What is the value of play?

[This is a quick summary of the second chapter of my book, Not So Different: Finding Human Nature in Animals on play and recreation. The thesis of the book is that we can better understand human behaviors by studying their equivalents in other animals.] Isn’t playing a pointless distraction for an animal? At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be any … More What is the value of play?

Biological Evidence that Overprotective Parenting Harms Kids

Everyone seems to recognize that overprotective parenting is obnoxious. Most agree that it is probably not good for children. And yet, the trend toward so-called “helicopter parenting” grows stronger each year.           (photo from Time magazine) As recently reported on Vox, the “cult of kiddie danger” has so completely consumed some … More Biological Evidence that Overprotective Parenting Harms Kids