Dr. Dimitri Nakassis, 40, a professor at the University of Toronto, is one of 24 people to receive a “genius grant”this year.

More accurately known as a fellowship of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the honour comes with a no-strings-attached stipend of $625,000 (U.S.) paid over five years. The foundation avoids the term genius, saying that their awards go to people with many impressive qualities beyond intellectual prowess.

Hipster, hipster, hipster. You hear this term over and over in magazines, newspapers and online. It’s used either as shorthand for stylish twenty-somethings, or as a cheap shot at young guys with an affected style that’s not nearly as unique as they’d like to think. (No, you didn’t invent plaid shirts).

I’m a native Haligonian and I have a confession to make: I do not eat donairs. No way, no how, not gonna happen. No mystery meat for me, thank you very much.

While I’m not a vegetarian, I haven’t eaten red meat in almost 20 years and the smell of donair meat turns my stomach when I walk past a fast food joint.

I hate checking a suitcase when I fly, so I’m usually trying to look relaxed while hefting a too-heavy backpack through airport security like it’s a breeze (it’s not). This is a carefully orchestrated system, with my pockets empty and my book, phone, passport and wallet all strategically stashed for easy access.

Learning to play sports is a great way instil a love of exercise, understand teamwork and cooperation, and learn how to win and lose gracefully. Great stuff, if that’s your only motivation.

One of Canada’s most famous athletes, Sidney Crosby was on the ice at age three, and was likely a better hockey player than most of us at five. With his $12-million (U.S.) salary and lucrative endorsement deals, it’s no wonder that hockey parents see his success as a reason to push their kids to succeed, despite the odds.

Maybe your kindergarten teacher was right all along: we should all learn to share.

One of the biggest and most well-known examples of the sharing economy trend is Airbnb, and it’s a big deal. More than 40 million people have used the site to book rooms, condos and even castles in 34,000 cities in 190 countries. Similarly, Uber is shaking up the taxi industry, allowing users to summon a private car via an app on their smartphones

It’s too bad that a financial planning class isn’t required of all university students, because a recent poll suggest that most students have a lot to learn about money. 

Despite working from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the office as a manager of housewares vendors and then continuing her work in the evening from home, Elizabeth Willet still wasn’t doing enough, according to her Amazon colleagues in Seattle. They reportedly criticized the new mom on the company’s secret feedback tool for not pulling her weight, and even though her boss had approved her schedule. He wouldn’t defend her and she left the company.

Keegan Kelly had a lofty mission this summer: he walked 160 kilometres from Fredericton to Sussex, N.B. to raise awareness for the environment and to encourage people to drive less and to walk and bike more.

When I first asked for an interview, it was granted only after assurances were made that no cars would be used to facilitate the meeting. Kelly says it would be counterproductive to create pollution to talk about saving the environment. Clever kid.

Does the number seven look red to you? Are letter “E”s green? You might have synesthesia. This phenomenon presents itself when two (or more, in rare cases) senses combine.
For synesthetes, the senses aren’t separate like they are for most people, so they may hear colours, or feel or taste them. For these people, piano music may be pink, sevens might be blue, or ice cream could be yellow – or triangular.

What do high-end hairstyles, waxing, spa treatments and Botox have in common? Vanity. It’s the reason for many painful, time-consuming and expensive cosmetic modifications. 

Vanity also explains the recent popularity of teeth-whitening products. Thanks to movie stars and Photoshopped advertisements, most people think of teeth as pure white, but their natural colour is somewhere between light grey and yellowish. Age, tobacco, food and drinks such as coffee and red wine can all affect the colour.

Have you ever had a bumpy red rash after taking a dip in a lake? Did you know that it’s caused by parasitic flatworm larvae that penetrate your skin while you swim?

Take a moment to let your stomach settle back down.

Swimmer’s Itch is a a rash caused by an allergic reaction to certain microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals. Symptoms can include itchy or burning skin, small blisters or reddish pimples, and can last for up to a week or more.

Being left handed means feeling like you’re doing everything backwards. Measuring tapes, scissors, pens attached to desks at the bank, cameras, some power tools, can openers and school desks all prove to be far more challenging for those of us who lead with our left. As a lefty, I always aimed to get to classes early enough to score a left-handed desk to avoid Twister-like contortions of using the others.

When you’re sick – or when your kid is sick – you want relief immediately. For many people, that means going to the doctor to get a prescription for antibiotics. 

It may surprise you to find out that doing so is often the wrong move. In the U.S., a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 25 per cent of the general population is under the mistaken belief that antibiotics can treat a cold.

Water consumption doesn’t really concern me. I live in an east coast province that is rarely short of water, and my water bill pales in comparison with my power bill, which nearly gave me a heart attack in my first winter in my house.

That water bill, about $80 per month, is manageable. It’s not high enough to cut showers short or get rid of the waste-of-money hot tub in the back yard.

I’ve never watered the lawn, but that says more about my interest in gardening (zero) than my eco-sensibilities. Should I feel guilty?

We all know that texting behind the wheel is illegal and potentially dangerous or even deadly. So how do you get drivers to realize that the rules apply to them, too? 

The CAA in Manitoba would like the government to make the penalty for distracted driving even tougher for new drivers. Their rationale? It’s easier to teach new drivers to keep their hands off their phones, instead of trying to break bad habits later.

If you’ve had a baby in the past few years in Canada, chances are good the message from your medical professionals was likely very clear: breast is best. Most women in Canada attempt to feed their babies this way from birth.

But after meeting the 24/7 needs of a newborn at home, desperation for coffee, groceries, or a case of cabin fever will compel breastfeeding mothers to leave the house.

Have you already blown through your usual go-to events this summer? Is the “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do” whine from the kids getting tedious already?

Here are 10 great reasons to turn off the television, put down the gadgets and get out of the house. Grab your cooler, lawn chair, bathing suit, and camera and enjoy the season while it lasts.

Hunting for a job? Want to move up the corporate ladder? Before you send resumes or press your suit, clean up your social media profile. Those drunk party photos from your university days? Trash them. Hilarious jokes that could possibly be misconstrued? Delete, delete.

You’d think that everybody -- and their dog -- has heard how dangerous it is to leave pets in the car in the summer, right?

As obvious as it sounds, there are some people who still don’t understand how dangerous this practice is for their animals.