I’m detouring a bit this week on Geek Fit Friday to talk about where I like to find my fun geek fit facts that I share here and on Twitter.

• Science Daily. This HAS to be a staple for anyone interested in keeping up with the latest in the sciences. The volume of information can be overwhelming at times, and some of the studies may leave you scratching your head and wondering “did someone REALLY pay for that study”  but it’s a great source.
• NHS Choices. Because there are a lot of studies out there that are complete garbage (not double-blind, insufficient sample size, conditions no way minic the real world) they must all be read with a certain amount of skepticism and a sharp eye. This is where NHS Choices comes in. The UK National Health Service (NHS) has a brilliant column where they dissect recently published studies, explaining the flaws in the study and why you can’t necessarily believe what is reported. It provides some context as to why in the same week you can read “wine is good for you” and “wine will kill you.”
• Google Scholar. I have to admit, I JUST found this service, and it’s still in Beta, but I’m excited about it. It ONLY searches research publications, helping reduce the noise to signal ratio that exists on the larger web. If anyone has significant experience with Google Scholar and can let me know how well it works, I’d love to hear it.

Great information exists everywhere, don’t get me wrong. I just wanted to share a few of my personal favorites with you, along with the ever-helpful reminder — don’t believe everything you read. Even in science abstracts.

Where do you go (other than this blog, of course) for great info?

Books and Articles

Dr. Cobb talked about the Omnivore’s Dilemma book at the 9S: Sustenance course, and I’ve heard about it since it came out, but never picked it up. Now that I have, I kinda want to figure out how to have my own little sustainable food universe in my backyard. Of course, the city of Seattle might have issues with that, so on to Plan B.

Trust Agents is a new book by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. I have been following Chris Brogan’s blog for the better part of a year now, and they keynoted the Gnomedex conference I attended last weekend. The book reviews can speak to it far better than I can, but the short version is that it’s really about building a community, being authentic, and becoming a trusted voice in a community.

Beyond those two books, I read a couple dozen blogs on a regular basis, and some of the articles I tweeted out include:

The Appendix: Useful and in Fact Promising

US Life Expectancy may Have Peaked

Temptation More Powerful Than Individuals Realize

Food Stamp Use Linked To Weight Gain, Study Finds

Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch

Now, your turn. What has been on your summer reading list? What great sources do you think I’m missing?

This makes a whole lot of sense when you consider the neural hierarchy of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. If you spend your entire life being tentative about moving because you can’t trust your sense of balance and that you’ll be able to stay on your feet, you are going to have some anxiety issues.

The part that makes me smile is when they talk about the study and kids, and how when they fixed the balance issues that anxiety declined and self-esteem increased. Gotta love the nervous system!

You can read the article here:

Mind Out Of Balance, Body Out Of Balance.