Kids these days -- amirite? 

​No, but actually. For real. Kids these days are more sensitive and fragile than kids of the past. Even according to the president of an elite university that I spoke with recently, “Today’s college students are not like you.”

Let me start by saying that I was LaCroix for Halloween, and that was the best possible costume for 2016. Young, urban professionals are obsessed with LaCroix -- even though, honestly, it’s not that good.

I do enjoy drinking it, though, and LaCroix is the closest I’ve ever come to liking a soft drink. Which sets me apart from many other Americans, who, collectively, consume over 10 billion gallons of soft drinks per year.

That’s a lot of gallons -- which begs the question, what are the environmental implications of these beverages?

Let me start by saying: I lied. Kind of. Psychology research shows that Unless You're a Psychopath, You Are OBSESSED With What Others Think of You. Because the ability to cooperate and form large societies is one of the biggest evolutionary advantages ever, we are hardwired to care tremendously when people think bad things about us.

BUT! We can absolutely decrease how sensitive to and aware of others' opinions we feel. Here are three scientifically proven ways to liberate yourself, and just be you.

There is a lot of fear surrounding GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. Understandably so -- new technologies are always scary. They always require rigorous testing to prove their safety and efficacy. But there's a difference between healthy skepticism (which is a good thing) and flat-out rejection of scientific facts (which is a terrible thing).

It doesn't help that many so-called "scientists," like Nassim Nicholas Taleb (who is actually a statistician, not a biologist), as well as celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow (who have no background in science or statistics), passionately spread misinformation, falsehoods, and half-truthes in order to scare others into their way of thinking. 

Last weekend, I went to the sweetest wedding of all time. It was in New York, and I flew direct from SFO to JFK on Delta Flight 444. 

In many ways, Palo Alto, CA, is a paradise. This wealthy Silicon Valley town is built on the backs of tech companies like Google, Facebook, Palantir, and countless others. But with the explosive growth of these companies have come some serious problems.

Housing is unaffordable to all but a few. Traffic is horrific. And many people get terrible cell coverage, because Palo Alto lacks the infrastructure to sustain its population. 

​Let me start this science article with two philosophical questions:
 
1. Is my mind me?
2. What, really, is a human?
 
Here’s why these questions are extremely relevant to geneticists, neuroscientists and microbiologists today:

I spent several weeks traveling in Costa Rica an Panama this year -- and, obviously, I met a lot of expats. Many of whom were total new-age hippies.

As individuals, they are wonderful people. But spend enough time (say, over five minutes) with a group of them, and one will inevitably launch into a "life is so much better without money" monologue. 

There's a common myth in popular psychology that money doesn't buy happiness. 

​It totally does.

The FDA approved a new (and unusual) weight-loss device this week. AspireAssist is an external pump that empties up to a third of stomach contents into the toilet.