, a security consultant and former official at Homeland Security (DHS) and Michael Balboni, a security consultant and former NY state senator who wrote homeland security laws for his state, say even if smaller cities and towns aren't at high risk for violence and are short on the financial resources that big cities have, they should still plan and practice for terrorist attacks. Until there is centralized information-sharing between the national and local governments, it will be difficult to get localities invested in sustained antiterrorism work, Balboni said. more »

Serena Nanda and Joan Greg review: Culture plays an essential role in the crimes committed in these three extraordinary murder mysteries in the lives of the victims and perpetrators, and in the interactions of the investigations. Each narrative situates its action in historical realities that extend from the past into the present. These novels are all available through the public libraries and Amazon.com. more »

Elizabeth Bernier writes: My oldest son had these reflections: "Parental praise has had a lasting impact. I don't mean general statements like 'good job' or 'I'm proud of you.' Those mattered, of course, but I'm talking about thoughtful praise; hearing an observation about me, coupled with specific examples that showed how closely my parent was paying attention to who I was. Another kind of real praise was expressions of deep pride and delight over who I was as a person." more »