Quoted: The fear of a decaying brain has inspired a mini-industry of products from dietary supplements to computer games.

Quoted: several recent studies stand as a warning against taking the platitudes of achievement too seriously. The new research focuses on a familiar type, perfectionists, who panic or blow a fuse when things don’t turn out just so.

Quoted: For people whose work is unstimulating, having mentally challenging hobbies, like learning a new language or playing bridge, can help maintain cognitive performance. But the belief that any single brain exercise program late in life can act as a quick fix for general mental function is almost entirely faith-based. One form of training, however, has been shown to maintain and improve brain health — physical exercise.

Quoted: Cyclists have long revered Portland for its bicycle-friendly culture and infrastructure, including the network of bike lanes that the city began planning in the early 1970s. Now, riders are helping the city build a cycling economy.

A study I remembered from Harper's Magazine when I came across one of Peter's dots. Check out the connected network "graph" in the image.

Quoted: For the first time, sociologists have mapped the romantic and sexual relationships of an entire high school over 18 months, providing evidence that these adolescent networks may be structured differently than researchers previously thought.

Quoted: On the whole, cycling is a lot more forgiving of body type and age than running is.

Finally a sport for paunchy middle-aged men ;-)

Quoted: Research into the genetics of obesity indicates that each person has a comfortable weight range to which the body gravitates.

Quoted: Many long-term-care policyholders say that years of premiums have resulted in only excuses about why insurers will not pay.

"Deny claims long enough and they die" and other nuggets of wisdom from lean and efficient private healthcare sector.