An interesting thing happens when you take 14 troubled teens and help them write their stories: Slowly but surely, fear and despair are transformed into empowerment and hope. It started when Marjie Bowker, the English teacher at Scriber Lake, an alternative high school for at-risk kids in Edmonds, WA, invited author Ingrid Ricks to come in and work with… Read More >>

Over-imbibers take note: It turns out your beer glass may be responsible for how fast you down your drink. A new study from researchers at the UK's University of Bristol found that people who drink beer from curvy glasses consume their brews about twice as fastas those drinking from straight glasses. The reason? Researchers hypothesize that when we drink, we… Read More >>

As RD's health editor, I'm always on the lookout for clever home cures for everyday aches and pains. So I was shocked to uncover some of the doozies on this Mental Floss listof wildly dangerous home remedies from a book published—by a doctor!—in 1910. Next time you experience the following symptoms, be thankful for a century's worth of scientific advances (and, of… Read More >>

Since fall doesn't officially begin until September 22, I'm savoring these last weeks of summer with my favorite warm-weather indulgence: ice cream. To celebrate this frozen treat, here are three sweet reads: How To:"Make a Better Hot Fudge Sundae" Former Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl shares her secrets for decadent homemade hot fudge in this article from Gilt Taste. History:"Ice Cream Through the Ages"The experts at Food52… Read More >>

In 1962, Andy Warhol held his first solo show, debuting one of the most iconic pieces of modern art: 32 Campbell's Soup Cans. The painting included every then-current Campbell’s soup variety, from tomato to split pea.

Now, Campbell’s is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Warhol’s famous work with four limited-edition cans of condensed tomato soup. Each label features vibrant Warhol-like color combinations similar to the artist’s iconic serial celebrity silkscreens. Produced under license from The Andy Warhol Foundation, the 1.2 million cans are now available at most U.S. Target stores for $0.75 per 10.75-ounce…

Fans can also transform their own faces into Warhol-inspired works of art on Campbell’s Condensed Facebook page, where a lucky few will get their photos featured for their own “15 minutes of fame.”

Campbell’s was a symbol of comfort for my sister and me when we were growing up. We would turn to canned soup for dinner on cold nights when Mom and Dad were working late. Suffice it to say, I'm a soup-art fan—how about you?

Photo: Campbell Soup Company

Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, the science of what makes people lean liberal or conservative is pretty darn interesting. Turns out that stances on taxes, Medicare, and reproductive rights are not the only things that separate the elephants from the donkeys—recent studies reveal key differences in brain structure and physiological… Read More >>

This Thursday, President Barack Obama will address the nation from the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC and accept his party's re-nomination for president. Just in time for the start of the convention, Ken Rudin of NPR's Political Junkie has once again rounded up his most memorable moments from convention history.

In addition to pointing out the Dems' long-standing tradition of chattiness (in 1972, George McGovern didn't deliver his acceptance speech until almost 2 a.m., thanks to the windbags who preceded him), Rudin takes note of key moments as far back as 1924. Here are a few of his picks:

- 1968: Americans looked on in shock as unrest over the Vietnam War combined with the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert Kennedy to turn the 1968 convention in Chicago into a great big street fight. Indelible images of police and protestors battling it out were broadcast along with the raucous events inside the convention hall.

- 1980: Despite a popular belief that he was the favored Democratic candidate, Senator Ted Kennedy failed to oust President Jimmy Carter for his party's nomination. However, his concession speech marked the convention's most dramatic moment (and one of the best speeches of his long career).

- 1984: As the first female vice presidential candidate representing a major political party, Geraldine Ferraro stole the spotlight from her running mate, Walter Mondale. Though the Mondale-Ferraro ticket would lose badly to Reagan and his VP, George H. W. Bush, Ferraro's moving acceptance speech will be long remembered.

Though it didn't make Rudin's top five, I would also highlight Barack Obama's historic nomination at the 2008 convention in Denver, CO.

MORE: See major moments in GOP convention history »

Photo credit: Qqqqqq/Wikimedia Commons

One of the roughest years of my life was the day I took to the stage to perform a comedy routine. It was the culmination of a stand-up comedy class I took for an article I was writing. To put it mildly, I bombed. My friend Mitch was on hand to watch the debacle, and here was our conversation following my act: Mitch:You were awful. Just terrible. Your act… Read More >>

Every time I go to the supermarket I try to weigh the pros and cons of buying organic over non-organic. My poor wallet always roots for the Plain Jane box of blueberries, but my health-conscious side votes to splurge—writing about health is such a huge part of my job, and I've read extensively on the topic of organic foods. But maybe it's better to be frugal after all. A new  Stanford University… Read More >>

The 2012 Hugo Awards were just announced at the World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago. This list from Tor shows the winners and nominees.

Named for Hugo Gernsback, founder of the groundbreaking sci-fi magazine Amazing Stories, the Hugo could be thought of as a sort of Academy Award for science fiction.

A list like this is great for a sometime sci-fi reader like me. I don't know best novel winner Jo Walton's work, but I think I'll have to correct that.

On the other hand, I'm blown away by almost everything Charlie Jane Anders writes online, so now I'll have to check out her fiction as well. I have a soft spot in my heart for The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, having brought the first edition to the US in an earlier job, so it's nice to see that it won (again). And I see that Neil Gaiman wrote an award-winning episode of Dr. Who. Does Gaiman…

Congratulations to all!