Well, another week gone by and as always, I’ve mined my favorite nuggets from the internet I have surfed across, especially for you, the reader.  So without further delay, I present the very best of the internet-

Regarding the Mind-

Ever heard the joke about the Lottery being a tax for people who are bad at math.  Science Codex examines a study in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making that delves into the psychology of buying lottery tickets in the low income wage earner.

At Frontal Cortex, Jonah Lehrer shares the fascinating story of deaf and orphaned children in Nicaraugua who were left to their own devices and spontaneously developed a sign language with grammar and structure.

At Catatonic Kid, a beautifully written essay that describes in vivid detail the guilt that simply facing others in the midst of depression causes, in a disorder defined by excessive guilt, and the signs and hope found in the faces of others as we heal.

Feeling stressed out? The Nursing Online Education Database has posted a wonderful list of  fifty ways to decrease your anxiety.  Aah, that’s much better.

Regarding the Soul-

The LDS Church and the state of Utah love their pioneers, and with good reason. The exodus of an entire religious community the middle of a mountain desert is powerful human drama, commemorated by the LDS Church every 24th of July.  Paradox shares some brilliant insight to first presented to her ward, or local Mormon congregation, in honor of the day, pondering what it is that makes one a pioneer.

At Latter-Day Saint Philosopher, Nathan Richardson dissects the opposing tensions that define ourselves and our actions, demonstrating the fallacy in thinking that obeying laws or commandments limits freedom.  Heady stuff.

At Mormon Matters, Ray shares a delicious insight as he observes how both deathbed repentance and wearing ourselves out proving ourselves worthy to God both run counter to God’s plan for us as he sees it.

Regarding the Body-

Mo at Neurophilosophy has an amazing tale about a woman who completely lost her sense of balance due to antibiotic toxicity, but learned to walk again, thanks to her tongue and a brilliantly bioengineered bioelectronic balance system.

At Mental Health Notes, Alicia shares some solid advice on food and diet, both good and bad, that affect the health of the brain and body in mental illness.

or All the Above-

The Anesthesioboist has a sobering reflection of the discovery of bad news for a patient while in the OR.  I was struck by how for all the stereotyping of surgeons being distant, callous, and unempathetic, they are still human.  Everyone grieves when things turn out suddenly worse than expected for patients, even unconscious ones.

At Get Religion, Mollie brings to light new research that reveals some solid benefits to virginity pledges in teenagers and then ponders why the news got so little press compared to a much weaker study, with opposite findings, done earlier this year.

At Depressed (but not unhappy) Mormon Mommy, Laura gives a heartfelt elegy to her recently deceased Aunt, who suffered from Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, as she describes her own difficulty in moving past her “otherness” to really get to know her, and the payoff she received in the end.

I ran into a beautiful photo montage of scenes from the life of Jesus Christ and it quite simply took my breath away.  The photos are soon going on travelling exhibition to LDS temple visitor centers across the globe.  The photographer’s name is Mike Mabry. The moment I saw it, I immediately had to share it.  If you enjoyed the montage below, you can find more at www.reflectionsofchrist.org

and just because I liked it-

The Placebo Journal Blog has a humorous take on the fight brewing between the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics over recommendations for an EKG to screen patients for arrhythmias before starting stimulant medications for ADHD.  Even for one such as I who has a dog in the fight (I’m with the AAP, this is a cardiologist moneygrab), I had to laugh.

At GNIF Brainblogger, Dr. Sajid Surve decides we doctors need to lighten up on occasion as he shares some of the more humorous moments he has experience in medical training.

At Sharp Brains, Alvaro presents Brain Haikus as a way to speak about the brain and exercise it at the same time.  Inspiring, I think I’ll give it a shot.

The Human Mind rules.

Learning, imagination,

beyond all we know.

What do you think?’  I thought it was not too bad for of the top of my head.  That’s it for this week.  I wanted to wish Summa Theologica a happy birthday as aquinas has just reached the one year mark on his spectacular blog. I for one am hoping the blog sees many more, as I think its insights, reflection, and tone have a wisdom and civility very rarely found in interfaith dialogue, or even intrafaith dialogue for that matter.  That’s all I got this week, I’m sure there will be more in the weeks to come.  See you then.