Kecia Lynn
Kecia Lynn has worked as a technical writer, editor, software developer, arts administrator, summer camp director, and television host. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she is currently living in Iowa City and working on her first novel.
In a few months, World View will offer tickets for balloon rides that will take passengers to an altitude of about 100,000 feet. It’s not high enough to experience microgravity, but they promise an awesome view.
Working with Caltech and MinecraftEdu, Google has released a mod for the popular world-building game that provides insights into quantum behavior.
Happify provides a range of tools that use positive psychology techniques to help participants improve on qualities commonly associated with happiness, such as resilience and compassion.
Wichita State University is one of a growing number of higher-education institutions that are using predictive analysis tools to help them determine how well incoming students will do.
Next month, the University of Wisconsin will begin accepting applications for degree programs that give students three months of “all you can eat” access to online courses and allow them to earn their degrees by taking competency tests.
The Chinese Characters Dictation Competition invited students to test their knowledge of written Chinese at a time when some say technology is eroding language skills. A nationwide audience tuned in for last Friday’s finale.
The financial crisis may be one reason executives are flocking to classes and seminars to learn what the great Western philosophers had to say about such concepts as respect, authority, and ethics.
In addition, the government ordered local networks to provide more “morality-building” documentaries and news shows.
Lucha Libro is a literary version of the popular Mexican wrestling event. In this case, the luchadores are aspiring writers who have five minutes to come up with a short story in front of a live audience.
This isn’t an historical document: The Global Slavery Index describes conditions happening today for nearly 30 million people who are being held illegally against their will.
A pending launch has supporters excited about a possible Asian space race and opponents concerned about more pressing needs here on Earth.
People who seek out — or, in the case of this Technical University of Munich study, act out — positions of power tend to gain more resolve to pursue their goals than those who don’t.
UCLA researcher Steve Horvath has come up with a way to measure the biological — rather than chronological — age of human organs, tissues and cells. His findings could lead to new ways to slow or even stop aging.
The current issue of American Psychologist challenges scientists to focus on a largely unexamined area of study.
New research shows that variations in a particular genotype can make a person more likely to participate in “prosocial” acts, such as rescuing someone from drowning.
A study combining regional political, social, economic and health data with responses from various personality surveys showed that parts of the US can indeed be said to have distinct temperaments.
A survey of UK residents revealed that those who claimed to meet the minimum recommended amount of weekly exercise tended to be heavier if they stated that part of that exercise included housework.
University of Rochester scientists discovered that during sleep, the space between brain cells widens, allowing additional cerebrospinal fluid to flush out toxic molecules. Some of these have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
A protein used by the liver to metabolize belly fat is also used by the brain’s memory center. More belly fat increases the chances that the liver will steal some protein from the brain in order to do its job.
New research suggests that people are largely biologically programmed to wake up and fall asleep at certain times. Those with “late” programming tend to struggle more with traditional work schedules, and can experience health problems as well.
When rats were given a choice between rice cakes, Oreos, cocaine, and morphine, the rice cakes lost handily. However, brain activity showed that in the battle between cookies and drugs, the cookies won.
In the case of one new brand, add black to the label and highlight “high-protein” instead of “low-fat.” It’s one of several new and existing products that are designed to attract an increasing number of “manfluencers.”
A small-scale experiment involving female university students revealed that the presence of music, regardless of its speed, appeared to reduce alcohol’s mellowing effects, leading to faster consumption.
A new study claims that Facebook users are separated from each other by an average of just under four people. Interestingly, those that are in self-contained professions are more separated from each other than are Facebook users on the whole.
Critics decry them for their effects on urban planning and traffic management, but a sociologist says they promote stronger community cohesion in an era when knowing one’s neighbors is becoming less common.
A study from Cologne University reveals that unconscious memorization of brand names as they appear on a screen may be disrupted by the act of chewing popcorn.
Zeoform can be made from plants or reclaimed waste and molded into any shape. The Australia-based company wants to license its technology in hopes that others can improve on it.
Researchers at the University of Buffalo recently tested a submerged Internet network that uses sound waves to transmit data. They envision a host of applications, including oceanographic data collection and tsunami warning.
The restaurant combines food delivery via conveyor belts with tablets containing menu options. The staff person is there merely to collect customers’ payments, which are automatically tallied when empty plates are sent down a chute.
Together, the fleet of drones spent all of six hours taking over 2,000 high-resolution photos, which were then assembled into a 300-million-point 3D model.