An authoritatively large and long-term study reports that kids who are unusually fearless as toddlers are likelier to grow up into criminals than easily spooked kids are. The researchers say their work reinforces evidence that structural problems in one portion of the brain, called the amygdala, are to blame: They’re shared by both kids with …
Author Archives: Christopher
Better Living Through Embarrassment
Our little guy is just at the point (8 months old) where he is about to start picking up sociobehavioral cues, and my wife and I are mortified at what he’s going to see. Yes, we think of ourselves as fairly upstanding urban citizens. We live within our means, we don’t let the bathrooms get …
An observation from our first cold day this year
Woolen baby hats have two positions: (a) Pulled too low, covering the kid’s eyes, or (b) falling off. If any inventors happen to be reading this, put on your (ahem) thinking caps.
On Doing Shots
I am a believer in the power of facts. I was raised by a scientist; I used to be one of those kids who read encylopedias for fun. (Stop snickering.) When confronted with some voguish piece of populist lore, my basic instinct is to hold it at arm’s length, poke at it with a ruler …