Silicon Canals

The pollutant you can’t see: why constant background noise is becoming a medical issue

On an average weeknight in any big city, the soundtrack isn’t sirens or jackhammers. It’s the steady, low hiss of tires, ventilation units ticking over, a ...
Silicon CanalsOpinion

What no one warns you about turning 65 is that it’s not your body that changes first—it’s the way people start talking to you like you’ve already disappeared

From being the wisest voice in the room to having waiters ask your children what you'd like to eat — the moment you hit 65, ...
Silicon Canals

Chewing sounds trigger your rage? Misophonia may be why—and scientists are digging in

This new framing stands on two pillars of earlier lab work.
Silicon Canals

Psychology says people who always pay with exact change display these 7 personality traits that go beyond just being organized

While you might roll your eyes at the person meticulously counting coins at checkout, psychologists have discovered that these exact-change enthusiasts possess a remarkable combination of mental ...
Silicon Canals

9 things that were standard middle class in 1985 that are now luxury items, and most boomers haven’t fully processed that the life they considered normal is now aspirational

The middle-class American Dream your parents lived—buying a house on one income, mom staying home with the kids, dad's pension waiting at retirement—hasn't just gotten harder to achieve; it's become a ...
Silicon Canals

The 1:11 bay leaf ritual went viral—because it hacks “fresh start” psychology

The viral 1:11 bay leaf ritual is a perfect storm of symbolism, simplicity, and timing. The cultural story about 111 gives it voice. The fresh start effect gives it teeth. If you like the feel of a ...
Silicon Canals

Love makes you reckless (literally): study finds romantic cues increase risk-taking

The article—titled “Blind Love, Risky Romance: Exposure to Romantic Cues Increases Nonmoral and Immoral Risk Taking”—tested a simple idea with surprisingly broad implications: when people encounter ...
Silicon Canals

7 signs your adult children see you as free childcare instead of grandparents who deserve respect and boundaries

When your retirement dreams of spoiling grandkids with cookies and stories turn into unpaid full-time childcare with no days off, it's time to recognize the warning signs that your adult children have ...
Silicon Canals

Let them sleep: weekend catch-up rest linked to lower depression risk in teens

For years, families have argued through the same sleepy standoff: a teenager surfaces at noon on Saturday; an adult taps their watch and worries about ...
Silicon Canals

Psychology says people who still iron their clothes before leaving the house even when no one will notice share these 7 qualities that are vanishing from modern life

While the rest of us embrace wrinkle-release spray and "good enough" standards, these seemingly old-fashioned souls are quietly cultivating character traits that psychologists warn are disappearing ...
Silicon Canals

A brain-based AI test could point to the best antidepressant for you

If you’ve ever started an antidepressant and spent weeks waiting to see if it helps, you know the hardest part is the guesswork.
Silicon Canals

Psychology says the black sheep of the family usually ends up being the most emotionally intelligent — here’s why

While being labeled the family outcast might sting, research reveals that those awkward holiday dinners spent explaining your "unconventional" life choices are actually training you to become an ...