Despite movies, books, and television telling us otherwise, we can’t bend time, travel back in it, or find a wrinkle that magically adds hours to the day. But we can, for the most part, control exactly how we use the time we have been given. (A big caveat here for my readers who are also new parents: don’t forget that you now share your time with a tiny bund...

We spend one-third of our lives doing it—or at least trying to. Going without it for several days in a row is significantly more dangerous than going without food for days at a time. After only seventeen hours without it, a person starts to experience cognitive deficits similar to those experienced by people with a .05 percent blood alcohol level. Pare...

Last month, I took my sweet grandsons to visit George Washington’s vast estate on the Potomac River—Mount Vernon. It’s one of my favorite places, and I’ve visited dozens of times. As we toured the house and the grounds, I found myself frequently subbing for the tour guide, telling little side stories here and sharing quick facts there. The day was a perfect ...

In decades past, college was both rigorous and fulfilling. Students took their classes, studied, played (sometimes a lot), explored the newness of being on their own, and then graduated and went on to careers or further study. Today, these elements still exist, but they also include a new component, one that is becoming increasingly unhealthy and dang...