Big picture NEWS AND REPORTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD The Healing Power of Art
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xArt is so transformative that it is nothing short of therapy. The nonprofit organization brings original contemporary art by the likes of Jeff Koons, Will Cotton and Michele Oka Doner to hospital waiting rooms, pediatric wards and corridors. It’s the brainchild of Diane Brown, who herself underwent a CAT scan a few years back and found her mind occupied and comforted by imagining a Matthew Rudrine painting. The concept behind RxArt is that hospitals are by nature uninspired, sterile environments and do not impart a warm fuzzy feeling, which is conducive to healing. Diverting the attention of patients through visual art stimulation can inspire positive thoughts, which in turn bring relief and hope. rxart.net
studies
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oo much economic dependence in a relationship may lead to infidelity, according to a study printed in the American Sociological Review. The study’s findings, based on data gathered between 2001 and 2011 from more than 2,750 heterosexual married couples between the ages of 18 and 32, show that women who are totally dependent on their husband’s income are five percent more likely to cheat on their husbands. Men in the same situation are 15 percent more likely to have an affair.
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As part of the RxArt, artists Trenton Doyle Hancock and Jason Middlebrook painted the wall at the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital located in Houston, Texas.
Turning On The Light for Good
he month in which a baby is born does more than determine their zodiac sign. It could pose significant disadvantages in terms of educational skills and development of certain diseases and conditions, based on the findings of two separate studies published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The first study evaluated data from 7,267 British children and found that those born in June, July and August received lower teacher ratings in terms of language, behavior and progress in school. This may be attributed to the birthday cutoff for entering school (Sept. 1 in the U.K.), because kids born during the summer are almost a year younger than peers. The second study, performed by Columbia University Medical Center researchers on more than one million patient medical records, identified a link between birth months and 55 diseases. Children born in May and July showed the lowest overall disease risk while children born in October and November had the highest risk.
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ights come on with the flip of a switch, but not everyone can afford that luxury. Aiming to bring light to rural villages in developing nations is Brighter Today, a program created by NYU student Mansi Prakash when she was in high school. The nonprofit provides eco-friendly, compact florescent (CFL) bulbs to households that typically use a 60-watt incandescent bulb, which costs less but burns out quickly and is not energy efficient. In comparison, the 11-watt CFL bulb has a life span of three to four years and is 80 percent more energy efficient than the standard 60-watt. Families can repurpose the money saved toward other necessities such as food, education and healthcare. Prakash was selected as a Resolution Fellow at the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference in 2014. She also developed a partnership with Philips Lighting, who sponsors the CFL bulbs. Next up is Prakash’s Light for Life—currently in testing—which will bring free, clean and sustainable power to light up homes for a lifetime through a device fabricated from readily available materials. brightertoday.org
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A resident in India who received benefits of the Brighter Today program.