The popularity of sparkling mineral water is at an all-time high. I remember starting to drink Perrier a few years ago because I was attracted to the little bottles (there’s something about green and yellow labeling that I find oddly alluring). When I first tasted the drink, I found it so bitter that I had to spit it out! It tasted nothing like what I expected — Sprite or lemonade ...

Ever wonder why we feel guilt? What’s the point of this emotion and how did it develop in humans? Using evolutionary psychology we can shed some light on this mystery. Suppose your group’s hunting party is away catching boar in the jungle, and you begin to eye your vacant neighbor’s hut for items he might not notice missing. After stealing some spearheads and berries, you feel something...

Someone once said that intelligent life is the product of an evolving universe, and by creating life, the universe has acquired the ability to look upon and study itself. This would make human beings an integral part of this grand feedback loop — perhaps a sensory organ for the cosmos. Does the universe share our self-reflective nature? If so, what should our goal be? To fulfill our r...