Meditation May Protect Your Brain

For thousands of years, Buddhist meditators have claimed that the simple act of sitting down and following their breath while letting go of intrusive thoughts can free one from the entanglements of neurotic suffering.

Now, scientists are using cutting-edge scanning technology to watch the meditating mind at work. They are finding that regular meditation has a measurable effect on a variety of brain structures related to attention -- an example of what is known as neuroplasticity, where the brain physically changes in response to an intentional exercise. Read More...

Finding Ways to Help Children With Cancer

For the past year, Alexa Weitzman, 29, has worked as a research coordinator, licensed acupuncturist and chef at the Integrative Therapies Program for Children With Cancer at Columbia University Medical Center. She comes to the job with a master’s degree in Oriental medicine from Touro College and a lifelong love of cooking. Read more...

WHO Promotes Chinese Model for Integrating Traditional Medicine

The World Health Organization says traditional medicines are an effective treatment for modern illnesses and should be integrated in to primary health care. The head of the WHO says China, where herbal remedies are prescribed alongside western medicine, is a good model to follow. But as Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing, there are still concerns about the effectiveness and safety of traditional medicine Read more...

Can using mushrooms make the violin sound better?

Maybe … but not in the way you were thinking. Many people believe that a violin’s tone gets better with age. This is subjective of course, however there is a fairly large concensus when it comes to this. There are a few reasons why the age of the instrument could affect it’s tone: read more...