As first discovered by Baumeister, ego-depletion leads to less self-control. Which means that if you do not think highly of yourself, your ability to control yourself from over-eating/over-drinking becomes surprisingly low.This doesn't necessarily mean that self-control or willpower cannot be cultivated. Perhaps those of us with seemingly higher willpower may have an intuitive understanding that self-deprecation is not good for ...

Went hiking again. This time in Northern Pennsylvania. Cook's Forest State park is among the best kept state parks in Pennsylvania. I hiked the Tom's run, Ancient Forest, Hemlock and Red Eft trails. The forest cathedral (previously known as the Black Forest) is basically a forest area with huge pines and hemlocks, some that have been rooted up by various ...

There was TEDtalk by Brene Brown awhile back about the power of vulnerability. I think she got a standing ovation and all, but clearly there's a lack of gender perspective in her talk. Even though both men and women struggle to show vulnerability, society takes the vulnerability of women a lot kindly than the vulnerability of men. If a woman ...

Went hiking on Blue Knob state park last week. It's actually the second highest point in Pennsylvania but the view is so-so since the it's not exactly a point. The altitude stretches over a large distance giving the apparent feeling of being not so high.The weather was perfect and I hiked for most of the day. Covered the mountain-view trail ...

That's how you'll feel if you read the book "Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow" by the Nobel Prize winning economist Daniel Kahneman. The book is a lengthy, self-conscious and a challenging read but highly recommended if you're interested in why human beings behave the way they behave. It's given me so much 'oh snap, so that's why we're so dumb' ...

After a rather successful Microscopy conference last week, I felt the urge to break free. Rented a 2012 Chevy Impala and cruised along the highways of Arizona. Broke a few speed limits on the way. I have no regrets.

I visited the Carnegie Science Center to watch the Dark Knight Rises in the giant fish-eye distorted OMNIMAX theater, and found myself going through the exhibits at the at the Science Center, which are typically meant for kids. But that's ok, no one was there to judge me and I felt rather safe and unburdened. So this is an image ...

If I can tame the ghosts in my head that wish me dead, I plan to travel around the sun at least seventy three more times. They say that Siddhartha attained nirvana at 27. I don't think I'm even close, but I have learned a few things on the way.Humans have more things in common with each other than they ...

Chivalry is benevolent sexism. In fact, the root of all misogyny is Chivalry. I've heard women rant countless times that they need a guy who believes in gender equality but is also chivalrous. To me this sounds more or less like feudal-age peasants seeking a master (yes, Sri Lanka you know who I'm talking about); those who hope for "benevolent ...

Found these photos in my camera. The amount of things I forget or take for granted, seem to be astonishing. If it weren't for selective memory, humans would've been long gone from the game of evolution. Not to mention our brains would've exploded. But still, I wouldn't mind having a better memory.

The bridge near near Schenley Plaza, Pittsburgh. All rights reserved"Love will not betray you, dismay or enslave you,It will set you freeBe more like the man you were meant to be." -Mumford and SonsYet reading up on the Disposable Male, The Surrendered Wife model, and the Domestication of the Human male, I'm not quite sure what to think of love now. Especially the last one.

These plants might look small and tender, but they are actually trees in disguise, some older than myself by a couple of decades. The growth reduction is achieved by planting them in small pots, trimming the roots, and pruning the branches. The Japanese actually used to tie the branches to the ground at first but realized this essentially harms the ...

...is upon us. It's another season of beautiful weather, birds and bees, pretty flowers, short skirts and skimpy outfits. The sun rises around 7 in the morning and sets at 8 in the evening. People are everywhere, big smiles and warm greetings are abundant. And life is getting easier.

Being sick has it's perks. Haven't gone to work for the past 3 days. Life has slowed down considerably, and I've just discovered Bored to Death and Tudors. Bored to death is simply hilarious. I don't know how I've ever lived without knowing about this. It's kind of like an American Peepshow with a Hangover vibe.Also Time Enough for Love. ...

Why are some feminists angry than other feminists?There's a certain level of man-hating that occurs in the feminist community, that I'm not sure whether it's an evolutionary tactic to get more attention or just a way of alienating men to the cause. And it's not just anger, there're some extremely negative tantrum throwing, revenge-seeking, guilt-provoking behavior that puts me off ...

It's still cold out, but I'm glad the sun is making an appearance. You know this more than I do oh Lord of light, "When faced with an unfamiliar choice, always.. always choose Love over Fear. It is the only way to live."

The more I read evolutionary psychology, the more I hate The Game.Not women in general, nor men for that matter, but people who play the game.Which obviously includes myself sometimes.The Game, quite often misunderstood, is not limited to getting laid.It's found in Politics, in Entertainment, Science and in every level of society.Even in those that condemn it like counter-culture.Listening to ...

It's not self-deception, it's the search for coherency.God, reincarnation, religion, these were attempts at comprehending,or more accurately creating a "coherent story" for the intimidating vastness of the universe.Holding onto these constructs in the age of science however, is idiocy.Not because Science is "right", but because it gives a more probable Coherent Story of the universe, life and even morality.Creating coherent ...