The healing power of silence

What Shakespeare can teach science about language and the limits of the human mind

Jillian Hinchliffe and Seth Frey write: Although [Stephen] Booth is now retired [from the University of California, Berkeley], his work [on Shakespeare] couldn’t be more relevant. In the study of the human mind, old disciplinary boundaries have begun to dissolve and fruitful new relationships between the sciences and humanities have sprung up in their place. When it comes to the cognitive science of language, Booth may be the most prescient literary critic who ever put pen to paper. In his fieldwork in poetic experience, he unwittingly anticipated several language-processing phenomena that cognitive scientists have only recently begun to study. Booth’s work not only provides one of the most original and penetrating looks into the nature of Shakespeare’s genius, it has profound implications for understanding the processes that shape how we think.

Until the early decades of the 20th century, Shakespeare criticism fell primarily into two areas: textual, which grapples with the numerous variants of published works in order to produce an edition as close as possible to the original, and biographical. Scholarship took a more political turn beginning in the 1960s, providing new perspectives from various strains of feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and queer theory. Booth is resolutely dismissive of most of these modes of study. What he cares about is poetics. Specifically, how poetic language operates on and in audiences of a literary work.

Close reading, the school that flourished mid-century and with which Booth’s work is most nearly affiliated, has never gone completely out of style. But Booth’s approach is even more minute—microscopic reading, according to fellow Shakespeare scholar Russ McDonald. And as the microscope opens up new worlds, so does Booth’s critical lens. What makes him radically different from his predecessors is that he doesn’t try to resolve or collapse his readings into any single interpretation. That people are so hung up on interpretation, on meaning, Booth maintains, is “no more than habit.” Instead, he revels in the uncertainty caused by the myriad currents of phonetic, semantic, and ideational patterns at play. [Continue reading...]

Don’t overestimate your untapped brain power

Nathalia Gjersoe writes: Luc Besson’s latest sci-fi romp, Lucy, is based on the premise that the average person only uses 10% of their brain. This brain-myth has been fodder for books and movies for decades and is a tantalizing plot-device. Alarmingly, however, it seems to be widely accepted as fact. Of those asked, 48% of teachers in the UK, 65% of Americans and 30% of American Psychology students endorsed the myth.

In the movie, Lucy absorbs vast quantities of a nootropic that triggers rampant production of new connections between her neurons. As her brain becomes more and more densely connected, Lucy experiences omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. Telepathy, telekinesis and time-travel all become possible.

It’s true that increased connectivity between neurons is associated with greater expertise. Musicians who train for years have greater connectivity and activation of those regions of the brain that control their finger movements and those that bind sensory and motor information. This is the first principle of neural connectivity: cells that fire together wire together.

But resources are limited and the brain is incredibly hungry. It takes a huge amount of energy just to keep it electrically ticking over. There is an excellent TEDEd animation here that explains this nicely. The human adult brain makes up only 2% of the body’s mass yet uses 20% of energy intake. Babies’ brains use 60%! Evolution would necessarily cull any redundant parts of such an expensive organ. [Continue reading...]

The orchestration of attention

The New Yorker: Every moment, our brains are bombarded with information, from without and within. The eyes alone convey more than a hundred billion signals to the brain every second. The ears receive another avalanche of sounds. Then there are the fragments of thoughts, conscious and unconscious, that race from one neuron to the next. Much of this data seems random and meaningless. Indeed, for us to function, much of it must be ignored. But clearly not all. How do our brains select the relevant data? How do we decide to pay attention to the turn of a doorknob and ignore the drip of a leaky faucet? How do we become conscious of a certain stimulus, or indeed “conscious” at all?

For decades, philosophers and scientists have debated the process by which we pay attention to things, based on cognitive models of the mind. But, in the view of many modern psychologists and neurobiologists, the “mind” is not some nonmaterial and exotic essence separate from the body. All questions about the mind must ultimately be answered by studies of physical cells, explained in terms of the detailed workings of the more than eighty billion neurons in the brain. At this level, the question is: How do neurons signal to one another and to a cognitive command center that they have something important to say?

“Years ago, we were satisfied to know which areas of the brain light up under various stimuli,” the neuroscientist Robert Desimone told me during a recent visit to his office. “Now we want to know mechanisms.” Desimone directs the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; youthful and trim at the age of sixty-two, he was dressed casually, in a blue pinstripe shirt, and had only the slightest gray in his hair. On the bookshelf of his tidy office were photographs of his two young children; on the wall was a large watercolor titled “Neural Gardens,” depicting a forest of tangled neurons, their spindly axons and dendrites wending downward like roots in rich soil.

Earlier this year, in an article published in the journal Science, Desimone and his colleague Daniel Baldauf reported on an experiment that shed light on the physical mechanism of paying attention. The researchers presented a series of two kinds of images — faces and houses — to their subjects in rapid succession, like passing frames of a movie, and asked them to concentrate on the faces but disregard the houses (or vice versa). The images were “tagged” by being presented at two frequencies — a new face every two-thirds of a second, a new house every half second. By monitoring the frequencies of the electrical activity of the subjects’ brains with magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Desimone and Baldauf could determine where in the brain the images were being directed.

The scientists found that, even though the two sets of images were presented to the eye almost on top of each other, they were processed by different places in the brain — the face images by a particular region on the surface of the temporal lobe that is known to specialize in facial recognition, and the house images by a neighboring but separate group of neurons specializing in place recognition.

Most importantly, the neurons in the two regions behaved differently. When the subjects were told to concentrate on the faces and to disregard the houses, the neurons in the face location fired in synchrony, like a group of people singing in unison, while the neurons in the house location fired like a group of people singing out of synch, each beginning at a random point in the score. When the subjects concentrated instead on houses, the reverse happened. [Continue reading...]

Brain shrinkage, poor concentration, anxiety, and depression linked to media-multitasking

Simultaneously using mobile phones, laptops and other media devices could be changing the structure of our brains, according to new University of Sussex research.

A study published today (24 September) in PLOS ONE reveals that people who frequently use several media devices at the same time have lower grey-matter density in one particular region of the brain compared to those who use just one device occasionally.

The research supports earlier studies showing connections between high media-multitasking activity and poor attention in the face of distractions, along with emotional problems such as depression and anxiety.

But neuroscientists Kep Kee Loh and Dr Ryota Kanai point out that their study reveals a link rather than causality and that a long-term study needs to be carried out to understand whether high concurrent media usage leads to changes in the brain structure, or whether those with less-dense grey matter are more attracted to media multitasking. [Continue reading...]

We are more rational than those who nudge us

Your brain on metaphors

Michael Chorost writes:

The player kicked the ball.
The patient kicked the habit.
The villain kicked the bucket.

The verbs are the same. The syntax is identical. Does the brain notice, or care, that the first is literal, the second
metaphorical, the third idiomatic?

It sounds like a question that only a linguist could love. But neuroscientists have been trying to answer it using exotic brain-scanning technologies. Their findings have varied wildly, in some cases contradicting one another. If they make progress, the payoff will be big. Their findings will enrich a theory that aims to explain how wet masses of neurons can understand anything at all. And they may drive a stake into the widespread assumption that computers will inevitably become conscious in a humanlike way.

The hypothesis driving their work is that metaphor is central to language. Metaphor used to be thought of as merely poetic ornamentation, aesthetically pretty but otherwise irrelevant. “Love is a rose, but you better not pick it,” sang Neil Young in 1977, riffing on the timeworn comparison between a sexual partner and a pollinating perennial. For centuries, metaphor was just the place where poets went to show off.

But in their 1980 book, Metaphors We Live By, the linguist George Lakoff (at the University of California at Berkeley) and the philosopher Mark Johnson (now at the University of Oregon) revolutionized linguistics by showing that metaphor is actually a fundamental constituent of language. For example, they showed that in the seemingly literal statement “He’s out of sight,” the visual field is metaphorized as a container that holds things. The visual field isn’t really a container, of course; one simply sees objects or not. But the container metaphor is so ubiquitous that it wasn’t even recognized as a metaphor until Lakoff and Johnson pointed it out.

From such examples they argued that ordinary language is saturated with metaphors. Our eyes point to where we’re going, so we tend to speak of future time as being “ahead” of us. When things increase, they tend to go up relative to us, so we tend to speak of stocks “rising” instead of getting more expensive. “Our ordinary conceptual system is fundamentally metaphorical in nature,” they wrote. [Continue reading...]

Humans are wired for bad news

Jacob Burak writes: I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first? If it’s bad news, you’re in good company – that’s what most people pick. But why?

Negative events affect us more than positive ones. We remember them more vividly and they play a larger role in shaping our lives. Farewells, accidents, bad parenting, financial losses and even a random snide comment take up most of our psychic space, leaving little room for compliments or pleasant experiences to help us along life’s challenging path. The staggering human ability to adapt ensures that joy over a salary hike will abate within months, leaving only a benchmark for future raises. We feel pain, but not the absence of it.

Hundreds of scientific studies from around the world confirm our negativity bias: while a good day has no lasting effect on the following day, a bad day carries over. We process negative data faster and more thoroughly than positive data, and they affect us longer. Socially, we invest more in avoiding a bad reputation than in building a good one. Emotionally, we go to greater lengths to avoid a bad mood than to experience a good one. Pessimists tend to assess their health more accurately than optimists. In our era of political correctness, negative remarks stand out and seem more authentic. People – even babies as young as six months old – are quick to spot an angry face in a crowd, but slower to pick out a happy one; in fact, no matter how many smiles we see in that crowd, we will always spot the angry face first. [Continue reading...]

Study reveals rats show regret, a cognitive behavior once thought to be uniquely human

Research findings were recently published in Nature Neuroscience.

“Regret is the recognition that you made a mistake, that if you had done something else, you would have been better off,” said Redish. “The difficult part of this study was separating regret from disappointment, which is when things aren’t as good as you would have hoped. The key to distinguishing between the two was letting the rats choose what to do.” [Continue reading...]

The boundaries delineating what is taken to be uniquely human are constantly being challenged by new scientific findings. But it’s worth asking why those boundaries were there in the first place.

Surely the scientific approach when investigating a cognitive state such as regret would be to start out without making any suppositions about what non-humans do or don’t experience.

The idea that there is something uniquely human about regret, seems like a vestige of biblically inspired notions of human uniqueness.

That as humans we might be unaware of the regrets of rats says much less about what rats are capable of experiencing than it says about our capacity to imagine non-human experience.

Yet at least rationally, it seems no great leap is required in assuming that any creature that makes choices will also experience something resembling regret.

A cat learning to hunt, surely feels something when it makes a premature strike, having yet to master the right balance between stalking and attacking its prey. That feeling is most likely some form of discomfort that spurs learning. The cat has no names for its feelings yet feels them nonetheless.

That animals lack some of the means through which humans convey their own feelings says much more about our powers of description than their capacity to feel.

Cynicism is toxic

Cynics fool themselves by thinking they can’t be fooled.

The cynic imagines he’s guarding himself against being duped. He’s not naive, he’s worldly wise, so he’s not about to get taken in — but this psychic insulation comes at a price.

The cynic is cautious and mistrustful. Worst of all, the cynic by relying too much on his own counsel, saps the foundation of curiosity, which is the ability to be surprised.

While the ability to develop and sustain an open mind has obvious psychological value, neurologists now say that it’s also necessary for the health of the brain. Cynicism leads towards dementia.

One of the researchers in a new study suggests that the latest findings may offer insights on how to reduce the risks of dementia, yet that seems to imply that people might be less inclined to become cynical simply by knowing that its bad for their health. How are we to reduce the risks of becoming cynical in the first place?

One of the most disturbing findings of a recent Pew Research Center survey, Millenials in Adulthood, was this:

In response to a long-standing social science survey question, “Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can’t be too careful in dealing with people,” just 19% of Millennials say most people can be trusted, compared with 31% of Gen Xers, 37% of Silents and 40% of Boomers.

While this trust deficit among Millennials no doubt has multiple causes, such as the socially fragmented nature of our digital world, I don’t believe that there has ever before been a generation so thoroughly trained in fear. Beneath cynicism lurks fear.

The fear may have calmed greatly since the days of post-9/11 hysteria, yet it has not gone away. It’s the background noise of American life. It might no longer be focused so strongly on terrorism, since there are plenty of other reasons to fear — some baseless, some over-stated, and some underestimated. But the aggregation of all these fears produces a pervasive mistrust of life.

ScienceDaily: People with high levels of cynical distrust may be more likely to develop dementia, according to a study published in the May 28, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Cynical distrust, which is defined as the belief that others are mainly motivated by selfish concerns, has been associated with other health problems, such as heart disease. This is the first study to look at the relationship between cynicism and dementia.

“These results add to the evidence that people’s view on life and personality may have an impact on their health,” said study author Anna-Maija Tolppanen, PhD, of the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. “Understanding how a personality trait like cynicism affects risk for dementia might provide us with important insights on how to reduce risks for dementia.”

For the study, 1,449 people with an average age of 71 were given tests for dementia and a questionnaire to measure their level of cynicism. The questionnaire has been shown to be reliable, and people’s scores tend to remain stable over periods of several years. People are asked how much they agree with statements such as “I think most people would lie to get ahead,” “It is safer to trust nobody” and “Most people will use somewhat unfair reasons to gain profit or an advantage rather than lose it.” Based on their scores, participants were grouped in low, moderate and high levels of cynical distrust.

A total of 622 people completed two tests for dementia, with the last one an average of eight years after the study started. During that time, 46 people were diagnosed with dementia. Once researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect dementia risk, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking, people with high levels of cynical distrust were three times more likely to develop dementia than people with low levels of cynicism. Of the 164 people with high levels of cynicism, 14 people developed dementia, compared to nine of the 212 people with low levels of cynicism.

The study also looked at whether people with high levels of cynicism were more likely to die sooner than people with low levels of cynicism. A total of 1,146 people were included in this part of the analysis, and 361 people died during the average of 10 years of follow-up. High cynicism was initially associated with earlier death, but after researchers accounted for factors such as socioeconomic status, behaviors such as smoking and health status, there was no longer any link between cynicism and earlier death.

How the brain creates personality: A new theory

Stephen M. Kosslyn and G. Wayne Miller write: It is possible to examine any object — including a brain — at different levels. Take the example of a building. If we want to know whether the house will have enough space for a family of five, we want to focus on the architectural level; if we want to know how easily it could catch fire, we want to focus on the materials level; and if we want to engineer a product for a brick manufacturer, we focus on molecular structure.

Similarly, if we want to know how the brain gives rise to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, we want to focus on the bigger picture of how its structure allows it to store and process information — the architecture, as it were. To understand the brain at this level, we don’t have to know everything about the individual connections among brain cells or about any other biochemical process. We use a relatively high level of analysis, akin to architecture in buildings, to characterize relatively large parts of the brain.

To explain the Theory of Cognitive Modes, which specifies general ways of thinking that underlie how a person approaches the world and interacts with other people, we need to provide you with a lot of information. We want you to understand where this theory came from — that we didn’t just pull it out of a hat or make it up out of whole cloth. But there’s no need to lose the forest for the trees: there are only three key points that you will really need to keep in mind.

First, the top parts and the bottom parts of the brain have different functions. The top brain formulates and executes plans (which often involve deciding where to move objects or how to move the body in space), whereas the bottom brain classifies and interprets incoming information about the world. The two halves always work together; most important, the top brain uses information from the bottom brain to formulate its plans (and to reformulate them, as they unfold over time).

Second, according to the theory, people vary in the degree that they tend to rely on each of the two brain systems for functions that are optional (i.e., not dictated by the immediate situation): Some people tend to rely heavily on both brain systems, some rely heavily on the bottom brain system but not the top, some rely heavily on the top but not the bottom, and some don’t rely heavily on either system.

Third, these four scenarios define four basic cognitive modes— general ways of thinking that underlie how a person approaches the world and interacts with other people. According to the Theory of Cognitive Modes, each of us has a particular dominant cognitive mode, which affects how we respond to situations we encounter and how we relate to others. The possible modes are: Mover Mode, Perceiver Mode, Stimulator Mode, and Adaptor Mode. [Continue reading...]

How memory speaks

Jerome Groopman writes: I began writing these words on what appeared to be an unremarkable Sunday morning. Shortly before sunrise, the bedroom still dim, I awoke and quietly made my way to the kitchen, careful not to disturb my still-sleeping wife. The dark-roast coffee was retrieved from its place in the pantry, four scoops then placed in a filter. While the coffee was brewing, I picked up The New York Times at the door. Scanning the front page, my eyes rested on an article mentioning Svoboda, the far-right Ukrainian political party (svoboda, means, I remembered, “freedom”).

I prepared an egg-white omelette and toasted two slices of multigrain bread. After a few sips of coffee, fragments of the night’s dream came to mind: I am rushing to take my final examination in college chemistry, but as I enter the amphitheater where the test is given, no one is there. Am I early? Or in the wrong room? The dream was not new to me. It often occurs before I embark on a project, whether it’s an experiment in the laboratory, a drug to be tested in the clinic, or an article to write on memory.

The start of that Sunday morning seems quite mundane. But when we reflect on the manifold manifestations of memory, the mundane becomes marvelous. Memory is operative not only in recalling the meaning of svoboda, knowing who was sleeping with me in bed, and registering my dream as recurrent, but also in rote tasks: navigating the still-dark bedroom, scooping the coffee, using a knife and fork to eat breakfast. Simple activities of life, hardly noticed, reveal memory as a map, clock, and mirror, vital to our sense of place, time, and person.

This role of memory in virtually every activity of our day is put in sharp focus when it is lost. Su Meck, in I Forgot to Remember, pieces together a fascinating tale of life after suffering head trauma as a young mother. A ceiling fan fell and struck her head:

You might wonder how it feels to wake up one morning and not know who you are. I don’t know. The accident didn’t just wipe out all my memories; it hindered me from making new ones for quite some time. I awoke each day to a house full of strangers…. And this wasn’t just a few days. It was weeks before I recognized my boys when they toddled into the room, months before I knew my own telephone number, years before I was able to find my way home from anywhere. I have no more memory of those first several years after the accident than my own kids have of their first years of life.

A computed tomography (CT) scan of Meck’s brain showed swelling over the right frontal area. But neurologists were at a loss to explain the genesis of her amnesia. Memory does not exist in a single site or region of the central nervous system. There are estimated to be 10 to 100 billion neurons in the human brain, each neuron making about one thousand connections to other neurons at the junctions termed synapses. Learning, and then storing what we learn through life, involve intricate changes in the nature and number of these trillions of neuronal connections. But memory is made not only via alterations at the synaptic level. It also involves regional remodeling of parts of our cortex. Our brain is constantly changing in its elaborate circuitry and, to some degree, configuration. [Continue reading...]

How music hijacks our perception of time

Jonathan Berger writes: One evening, some 40 years ago, I got lost in time. I was at a performance of Schubert’s String Quintet in C major. During the second movement I had the unnerving feeling that time was literally grinding to a halt. The sensation was powerful, visceral, overwhelming. It was a life-changing moment, or, as it felt at the time, a life-changing eon.

It has been my goal ever since to compose music that usurps the perceived flow of time and commandeers the sense of how time passes. Although I’ve learned to manipulate subjective time, I still stand in awe of Schubert’s unparalleled power. Nearly two centuries ago, the composer anticipated the neurological underpinnings of time perception that science has underscored in the past few decades.

The human brain, we have learned, adjusts and recalibrates temporal perception. Our ability to encode and decode sequential information, to integrate and segregate simultaneous signals, is fundamental to human survival. It allows us to find our place in, and navigate, our physical world. But music also demonstrates that time perception is inherently subjective—and an integral part of our lives. “For the time element in music is single,” wrote Thomas Mann in his novel, The Magic Mountain. “Into a section of mortal time music pours itself, thereby inexpressibly enhancing and ennobling what it fills.” [Continue reading...]

Searching for the elephant’s genius inside the largest brain on land

Ferris Jabr writes: Many years ago, while wandering through Amboseli National Park in Kenya, an elephant matriarch named Echo came upon the bones of her former companion Emily. Echo and her family slowed down and began to inspect the remains. They stroked Emily’s skull with their trunks, investigating every crevice; they touched her skeleton gingerly with their padded hind feet; they carried around her tusks. Elephants consistently react this way to other dead elephants, but do not show much interest in deceased rhinos, buffalo or other species. Sometimes elephants will even cover their dead with soil and leaves.

What is going through an elephant’s mind in these moments? We cannot explain their behavior as an instinctual and immediate reaction to a dying or recently perished compatriot. Rather, they seem to understand—even years and years after a friend or relative’s death—that an irreversible change has taken place, that, here on the ground, is an elephant who used to be alive, but no longer is. In other words, elephants grieve.

Such grief is but one of many indications that elephants are exceptionally intelligent, social and empathic creatures. After decades of observing wild elephants—and a series of carefully controlled experiments in the last eight years—scientists now agree that elephants form lifelong kinships, talk to one another with a large vocabulary of rumbles and trumpets and make group decisions; elephants play, mimic their parents and cooperate to solve problems; they use tools, console one another when distressed, and probably have a sense of self (See: The Science Is In: Elephants Are Even Smarter Than We Realized)

All this intellect must emerge, in one way or another, from the elephant brain—the largest of any land animal, three times as big as the human brain with individual neurons that seem to be three to five times the size of human brain cells. [Continue reading...]

Too much to remember?

Why we find it difficult to face the future

Alisa Opar writes: The British philosopher Derek Parfit espoused a severely reductionist view of personal identity in his seminal book, Reasons and Persons: It does not exist, at least not in the way we usually consider it. We humans, Parfit argued, are not a consistent identity moving through time, but a chain of successive selves, each tangentially linked to, and yet distinct from, the previous and subsequent ones. The boy who begins to smoke despite knowing that he may suffer from the habit decades later should not be judged harshly: “This boy does not identify with his future self,” Parfit wrote. “His attitude towards this future self is in some ways like his attitude to other people.”

Parfit’s view was controversial even among philosophers. But psychologists are beginning to understand that it may accurately describe our attitudes towards our own decision-making: It turns out that we see our future selves as strangers. Though we will inevitably share their fates, the people we will become in a decade, quarter century, or more, are unknown to us. This impedes our ability to make good choices on their—which of course is our own—behalf. That bright, shiny New Year’s resolution? If you feel perfectly justified in breaking it, it may be because it feels like it was a promise someone else made.

“It’s kind of a weird notion,” says Hal Hershfield, an assistant professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. “On a psychological and emotional level we really consider that future self as if it’s another person.”

Using fMRI, Hershfield and colleagues studied brain activity changes when people imagine their future and consider their present. They homed in on two areas of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, which are more active when a subject thinks about himself than when he thinks of someone else. They found these same areas were more strongly activated when subjects thought of themselves today, than of themselves in the future. Their future self “felt” like somebody else. In fact, their neural activity when they described themselves in a decade was similar to that when they described Matt Damon or Natalie Portman. [Continue reading...]

Understanding the psychology shaping negotiations with Iran

“The only way for interaction with Iran is dialogue on an equal footing, confidence-building and mutual respect as well as reducing antagonism and aggression,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech after taking the oath of office last August.

“If you want the right response, don’t speak with Iran in the language of sanctions, speak in the language of respect.”

In the following article, Nicholas Wright and Karim Sadjadpour describe how an understanding of neuroscience — or lack of it — may determine the outcome of negotiations with Iran.

The whole piece is worth reading, but keep this in mind: every single insight that gets attributed to neuroscience has been clearly established without the need to conduct a single brain scan. Indeed, everything that is here being attributed to the “exquisite neural machinery” of the brain can be understood by studying the workings of the human mind and how thought shapes behavior.

It is important to draw a sharp distinction between the examination of the mind and observing the workings of the brain because the latter is totally dependent on the output of intermediary electronic scanning devices, whereas minds can study themselves and each other directly and through shared language.

One of the insidious effects of neuroscience is that it promotes a view that understanding the ways brains work has greater intrinsic value than understanding how minds work. What the negotiations with Iran demonstrate, however, is that the exact opposite is true.

To the extent that through the development of trust, negotiations are able to advance, this will have nothing to do with anyone’s confidence about what is happening inside anyone’s brain. On the contrary, it will depend on a meeting of minds and mutual understanding. No one will need to understand what is happening in their own or anyone else’s insula cortex, but what will most likely make or break the talks will be whether the Iranians believe they are being treated fairly. The determination of fairness does not depend on the presence or absence of a particular configuration of neural activity but rather on an assessment of reality.

Treat us as equals, Iran’s president said — and that was almost 15 years ago!

How we feel at home

Moheb Costandi writes: Home is more than a place on a map. It evokes a particular set of feelings, and a sense of safety and belonging. Location, memories, and emotions are intertwined within those walls. Over the past few decades, this sentiment has gained solid scientific grounding. And earlier this year, researchers identified some of the cells that help encode our multifaceted homes in the human brain.

In the early 1970s, neuroscientist John O’Keefe of University College London and his colleagues began to uncover the brain mechanisms responsible for navigating space. They monitored the electrical activity of neurons within a part of the brain called the hippocampus. As the animals moved around an enclosure with electrodes implanted in their hippocampus, specific neurons fired in response to particular locations. These neurons, which came to be known as place cells, each had a unique “place field” where it fired: For example, neuron A might be active when the rat was in the far right corner, near the edge of the enclosure, while neuron B fired when the rat was in the opposite corner.

Since then, further experiments have shown that the hippocampus contains at least two other types of brain cells involved in navigation. Grid cells fire periodically as an animal traverses a space, and head direction cells fire when the animal faces a certain direction. Together, place cells, grid cells, and head direction cells form the brain’s GPS, mapping the space around an animal and its location within it.

Neuroscientists assumed that these three types of cells in the hippocampus are how we humans, too, navigate our surroundings. But solid evidence of these cell types came only recently, when a research team implanted electrodes into the brains of epilepsy patients being evaluated before surgery. They measured the activity of neurons in the hippocampus while the patients navigated a computer-generated environment, and found that some of the cells fired at regular intervals, as grid cells in rodents did. The authors of the study, published last August, conclude that the mechanisms of spatial navigation in mice and humans are likely the same. [Continue reading...]


On 14 October 1933 Lama Anagarika Govinda, inspired by his Tibetan teacher Lama Ngawang Kalsang, formally founded the Arya Maitreya Mandala in Darjeeling. Govinda initiated fourteen Indian personalities and made them members of the order. The order’s message was well received by intellectuals and spiritual seekers in India.

For two decades the order’s activities concentrated on the Indian subcontinent until Lama Govinda initiated in Deolali two men from Vietnam and Germany into the Arya Maitreya Mandala. Phue-Tuê, a Buddhist monk from Hanoi, and German author Hans-Ulrich Rieker (1920-1979), who became members in 1952, set up branches of the order in Eastern Asia and in Europe.

The founding of the European Branch took place in ceremonies simultaneously conducted in Sanchi (India) by Lama Govinda and in Berlin by Hans-Ulrich Rieker on 30 November 1952. In Berlin Lionel Stützer (1901-1991) and Harry Pieper (1907-1978) became the first members initiated in Europe. During the following decades the Arya Maitreya Mandala established branches in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Hungary, England and Austria.

The Vietnamese branch was supported by a German member of the order, Dr. Rudolf Petri (1915-1980), who in 1958 received initiation into the Arya Maitreya Mandala by Lama Govinda. Rudolf Petri settled as a Buddhist monk (Ven. Anuruddha) in Vietnam. He trained Vietnamese, Chinese and American disciples. One of his disciples set up a branch of the Arya Maitreya Mandala in Singapore.

The worldwide interest in the order grew further, when Lama Govinda went on lecture tours outside India. In 1960 he traveled to Italy as a representative of Buddhism at an international religious conference in Venice. Subsequently he went to England, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. In 1965, 1968/69, 1972/73, 1974/76 he undertook world tours including Europe, America, South Africa, Japan and Singapore. After thirty years he spent permanently in India and Tibet the renowned scholar, mystic, painter, poet and author of The Way of the White Clouds and Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism attracted a lot attention among people interested in Buddhism and Eastern spirituality. A branch of the order was established in the USA under the leadership of Iru Price.

From 1961 Lama Govinda had trained in India his major disciple, the German physician Dr. Karl Heinz Gottmann (1919-2007), known by his initiation name Advayavajra. Appointed by Lama Govinda as his successor, Karl-Heinz Gottmann became the head (Acharya) of he Arya Maitreya Mandala in 1982. Carrying on the task of Lama Ngawang Kalzang and Lama Govinda, Karl-Heinz Gottmann inspired many earnest seekers imparting knowledge to them according to the traditions preserved by the Arya Maitreya Mandala.

Following Lama Govinda’s wishes, Advayavajra passed his duty as the Acarya of the Arya Maitreya Mandala to his son Dr. Armin Gottmann in 1999. Having been a student of Lama Govinda from his early youth, Armin Gottman, also known by his initiation name Asanga, is currently the spiritual leader of the Arya Maitreya Mandala.

Lama A. Govinda

Advayavajra and Asanga

Arya Maitreya Mandala - International Network | network@arya-maitreya-mandala.org


1. What is the James Beard Foundation?
  2. We are a nonprofit culinary arts organization based in James Beard’s former Greenwich Village townhouse.
  3. What is the James Beard Foundation’s mission?
  4. Our mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor America's diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire.
  5. What does the Foundation do?
  6. Our diverse programs run the gamut from elegant guest-chef dinners to scholarships for aspiring culinary students, educational conferences, and industry awards. In the spirit of James Beard’s legacy, we create programs to help educate people about American cuisine and to support and promote the chefs and other industry professionals who are behind it. Learn more about the James Beard Foundation's events and programming.
  7. Who was James Beard?
  8. James Beard was a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the “Dean of American Cookery.” These days we like to think of him as America’s first celebrity chef. Learn more about James Beard's cookbooks and other writing.
  9. Do you give out grants like other foundations?
  10. Although we do have a very robust scholarship program for culinary students, we are not a grant-giving organization in the way that some other Foundations with large endowments are. The James Beard Foundation was founded posthumously by a group of Beard’s friends and colleagues without an endowment but with the desire to maintain Beard’s house as the important culinary gathering place it was during his lifetime and to further his legacy of supporting chefs and educating people about food.
  11. Where does the money you raise go?
  12. The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and accordingly the money we raise at our various events is used to fund our mission-driven programs and cover the cost of overhead. View our audited financial statements here.
  13. Does the James Beard Foundation offer internship opportunities?
  14. Absolutely. We generally have student interns working in a number of our departments including special events, publications, awards, and more. If you are interested in applying, please email us a cover letter and your resume.

If you do not see your questions answered here or elsewhere on the website, please send us an email.

  5. What determines which scholarships are offered each year?
  7. Who selects the recipients of James Beard Foundation Scholarships?
  8. Completed application forms are received and processed by Scholarship America, a respected independent non-profit group that specializes in scholarship administration. Approximately 650 applications are received each year. The James Beard Foundation’s scholarship selection committee reviews the semifinalists, and approximately 70 recipients are selected.
  9. How can I prepare to apply?
  10. In preparation for applying for a James Beard Foundation scholarship, it helps to gather and organize the following information even before the applications for this year are posted:

    •     Personal contact information
    •     Educational history (high school or college transcripts)
    •     History of other scholarships or grants received
    •     Work/apprenticeship history
    •     Brief statement of culinary goals
    •     Financial statement and copy of most recent federal income tax return
  11. What is the deadline for application submissions?
  12. The deadline changes slightly from year to year. Applications for 2012 James Beard Foundation scholarships must be postmarked no later than May 15, 2012, and should be submitted to Scholarship Management Services of Scholarship America in St. Peter, MN, as instructed on the application form.
  13. Will my application be considered if it is not mailed to Scholarship Management Services?
  14. No. Applicants must read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly to be eligible for consideration.
  15. Are previous recipients of James Beard Foundation scholarships eligible to apply again?
  16. Yes.
  17. Can I apply for more than one scholarship?
  19. Is there a fee required with the application form?
  20. No.
  21. When will the winners be notified?
  22. Scholarship winners will be notified in August. The scholarship awards will be administered for the fall semester on behalf of the James Beard Foundation by the independent non-profit organization Scholarship America.

  1. Does the James Beard Foundation offer volunteer opportunities?
  2. The Beard Foundation offers volunteer opportunities for current culinary and pastry students who would like to assist our guest chefs in the kitchen of the James Beard House. Our guest chefs come from all over the country and the world and cannot always bring their staff with them to New York City to help create the food they are known for in their restaurants. Culinary student volunteers work side by side with these chefs and their staff to prepare and plate a meal specifically designed to highlight the chef's talents. Volunteering is a fun, educational, and rewarding experience.
  4. Begin by downloading the guidelines and application for volunteering at the James Beard Foundation. Return the completed and signed application to the address indicated along with a copy of your valid culinary school student ID. Once your application has been received, you will be contacted by our student programs manager to discuss your schedule and availability.
  6. Upcoming events at the Beard House are posted online and copies of our printed calendar, JBF Events, are available at the Beard House (167 West 12th Street). Your school will also have the latest issue of Previews, which lists three months of upcoming events. Please use these documents to learn what events are coming up on the schedule.
  8. Scheduling for the upcoming month begins on the first day of the prior month. For example, bookings for all of April’s events begin on the first of March, and bookings for all of May begin on the first of April. If you are interested in getting on the calendar, please call the student programs manager to discuss dates and times that work best with your schedule. After this conversation, you are considered "penciled in" for the dates discussed, and we ask that you please keep those dates open until you have been contacted again to confirm the schedule. Three weeks to 10 days prior to the event, you will be contacted to confirm your date and time slot, or to let you know that there is no availability for that date and time, with other possible options offered. It is very important to return all calls in a timely manner.
  9. Why would there not be availability?
  13. Why can’t I find the volunteer schedule online?
  15. What happens if I cannot keep my scheduled appointment due to illness or if my plans change?
  16. Please contact the student programs manager as soon as you find out that you are not going to be available so that another student can fill your slot.
  17. What are the hours for volunteers?
  18. There are three standard shifts for volunteers: 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. The lunches end by 3:00 P.M. and dinners end no later between 10:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M. Guest chefs determine the call time required for their event. You will be asked to arrive at the earliest slot that you are available for. Depending upon the chef’s needs and your availability, you may either do a full day shift or the morning or afternoon shift, and this will be determined when you speak with the student programs manager.
  19. Where do I go?
  20. All volunteers should show up for their shifts at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street. Please note that the student program manager’s office is at a different location on West 18th Street. Please do not confuse the addresses.
  21. What do I need to bring?
  22. Each student in the kitchen is responsible for bringing his or her own knives and a clean uniform.
  23. What will I be doing when I volunteer?
  24. If you are volunteering in the morning of a scheduled lunch, you will be assisting with last minute prep and plate-out. If you are volunteering in the morning of a scheduled dinner, you will be assisting the chef with prepping the ingredients for service later on. If you are scheduled for the afternoon of a scheduled dinner, you will be assisting with last minute prep and service plate-out. Please remember that all students must act and present themselves in a professional manner at all times.
  26. Please inform the chef that you are new in school and want to do your best; the chef will take extra care to see that you are able to do whatever it is that he or she needs. If your skills are not up to the chef’s needs, he or she will try to find another task for you. If you find you are unable to perform most of the tasks asked of you, it is best that you observe for the rest of the evening and wait to volunteer again when your skills have improved.
  28. Several of the Foundation’s larger New York City–area events, such as the Beard Awards, the Gala Dinner & Auction, and Chefs & Champagne® New York, require student volunteers. Volunteer information for these events will be sent to your school’s student advisor in a timely fashion and will be posted accordingly.
  29. I do not live in the New York City area, how can I volunteer with the James Beard Foundation?
  30. We are currently creating relationships with culinary schools outside of New York City and soon hope to incorporate our volunteer program with our events that take place nationwide. To learn what events are taking place in your city, check out our James Beard Foundation events calendar. Contact the student programs manager to learn more about this opportunity.
  32. While our official volunteer program is aimed towards current culinary students, there are many other ways to get involved with the Foundation, from taking photos to stuffing gift bags. In addition, there are event-planning office internships that typically last three months. To learn more, send us an email.
  33. How can I contact the student programs manager?
  34. Please send us an email

  1. Why should I join the James Beard Foundation?
  2. Any person with an interest in food, whether amateur or professional, should become a member of the James Beard Foundation. Maybe you feel strongly about what makes a good hamburger or perhaps you like to know what’s going on in the world’s best restaurants. Whatever your food passion, the James Beard Foundation has something to offer you. By joining the Foundation you become part of the dynamic culinary movement that has revolutionized American cuisine in the last 20 years. Members also enjoy exclusive benefits, including access to top chefs and winemakers, reduced prices and advanced notice about exciting food events, and the opportunity to network with like-minded food lovers.
  3. What levels of memberships are available?
  4. The James Beard Foundation offers a number of different levels of membership for individuals, culinary professionals and students, as well as corporate memberships. For as little as $25 to $29 a year, you can become a part of the nation’s premier culinary arts organization. Check out the James Beard Foundation's various membership options and benefits.
  5. Which level is right for me?
  6. The enrollment process will walk you through a few options based on how often you expect to be attending James Beard Foundation events, if at all, and/or what level of support you are willing to commit to our mission. Start the process of becoming a member of the James Beard Foundation.
  7. How do I become a member of the James Beard Foundation?
  8. Follow the simple enrollment process online or call membership services at 212.675.4984.
  9. How long will I be a member once I join?
  10. Memberships expire one year (12 months) from the month of purchase.
  11. Is my membership tax deductible?
  12. Memberships are tax deductible above and beyond the value of the benefits you receive. This calculation is different for each level of membership we offer. For more information, please contact membership services at 212.675.4984.
  13. Once I join, how do I know what events are happening at the James Beard Foundation?
  14. Most of our events are open to the public. We make the details known in many ways. We have a complete calendar on our website. Every two weeks we also send out Beard Bites, an electronic newsletter that contains event highlights and other Foundation news. Certain events have special printed or electronic invitations. Becoming a member is the best way to ensure you don’t miss any of the exciting things going on at the Foundation. What’s more, members receive advance notice and discounts for most events.
  15. How does the member dining discount work?
  16. For most James Beard Foundation events you will see a price for members and a price for the general public. Starting with Associate-level members and moving up the membership ladder, you are entitled to purchase a certain number of reservations per event at the member price. Any additional reservations for that event can be made at the general public price. For example, Associate members can purchase one reservation per event at members price and as many reservations as they want at the general public price. Fellow-level members can purchase two reservations per event at members price and additional tickets at the general public price. You can review the benefits associated with different James Beard Foundation membership levels.
  17. Can I receive event invitations and other information if I’m not a member?
  18. Sure. Sign up to receive Beard Bites, our biweekly digital newsletter which features information about upcoming events, recipes and photos from the Beard House, scholarship details, restaurant news from around the country, and the latest on other Foundation happenings. Sign up for the James Beard Foundation's digital newsletter here.
  19. Can I give someone a gift certificate or gift membership?
  20. Yes. Anyone can purchase gift certificates for any value and gift memberships over the phone with any major credit card by calling membership services at 212.675.4984. You do not have to be a member to purchase gifts.
  21. I see some members have access to something called the Directory of Fine Food and Beverage Professionals. What is it and who gets in?
  22. The Directory of Fine Food and Beverage Professionals is an indispensable online networking tool for finding professionals in just about every aspect of the food and beverage industry, from writers to chefs to restaurant designers to real estate agents. Culinary or beverage professionals who join at the professional or higher level of membership qualify for a listing and, with the exception of our student members, only members at that level and above are entitled to view it. For specific questions about listings, email our manager of information resources.
  23. How can I cancel my membership?
  24. You can cancel your membership by contacting membership services at 212.675.4984.
  25. Are there other ways besides membership to support the James Beard Foundation?
  26. You can make tax-deductible donations to the Foundation and its programs. For more information, please contact our director of charitable giving and strategic partnerships, Kris Moon, at 212.627.5252 or at kmoon@jamesbeard.org. You can also visit our donation page here.

  1. What are the James Beard Foundation Awards?
  2. The James Beard Foundation Awards, a.k.a. the Beard Awards, are the food industry’s highest honor. Awards are given in many categories, including chefs and restaurants, books, journalism, broadcast media, and restaurant design and graphics, as well as for special achievements. Time magazine called them “the Oscars of the food world.” Find out more about the James Beard Foundation Awards.
  3. Who are the judges?
  4. The judges for the awards are selected by the governing committee for each awards category. For example, the book awards committee selects the judges for the book awards. The judges choose the winners by reviewing the entries and voting with secret ballots. The judges are all experts in their fields who may not enter their awards category during the year they are judging. (Judges may, however, enter awards categories they are not judging.) The judging process is overseen by an independent accounting firm.
  5. Who enters?
  6. Fortunately, the reputation of the Beard Awards means that we get thousands of entries from across the country. Anyone can enter. Each awards category, such as journalism or books, is administered in a slightly different way consistent with other awards in the field. This means that the entry process, requirements, and deadlines vary from one category to the next. But the process for each category begins on our website, where entry details and forms are posted in mid October for the following year’s awards. Learn more about entry details for the James Beard Foundation Awards.
  7. How are the Awards financed?
  8. The Awards are a program of the James Beard Foundation, which means the trustees of the Foundation have overall fiduciary responsibility for them. Sponsorship, entry fees, and ticket and advertising sales are intended to cover the cost of the Awards program, which includes fees for the independent auditors, administrative costs for the judging, the costs for the production of the ceremony, and the costs associated with the reception.
  9. Can you win a James Beard Foundation Award if you haven’t participated in a James Beard Foundation event?
  10. Absolutely. Every step is taken to assure that the Awards are open to all eligible candidates and administered fairly. James Beard Foundation staff members are not allowed to vote on the Awards, nor are trustees. And although we are extremely grateful to everyone who participates in our events, those events are in no way related to the awards process. Also, you do not need to be a James Beard Foundation member to receive a nomination or win an award. In fact, some of our highest honors have been received by chefs who have never joined the Foundation or participated in a Foundation event.
  11. Is there anything an entrant can do to increase his or her chances of winning?
  12. Besides performing to the best of his or her abilities, there’s nothing anyone can do to affect the outcome of an award. We hear stories of people campaigning for various awards but our procedures are overseen by an independent accounting firm and are not susceptible to outside influence.
  13. Are James Beard Foundation trustees eligible for an award?
  14. No, James Beard Foundation trustees are not eligible to win a James Beard Foundation Award. (Nor can they influence the voting in any way.) Trustees must sign a statement of conflict of interest that states that they or their relatives will not be eligible for an award.
  15. What about staff?
  16. No. As with the trustees, all management and staff sign a conflict of interest statement that states that they or their relatives will not be eligible for an award.
  17. Can sponsors affect the outcome?
  18. No, sponsors do not take part in judging.
  19. What do James Beard Foundation Award winners receive?
  20. Bragging rights, a handsome medal, an impressive certificate, a lot of publicity, and the satisfaction of having been recognized by your peers. There are no cash awards.

  1. What types of events does the Beard House host? How often?
  2. Beard House events include dinners, lunches, brunches, workshops, readings, and education events. Each year we have more than 250 events, which break down to four to six dinners each week; occasional lunches, brunches, and cocktail parties; and one or two daytime readings each month as part of our Beard on Books and Enlightened Eaters series. Other events are sometimes scheduled around this core calendar. See what’s happening at the James Beard House this month.
  3. Why is the summer schedule different?
  4. Many people leave New York City on the weekends, so we're closed on those days during the summer months.
  5. What happens at a typical Beard House event?
  6. A typical event at the Beard House includes a reception featuring passed hors d’oeuvre and wine or cocktail pairings, followed by a seated meal which includes five courses (four for lunches/brunches) and wine pairings for each course. You also have the unique opportunity to meet the chefs and ask questions about the dishes you’ve eaten. Our occasional cocktail parties are walk-around events that highlight popular chefs and exciting themes.
  7. Is there a menu? Can I choose what I eat?
  8. The menu for each Beard House event is set by the chef months in advance and publicized along with the event. Occasionally, due to the seasonal availability of ingredients, the menu is slightly different on the night of the event. There is one set menu for the evening and the event is served in courses to all guests. There is no special ordering.
  9. What if I’m a vegetarian or have special dietary needs?
  10. Because the Beard House receives a different guest chef every night and does not operate like a typical restaurant, it is very difficult for chefs to accommodate special needs. There is no pantry of ingredients to draw on and deviating from the set, published menu is difficult. If a special request is made at the time of booking a reservation, it can be conveyed to the chef, who may or may not be able to accommodate it. Special requests made on the night of the event will certainly be entertained but there is no guarantee they can be fulfilled.
  11. When can I make reservations?
  12. That depends on your membership level. Fellow-level members and the levels above them are given three months advance notice of upcoming events. Other members receive notification up to 60 days prior. The complete calendar is posted on our website for all to see one month in advance, and offers online booking through OpenTable. You can also call our reservations department directly at 212.627.2308.
  13. Can I just show up at the door?
  14. No, all events must be booked and paid for in advance. The exceptions are general admission events, like our reading series Beard on Books and Enlightened Eaters, for which a donation is suggested.
  15. Do I get to choose my seat? My dining companions?
  16. Not exactly. The configuration of tables at the Beard House is pretty much fixed so we can’t really manipulate the seating. Part of the fun of the experience of dining at the Beard House is getting to meet interesting people who share a passion for food. That said, we always try to honor special requests for parties to sit together or to have a large group occupy a specific table. Such requests should be made at the time the reservation has been made. Seating changes are very difficult to accommodate on the day of the event.
  17. How are the prices for events determined?
  18. For the most part our prices are set depending on the type of the event: lunch, dinner, or cocktail party. As most of our events serve two functions—programming and fundraising—we are always trying to find the perfect balance between making them accessible to as many people as possible and raising money to cover costs and contribute to our operating budget for our other programs.
  19. Do I have to tip? Is there tax?
  20. Tipping at the Beard Foundation is not allowed. Unlike for-profit restaurants, our waitstaff are paid as regular employees and are entitled to benefits. There is no tax on James Beard Foundation events.
  21. Are the event charges tax deductible?
  22. That depends. The law states that anything above the fair market value of an event for a charitable nonprofit is tax deductible. Because most of our Beard House events are priced at or below their fair market value—were you to go to a restaurant in Manhattan and order a similar amount of great food and wine you would pay a lot more money for it—the event charges are generally not tax deductible. Occasionally, when we plan fundraisers or special high-ticket events, a portion of the price may be tax deductible. In these cases we make the amounts that are tax deductible known and will issue letters for all tax-deductible amounts over $250 upon request as required by law.

  1. How does someone get invited to participate in a Beard House event?
  2. The programming department receives inquiries and recommendations from various sources: working chefs and restaurateurs, winemakers, cookbook authors, publicists, members of the Foundation, staff members, JBF trustees, and members of the volunteer-staffed programming committee. In addition, the director of house programming actively seeks noteworthy talent as evidenced by press reviews and positive word of mouth.
  3. What is the programming committee? Who is on it?
  4. The programming committee and its chairman meet monthly to recommend chefs and events to the director of house programming. The committee is made up of a group of food and wine professionals and gastronomic enthusiasts who volunteer their time to the Foundation. Their participation broadens the field of qualifying chefs, provides perspective from outside of the Foundation, and brings various areas of expertise and knowledge to the chef selection process. The director of house programming retains the final decision in extending invitations and scheduling events.
  5. Are events at the Beard House related to the James Beard Foundation Awards?
  6. No. Events at the James Beard House are independent of the Beard Awards, though we are honored to welcome award winners to perform at the house from time to time for various events.
  7. Do chefs get press coverage for participating in a Beard House event?
  8. The James Beard Foundation welcomes the media at our events, but the responsibility of inviting the press and purchasing seats for them is solely the responsibility of the participating chef/restaurant.
  9. Do chefs and restaurants have to be members of the James Beard Foundation to be invited to cook at the Beard House?
  10. No. Chefs and restaurants are considered based on their merit, their menu, and their ability to execute a banquet dinner for up to 80 guests. Once a chef, winemaker, or guest speaker is invited to participate in a Beard House event he/she will receive a complimentary Food and Beverage Professional-level membership to the James Beard Foundation for one year.
  11. How far in advance are events scheduled?
  12. Typically, six months to a year in advance.
  13. If I'm not currently employed in a restaurant or food-related business, can I still participate in an event at the Beard House?
  14. Participating in an event at the Beard House is costly for both the chef and the James Beard Foundation. Generally, chefs need the physical and financial support of a restaurant and its staff to help with the preparation and execution of their event, but we are happy to consider unique situations when they arise.
  15. What are the costs associated with presenting a meal at the Beard House?
  16. Chefs and other participants cover the cost of travel to New York City, accommodations, as well as food and beverage costs associated with the event. The James Beard Foundation covers the cost of staffing (waiters, stewards, and kitchen managers), linen, rentals, and marketing the event directly to its membership and the general public through electronic and printed publications. The Foundation also provides participating chefs with a portion of the event’s proceeds to help offset food costs.
  17. Can a Beard House event be sponsored?
  18. Yes, events can be sponsored at the Foundation’s discretion and for a negotiated sponsorship fee. For more information, please email the director of house programming. Chefs and restaurants are encouraged to seek sponsorship directly to help offset the costs of their event, but the notice of that sponsorship will be limited to the event itself. No logos or other company information will appear in our publications or on our website.
  19. Can more than one chef or restaurant participate in a Beard House event?
  20. Yes. Group events create a unique experience and help to spread the cost of doing the event across the participants. Smaller restaurants often team up with others to offset the costs of coming to the Beard House.
  21. If the chefs and other participants mostly pay their own way to the Beard House, where does the money from reservations go?
  22. The costs to the Foundation associated with producing each event and maintaining the Beard House are covered by the price of each event. Those costs include publications, waitstaff, linens, upkeep, administrative staff, cleaning staff, chef reimbursement, and other expenses related to the event itself. What’s left goes to the general operating and programming budgets of the Foundation. View our most current audited financial statements
  23. I am scheduled to participate in an event at the Beard House. Where can I find out what I need to do? What equipment you’ve got on hand? How it all works?
  24. Participating chefs all receive a comprehensive chef information packet in the mail, but all information about cooking at the James Beard House is on this website. .

  1. Do all James Beard Foundation events take place at the Beard House?
  2. No. Although we host over 250 events a year at the Beard House, the Foundation also hosts events in other venues in the New York City area and across the country, including Chefs & Champagne® New York, our annual Gala Dinner & Auction, and Friends of James Beard Benefit® dinners. Occasionally we even host events in other countries. We refer to events not held in the Beard House as out-of-house events.
  3. Do I need to be a member to attend the James Beard Foundation’s out-of-house events?
  4. No. Most Foundation events are open to the general public, although there is usually a discounted price for members.
  5. How do I make reservations for out-of-house events?
  6. That depends on the event. The main reservations line for the James Beard Foundation is 212.627.2308. Some reservations for out-of-house events are handled through this line, but others are handled by the host venue. Every time you see information about an event, we will give you the appropriate number to call or website to visit for reservations. And you can always call our main reservations line for the correct information.
  7. How can my company become involved with your special events?
  8. For organizations or companies looking to promote themselves by associating with our events, there are a number of different opportunities. For example, organizations can become cash sponsors, donate products, contribute to our auctions, become gift bag underwriters, and/or purchase VIP tables. Our sponsorship department can tailor an attractive promotion/association program to suit your organization’s needs. For more information, please call 212.627.2090 or email yros@jamesbeard.org or jmarshall@jamesbeard.org.
  9. Where does the money raised at special events go?
  10. As with all of our events and fundraising, the proceeds from out-of-house events go to the Foundation’s general operating fund, scholarships, or to cover the costs of other specified programs.
  11. What are Friends of James Beard Benefits?
  12. Friends of James Beard Benefits are fundraising dinners hosted by restaurants and hotels around the county. They are usually initiated by the hosting restaurants, who invite a group of guest chefs to participate. We refer to them as FOJBBs.
  13. How are the funds raised at Friends of James Beard Benefits used by the Foundation?
  14. Friends of James Beard Benefits have a minimum fundraising requirement. Half of the funds raised at all FOJBBs are allocated to culinary scholarships awarded in the name of the donor chef or restaurant. The remaining funds are used to support the operations of the James Beard Foundation, including the administration of our educational programs.
  15. How much time is needed to plan a Friends of James Beard Benefit?
  16. We recommend that you start the planning process at least six months before the event. The James Beard Foundation starts to publicize and promote the event three months in advance.
  17. Who attends Friends of James Beard Benefits?
  18. Anyone who enjoys a great food and wine experience is welcome, whether or not they are James Beard Foundation members. Reservations are usually taken by the host restaurant; this information will be posted everywhere the event is promoted. Find out if there is a Friends of James Beard Benefit happening near you.
  19. Can I receive guidelines for hosting a Friends of James Beard Benefit?
  20. For a complete list of guidelines, contact Diane Harris Brown at 212.627.1128 or via email
  21. What is Serving Up James Beard?
  22. Serving Up James Beard is a restaurant promotion benefiting JBF's Silver Anniversary Scholarship Drive. Participating restaurants across the country feature one James Beard-inspired dish on their menus; one dollar of each dish sold is donated to the drive. Learn more about Serving Up James Beard.
  23. What are Greens events?
  24. The James Beard Foundation’s Greens events are geared to foodies ages 21 to 39 and held at the Beard House and different venues around New York City. Greens events are open to members and non-members alike. The idea is to bring young people who share an interest in food and wine together to experience, learn, and have fun. Though Greens is not a membership category, James Beard Foundation members receive member discounts to Greens events and we strongly encourage all Greens attendees to become members of the Foundation. Check out upcoming James Beard Foundation Greens events.
  25. How do I receive information about Greens events?
  26. All communication about Greens events is conducted via email. Sign up to recieve invitations and other information about Greens.
  27. What do I do if I am 40 or over?
  28. The James Beard Foundation offers exciting events for food lovers of all ages. View a calendar of upcoming James Beard Foundation events.

  1. How do I make a reservation for a James Beard Foundation event?
  2. Reservations can be made by calling 212.627.2308, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. All reservations are prepaid, so please have your credit card on hand. You will also need to provide a phone number. You must speak to a reservations department representative to consider your reservation confirmed. (Messages left on our voicemail system do not count as reservations.) As a courtesy, your reservation will be reconfirmed two to three business days before the event. View the James Beard Foundation reservation policy.
  3. When will my credit card be charged?
  4. Expect a charge to appear during the month of your event. Most charges are processed within the week of the reserved event. Since all events are prepaid, please contact us if the card used to make your reservation has been lost or stolen before the charge appears on your bill, or if you would like to use an alternate card.
  5. Are receipts available?
  6. Yes. To expedite this process, please provide your email address, mailing address, and fax number at the time you make your reservation. Receipts requested after an event will be generated by our accounting department.
  7. Is the cost of my reservation tax deductible?
  8. Most Beard House events are priced at or below market value, and are therefore not tax deductible. Exceptions occur with higher priced fundraising events, for which any amount above the fair market value of the event can be deducted. When the tax-deductible amount exceeds $250, tax letters will be sent as required by law.
  9. What is your cancelation policy?
  10. Our cancelation policy and fees are as follows: a fee of $5 per person is charged if a cancelation is made more than seven days before an event and a fee of $20 per person is charged if a cancelation is made seven days to 24 hours before an event. No refunds are offered for cancelations made within 24 hours of an event or for no-shows. Cancelations left on our voice mail will not be honored. Reservations made for the Peter Kump Boardroom, our private dining facility, are non-refundable.
  11. How is the seating arranged for events at the Beard House?
  12. The Beard House seats a maximum of 80 guests and our tables seat between 4 and 12 guests. Due to the layout of our dining rooms, you may be seated with other parties. If friends are booking reservations separately, please be sure to indicate to the reservations department representative that you wish to be seated together.
  13. How large of a party may be booked at the Beard House?
  14. Reservations are accepted for up to 20 guests in one party, and while a party that large cannot be seated together at the same table, we will arrange to have everyone seated at nearby tables. To assist in the process, it helps to send a list of names of the people who should be seated together to the reservations department at the time you make your reservation. For an additional fee, our private dining room is available for parties of up to 12 guests.
  15. Is a private dining room available at the Beard House?
  16. The Peter Kump Boardroom is available for most events at the Beard House. The private room seats 12 guests with options for AV equipment, privately held reception hours, and more. Contact the reservations department for more information at 212.627.2308 or at reservations@jamesbeard.org.
  17. What is the dress code for events at the Beard House?
  18. There is no official dress code for events at the Beard House; however, we do recommend business professional or cocktail attire. Events at the Beard House celebrate the chef, and respectful dress contributes to the ambience.
  19. Is there a choice of dishes at Beard House events?
  20. No. Everything listed on the chef’s menu is served to each guest. Visit the events section of our site to view the most up-to-date menus.
  21. Can you accommodate food allergies/dietary restrictions?
  22. Chefs who visit the Beard House create distinct tasting menus that highlight their skills and cuisine. We ask that you carefully consider any allergies or dietary restrictions before booking; however, both the chefs and the James Beard Foundation understand that these limitations should not hinder anyone’s dining experience. Upon reserving, please alert the reservations department to these issues. Event managers will discuss with the chef what items to avoid or what accommodations, if any, can be made. If arrangements cannot be made, our reservations staff will gladly steer you towards a different event with a more suitable menu.
  23. When do Beard House events start? How long do they last?
  24. Dinners begin at 7:00 P.M., lunches and brunches at 12:00 noon, and cocktail parties at varying times. Our literary series Beard on Books and Enlightened Eaters start at 12:00 noon and last one hour. Dining events at the Beard House generally last 2 to 3 hours.
  25. Is there a reduced price available for guests who do not drink alcohol?
  26. Unfortunately, the James Beard Foundation is not able to offer a reduced price for guests who do not drink alcohol.
  27. Are children allowed to attend the events at the Beard House?
  28. The attendance of small children is discouraged both for their safety and for the comfort of other diners. We do not have special children’s menus, beverages, or prices.
  29. The event I am interested in is sold out, what should I do?
  30. If you wish to attend an event that is sold out, the reservations department will be happy to add you to a waiting list. Cancelations frequently occur and you will be notified but not obligated to make the reservation if seats become available.
  31. How do I find out about upcoming scheduled events at the Beard House?
  32. Become a member! Fellow-level members and above receive notifications of events three months in advance in our monthly digital publication, Previews. Menus and more detailed event information are available online about one month before the events, but events may sell out before this online posting.
  33. Is parking available near the Beard House?
  34. Yes. Chivian Garage has an exclusive partnership with the James Beard Foundation. The garage is located at 101 West 12th Street, at the corner of 6th Avenue, and has a $7 parking fee from 6:30 P.M. with validation from the Beard House maitre’d. For SUVs and cars 181” or longer the fee is $17.
  35. Is the James Beard House available for private events?
  36. Yes. The Beard House can be rented for events, pending availability. Please contact membership services for more details at 212.675.4984 or via email.

  1. What is Beard Bites?
  2. Beard Bites is a digital newsletter sent every two weeks that has information about upcoming events and Foundation news. It is available to members and nonmembers. Beard Bites is the best way to stay informed about what is going on at the Beard Foundation. Sign up here.
  3. What is Previews?
  4. Previews is a monthly digital publication that gives three months’ advance notice of events. It is available as a benefit to high-level members, beginning at the Fellowship level.
  5. Does the Foundation publish any books?
  6. In 2007 the James Beard Foundation recently republished one of James Beard’s classic books, Beard on Food. In March of 2012 we published The James Beard Foundation's Best of the Best: A 25th Anniversary Celebration of America's Outstanding Chefs, which features recipes from and profiles of every chef who has won our Outstanding Chef Award. (If you purchase these books through our Amazon store, a portion of the proceeds will come back to the Foundation.) Other book projects are in the works. The Foundation also sells several of Beard’s books at the Beard House.
  7. What happened to that annual Restaurant Directory you used to publish?
  8. Our directories have been published online since 2007. At the moment they are being redesigned to be consistent with our new website.
  9. Is there a Foundation magazine?
  10. There is no Foundation magazine, but we do publish feature articles, news, and recipes on our blog.
  11. Do you accept unsolicited article submissions and queries?
  12. Yes. We are happy to consider previously unpublished work and queries. Please email your submission, along with a cover letter, to our publications office.
  13. Will you include events put on by other organizations in you publications?
  14. As a rule, we do not publicize events besides our own unless we have some sort of formal relationship with the host organization or the specific event. We enact this policy not because we do not wish all food events to be a success, but because we wish to respect the wishes of our members and subscribers who specifically signed up for information about the Foundation.
  15. If I sign up for your digital publications will I be bombarded with junk mail and spam?
  16. We do everything to ensure the privacy of our members and subscribers and use the utmost discretion in sending out Foundation-related marketing information. We do not share our email addresses. And, of course, you are welcome to unsubscribe at anytime.
  17. I signed up for your digital publications (or joined as a JBF member) but I’m not getting anything from you in my inbox. What’s up?
  18. First, check your junk mail folder. If you see James Beard Foundation communications there, please add us to your contact list. If you still can’t find any of our communications, you might have accidentally unsubscribed from our list. Please be aware that if you unsubscribe from any of our mailings through our electronic mail distribution service, SubscriberMail, you will not be able to receive any of our digital communication. We take your privacy seriously. To begin receiving our digital communications again, please resubscribe to Beard Bites.

  1. How do I become a sponsor of the James Beard Foundation?
  2. James Beard Foundation sponsorships are designed to help companies and organizations promote and market their goods and services. We consider our sponsors partners and work creatively to help deliver the full benefits of sponsorship. Cash sponsorships are available at many levels and in several areas of the Foundation. We tailor our sponsorships so that companies interested in promoting their goods or services to chefs and professionals can do so, and those more interested in promoting to a consumer audience have that opportunity, as well. For more information, please call 212.627.2090 or email yros@jamesbeard.org or jmarshall@jamesbeard.org.
  3. How do I get my product served at James Beard Foundation events?
  4. The James Beard Foundation offers a House purveyorship program to high-quality companies interested in serving their products at Foundation events. Per a contractual agreement, the company agrees to pay a minimum cash sponsorship annually to the Foundation and donate products and/or services as needed for Beard House operations and other events. You can view a list of current James Beard House purveyors. For more information, please call 212.627.2090 or email yros@jamesbeard.org or jmarshall@jamesbeard.org.

  1. Where can I find the James Beard Foundation’s financial information?
  2. The James Beard Foundation is dedicated to transparency. As a tax-exempt organization we are committed to publishing our complete financial information for the public. Audited financial statements from 2003 through 2011 are available online. Please note when viewing these statements that our fiscal year extends from April 1 through March 31. View our financial information here.
  3. Can I donate to the Foundation?
  4. Yes. By donating to the Foundation you are supporting our mission and programs. You are saying that you believe that food is important, that American cuisine is something to celebrate, and that you want to help the people and practitioners who continue to work so hard to elevate the culinary arts. We gladly accept donations to the Foundation and its programs. For more information, please contact our director of charitable giving and strategic partnerships, Kris Moon, at 212.627.5252 or at kmoon@jamesbeard.org. You can also make a donation to the James Beard Foundation on our donation page.
  5. Can I designate my donation for a specific use?
  6. Yes. Any donations may be earmarked for specific programs, such as scholarships, or for any uniquely named fund of your choosing.
  7. Are donations made to the Foundation fully tax deductible?


Astronomers using ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray observatory have discovered a black hole they labeled HLX-1 (Hyper-Luminous X-ray source 1), which lies towards the outskirts of the galaxy ESO 243-49, approximately 290 million light-years from Earth and weighs more than 500 solar masses, making it a 'missing link' between lighter stellar-mass and heavier supermassive black holes. This discovery is the best detection to date of a new class that has long been searched for: intermediate mass black holes.
The discovery has been made by an international team of researchers working with XMM-Newton data, led by Sean Farrell from the Centre d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, now based at the University of Leicester.

Stellar-mass black holes (about three to twenty times as massive as the Sun) and supermassive black holes (several million to several thousand million times as massive as the Sun) have long been known to exist. Because of the large gap between these two extremes, scientists have speculated the existence of a third, intermediate class of black holes, with masses between a hundred and several hundred thousand solar masses.

Illustration of HLX-1 (blue star to the upper left hand side of the galactic bulge). HLX-1, located in the outskirts of the spiral galaxy ESO 243-49, is the strongest candidate to-date for intermediate-mass black holes.   Credits: Heidi Sagerud

Up until now, scientists were unable to confirm that this elusive intermediate class actually existed.  Farrell’s team were analyzing archived data obtained by XMM-Newton, looking for neutron stars and white dwarves, when they stumbled upon a most peculiar object that was observed on 23 November 2004.

 If it is indeed located in this distant galaxy, HLX-1 is very luminous in X-rays; peaking at 260 million times the luminosity of the Sun.

On analyzing the light originating from HLX-1, the team found that the X-ray signature was inconsistent with any object other than a feeding black hole. The measured brightness was too low for it to be in our own Galaxy, and the lack of observed radio or optical emission from the location of HLX-1 in addition to the observed X-ray signature indicates that it is unlikely to be a background galaxy.

This means that the source of the X-ray emission must lie in ESO 243-49. Its location is too far away from the galactic centre for it to be a supermassive black hole, and too bright for a stellar-mass black hole feeding at the maximum rate.

To be sure that this really was a single astronomical object, and not a cluster of several fainter sources that was shining brightly, the team used XMM-Newton to observe it again on 28 November 2008.

Comparing the two observations, they found that the signature of X-rays originating from HLX-1 varied significantly in time and concluded from this that it must be a single object. They found that the only way to explain its intense luminosity was if HLX-1 harboured a black hole greater than 500 solar masses. No other physical explanation could account for what they had seen.
The few intermediate-mass black hole candidates that have been discovered so far could be accounted for by other theories, but this one stood out as it was brighter than all the previous candidates by a factor of almost 10. The team had their hands on the best detection of an intermediate mass black holes to-date.

While it is already known that stellar-mass black holes are the remnants of massive stars, how supermassive black holes form is still unknown. One of the possible scenarios involves mergers of intermediate mass black holes. To ratify such a theory, it is essential to prove their existence in the first place.
This is why detections such as this by XMM-Newton are essential. It will help to understand just how supermassive black holes, such as that at the centre of our Galaxy, form.   The team have planned further observations in X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared and radio wavelengths in the near future to better understand this unique object and the environment around it.