The Best Music for Productivity? Silence – The Atlantic, December 8, 2016
Studies show that for most types of cognitively demanding tasks, anything but quiet hurts performance (and the more engaging the music is, the worse it is for concentration).
Life Expectancy in the U.S. Has Dropped for the First Time in Decades – VOX, December 8, 2016
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that it’s not just middle-aged white people who are dying sooner — it’s everyone in the United States. This report also looks at the factors behind the drop in life expectancy.
CES 2017: Health & Wellness Meets Cars – J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, January 6, 2017
At the recent Consumer Electronics Show, automakers showed off new technology that aims to bring wellness into the car: from mood-elevating/controlling technology that can send bursts of air, light and fragrance to either energize or to calm, to steering wheels that measure heart rate, etc.
You May Have More Control over Aging Than You Think, Say ‘The Telomere Effect’ Authors – StatNews, January 4, 2017
In “The Telomere Effect,” a molecular biologist (and Nobel Prize winner) and a psychologist explain why we have more control over our own aging than we imagine. Telomeres sit at the end of strands of DNA – they are like the protective caps on shoelaces: stress from a rough lifestyle will shorten them, making it more likely that cells will stop dividing and essentially die. The authors argue that we can actually lengthen our telomeres — and possibly our life — by following sound health advice.
The Sugar Wars – The Atlantic, January/February 2017
Science can’t prove it (there is only circumstantial evidence) and the industry denies it, but Gary Taubes is convinced that the sweet stuff kills.
A Striking Stat:
In 2015, U.S. hotel spa department revenue grew faster (5.6 percent) than other hotel revenue sources (i.e., 3.3 percent growth for room revenue).
Source: CBRE Hotels’ “Trends in the Hotel Spa Industry” – 12/16
