Sharon Begley

Author / Teacher

Sharon Begley

Sharon Begley, our longtime science columnist, died of cancer on January 16, 2021, at age 64. Our thoughts and good wishes go out to her family and her wide circle of colleagues, for whom she was an exemplar of the highest standards of the journalistic profession. Sharon was a senior science writer with The Boston Globe Media Group, author of Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain, and coauthor with Richard Davidson of The Emotional Life of Your Brain.

Articles by Sharon Begley

Why Is It So Hard to Apologize?
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Why Is It So Hard to Apologize?

“I’m sorry.” Those two little words can be so hard to say. Research reveals why we struggle to apologize. Read More

The Science of Bouncing Back from Trauma
Depression & Grief

The Science of Bouncing Back from Trauma

What causes us to move on from traumatic experiences? Psychologists are finding it’s not always about bouncing back—sometimes we have to feel our whole world fall to pieces. Read More

The Science of Personality Changes
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The Science of Personality Changes

Are you the same person you were at 16? Researchers are exploring why some people do—or don’t—evolve over a lifetime. Read More

Why Crying Equals Thriving
Depression & Grief

Why Crying Equals Thriving

The science of crying reveals tears are one of the most honest forms of communication. Read More

Would You Upload Your Brain to the Cloud?
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Would You Upload Your Brain to the Cloud?

Scientists are in hot pursuit of the "the connectome"—the map of the 86-billion-neuron, 100-trillion-synapse human brain that would allow your brainware to be recreated in digital form. Read More

Exploring Both Sides of the Brain-Mind Debate
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Exploring Both Sides of the Brain-Mind Debate

Scientists insist on talking about the brain while the rest of us talk about the mind. Sharon Begley sizes up the two sides of the mind/brain conversation. Read More

You Had Me at Hello
Mindfulness For

You Had Me at Hello

Why is it that we seem to get along with some people right off the bat? Is it just because you happen to like the same kind of music, or are there deeper reasons to find yourself on the same wavelength? Read More

The Quest to Live Forever
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The Quest to Live Forever

Some scientists are working on making the last stages of life a little healthier, others are trying to extend life, and still others are hoping to make death obsolete. Read More

Can Meditation Change Your Genes?
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Can Meditation Change Your Genes?

DNA determines much of who we are, but it’s not fixed for life. Our behavior and environment can effect alterations to genes for good or ill. Can meditating affect us at a genetic level? Read More

Truly, Madly, Deeply in Love… with Myself
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Truly, Madly, Deeply in Love… with Myself

Narcissism has fascinated and bedeviled researchers for decades. While people encountering them may consider it a disorder, narcissists themselves are quite content with their gargantuan self-regard. Read More

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