M.J. Rose

Those of us who are creative types may, sadly, already be aware of this – and therefore it is not much of a mystery to us! The good news is that with increased scientific understanding may come better treatments, but let’s hope that whatever treatments are discovered treat the illness without damaging the genius that often comes along with it…

Creativity ‘closely entwined with mental illness’

By Michelle Roberts

Health editor, BBC News online

“Creativity is often part of a mental illness, with writers particularly susceptible, according to a study of more than a million people.

Writers had a higher risk of anxiety and bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, unipolar depression, and substance abuse, the Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute found.

They were almost twice as likely as the general population to kill themselves.

The dancers and photographers were also more likely to have bipolar disorder…”

For the complete piece click here to go to the BBC.

The land in Laos is strewn with gigantic, mysterious stone jars. Archeologists have found it challenging to excavate the area because unexploded bombs litter the land there. What were these impossible jars used for? And how old are they?

(from www.environmentalgraffiti.com)
“Thousands of urns lie everywhere you look, scattered over the landscape of Xiangkhoang Plateau in Laos. Some are small, some large – much too large to have been cooked in, or had food stored in them! So what in the world could have been their purpose? Archaeologists have been working on this mystery for some time now, and they think they have the answers…”
Read the rest here.