Author Archives: Ray Barbier

Pick pack 1 of 10 by Shokan Radio DJ Dovestar

Mix Genre collection of Creative Commons Licensed Music 1. Niki J Crawford – Ridiculous Love 2. Always the Alibi – After all I’ve done 3. Drunk Souls – There is a place 4. Invisible Tears – The Traitor 5. Kellee Maize – Want 6. Good Intentions – No time to waste (Radio Remix) 7. GuessContinue reading “Pick pack 1 of 10 by Shokan Radio DJ Dovestar”

Ray’s Random Thoughts. 9-21-2022

The world is in a state that is quite divisive, seems political extremism is at an all-time high, and social inequality is having a toll on the world’s economy. I watch as some of those in need get left behind or forgotten when the government distributes financial help as other groups seem to get theContinue reading “Ray’s Random Thoughts. 9-21-2022”

Why we’re obsessed with music from our youth

Kelly Jakubowski, Durham University People tend to be extremely nostalgic about the music they listened to when they were young. If you were a teenager in the 1970s, chances are you will love Queen, Stevie Wonder or ABBA. And if you were young in the 1990s, Wannabe by the Spice Girls probably still gets youContinue reading “Why we’re obsessed with music from our youth”

Diet can influence mood, behavior and more – a neuroscientist explains

Monica Dus, University of Michigan During the long seafaring voyages of the 15th and 16th centuries, a period known as the Age of Discovery, sailors reported experiencing visions of sublime foods and verdant fields. The discovery that these were nothing more than hallucinations after months at sea was agonizing. Some sailors wept in longing; othersContinue reading “Diet can influence mood, behavior and more – a neuroscientist explains”

How Stoicism influenced music from the French Renaissance to Pink Floyd

Melinda Latour, Tufts University Have you ever turned to music when struggling with a difficult emotion, like sadness, anxiety or anger? Most people believe that music has some therapeutic power, and that confidence is increasingly backed by empirical evidence. However, there remains little consensus on precisely how or why music has an ability to influenceContinue reading “How Stoicism influenced music from the French Renaissance to Pink Floyd”

Which microbes live in your gut? A microbiologist tries at-home test kits to see what they reveal about the microbiome

Benjamin Wolfe, Tufts University When you hear about the gut microbiome, does it ever make you wonder what tiny creatures are teeming inside your own body? As a microbiologist who studies the microbiomes of plants, animals and people, I’ve watched public interest in gut microbes grow alongside research on their possible dramatic influence on humanContinue reading “Which microbes live in your gut? A microbiologist tries at-home test kits to see what they reveal about the microbiome”

Religions have long known that getting away from it all is good for the mind, body and spirit

Kristen Lucken, Brandeis University Summer vacations are coming to an end – though not everyone took one. Under federal law, U.S. companies aren’t required to offer a single paid vacation day, compared to the at least 20 required in the European Union. About 1 in 4 U.S. workers don’t receive any, and even among thoseContinue reading “Religions have long known that getting away from it all is good for the mind, body and spirit”

Raymond’s Random Thoughts 8-8-2022

The past holds the keys to the present, all of our experiences, words, actions, and inactions of the past are what created the circumstances and situations we face in the now. Just as what we experience, do, and say in the present maps out what the future will bring. There is of course the influenceContinue reading “Raymond’s Random Thoughts 8-8-2022”

Ray’s Ramblings 08-06-2022

Life with all its wonders and all its pitfalls is full of experiences for all to embrace, like pedals of a flower on the water we float down the stream of life passing by other pedals, and sometimes we even flow side by side. When we are fortunate enough to share the journey down theContinue reading “Ray’s Ramblings 08-06-2022”