Robin Marantz Henig

“Through social media, young people are constantly being pinged about a whole slew of potentially better matches or social activities.”

“In the womb, humans are free of microbes. Colonization begins during the journey down the birth canal, which is riddled with bacteria, some of which make their way onto the newborn's skin.”

“I'm a freelance writer, and I work alone at a big desk in the living room of my apartment. There are many days when I don't utter a single word to anyone but my husband.”

“Kids don't shuffle along in unison on the road to maturity. They slouch toward adulthood at an uneven, highly individual pace.”

“Even though loneliness affects so many of us, it has gotten scant research attention compared to related conditions like depression or anxiety.”

“There's very little about being in a functional-M.R.I. scanner that is natural: you are flat on your back, absolutely still, with your head immobilized by pillows and straps. The scanner makes a dreadful din, which headphones barely muffle.”

“When a trait is universal, evolutionary biologists look for a genetic explanation and wonder how that gene or genes might enhance survival or reproductive success.”

“Scientists who study play, in animals and humans alike, are developing a consensus view that play is something more than a way for restless kids to work off steam; more than a way for chubby kids to burn off calories; more than a frivolous luxury.”

“The music that was popular in your youth seems to be the music you recall most vividly - and most nostalgically - for the rest of your life. But so is the music that was popular in your parents' youth.”

“Lies can be verbal or nonverbal, kindhearted or self-serving, devious or bald-faced; they can be lies of omission or lies of commission; they can be lies that undermine national security or lies that make a child feel better. And each type might involve a unique neural pathway.”

“Some people, no matter how robust their stock portfolios or how healthy their children, are always mentally preparing for doom. They are just born worriers, their brains forever anticipating the dropping of some dreaded other shoe.”

“Alright, alright, I admit it: my husband is the quiet, kind, accepting parent, and I'm the one who wants so much to be part of our two daughters' lives than I can't even let them finish a story without interrupting.”

“As people construct a life narrative, researchers have found, they tend to remember more events from the teens and twenties than from any other time. It's called the 'reminiscence bump.'”

“Some of my happiest moments are the ones I spend with my husband, a few close relatives, and a handful of very good friends who know me well and like me anyway.”

“The human brain has evolved the capacity to impose a narrative, complete with chronology and cause-and-effect logic, on whatever it encounters, no matter how apparently random.”

“To me, it's always interesting to see what people end up regretting, as a way maybe to avoid such regrets in your own life.”

“The tenuousness of modern life can make anyone feel overwrought.”

“Biology sets the context, and that is critical, but obesity still boils down to whether a person eats too much or exercises enough.”

“The real thing young people should fear is missing out on those few, true, long-term friendships that make for a richer, happier life.”

“Regret is a bitter emotion, so painful that the urge to avoid it often drives decision-making strategies.”