| In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. --John F. Kennedy
Good News of the Day:
 For thousands of years, steep mountain ranges and dense forests have limited interaction between many of Papua New Guinea's indigenous groups, creating one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries in the world. Geographic barriers also have limited scientific exploration in the country, which is known to harbor many undiscovered species. Trekking by foot, canoe, and helicopter, a team of scientists set out in 2009 on a survey to collect biodiversity information for conservation efforts. A year later, they've revealed over 200 species new to science, including 24 frog species, six mammals, nine plants, about 100 spiders and 100 insects! [ more ] Submitted by: Mali
Be The Change:
Take a moment to zoom out and remember the intricate relationships that construct our lives. [ more ]
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Like so many highly trained young women these days, Elizabeth Scharpf has choices. She could be working in a Manhattan office tower with her Harvard Business School classmates, soaring through the ranks as a banker or business executive, aspiring to become a C.E.O. There's no question that women enjoy opportunities that didn't exist a few decades ago. Yet those exerting the greatest pressure for change often aren't presidents and tycoons but those further down the pyramid, driven by a passion to create a better world. This kind of Do-It-Yourself Foreign Aid shows that it's not only high-ranking officials who chip away at global challenges. Passionate individuals with great ideas can do the same, especially in the age of Internet and social media. [ 
After overhearing her children talk of starting a rock band and noticing that nothing ever came of their dreams, Sandra Rizkallah and her husband, Tom Pugh, decided to help. Starting with five teens, the group soon evolved into a full-fledged nonprofit that has affected 400 students. But it's become more than just music. Throughout the year, the teens put on benefit concerts, donating the proceeds to causes they care about. "Many teens come to us struggling with low self-esteem. Through connecting with other young musicians, they learn they can help others through their love of music. They gain confidence, compassion, a social conscience - and hope." [ 
Neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks has spent his career examining patients struggling to survive with a wide range of neurological conditions: Tourette's syndrome, autism, Parkinson's, musical hallucinations, Alzheimer's disease and phantom-limb syndrome. But in his latest book, "The Mind's Eye," Sacks turns the tables on himself. He writes about being diagnosed with a rare eye tumor and the subsequent total loss of vision on his right side. In this interview with Terry Gross, he shares the experience of adapting to a world that appears to be entirely flat. [ 
All around us we see evidence of human beings sacrificing themselves and doing good for others. Still, doubting altruism is easy. It's undeniable that people sometimes act in a way that benefits others, but it may seem that they always get something in return - at the very least, the "warm glow" of having their desire to help fulfilled. Biological altruism attempts to explain how unselfish behavior might have evolved but it implies nothing about the intentions of the agent. Even when we appear to act unselfishly, there may be other hidden motives. Conversely, if we didn't desire the good of others for its own sake, then attaining it wouldn't produce the warm glow. Whatever else is true of altruism, perhaps the only kind of altruism with staying power is the kind that's satisfying to those who practice it. [ 
We all have our own bad habits at the office. Maybe it's gossiping or complaining. Or binge eating or nail-biting. Or checking e-mail incessantly. Whatever the habit, we'd be happier without it. Andrew Rosen, author of "How to Quit Your Job," offers 5 steps to leave bad workplace habits behind as you pave a healthier, balanced lifestyle. [