Sep 7, 2010

Philosophical Phun- The Power of Nature:o)



In the late 1990s, Frances Kuo, director of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois, began interviewing female residents in the Robert Taylor Homes, a massive housing project on the South Side of Chicago. 
Kuo and her colleagues compared women randomly assigned to various apartments. Some had a view of nothing but concrete sprawl, the blacktop of parking lots and basketball courts. Others looked out on grassy courtyards filled with trees and flowerbeds. Kuo then measured the two groups on a variety of tasks, from basic tests of attention to surveys that looked at how the women were handling major life challenges. She found that living in an apartment with a view of greenery led to significant improvements in every category.
What happened? Kuo argues that simply looking at a tree “refreshes the ability to concentrate,” allowing the residents to better deal with their problems. Instead of getting flustered and angry, they could stare out the window and relax. In other words, there is something inherently “restorative” about natural setting – places without people are good for the mind.
What does this mean? It simply means that it’s a good idea to build a little greenery into our life. This isn’t a particularly new idea. Long before scientists fretted about the cognitive load of city streets, philosophers and landscape architects were warning about the effects of the undiluted city, and looking for ways to integrate nature into modern life. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted sought to create vibrant urban parks, such as Central Park in New York and the Emerald Necklace in Boston, that allowed the masses to escape the maelstrom of urban life. 
I know that our backyard scenes bring us many hours of enjoyment and contentment.


6 comments:

  1. AllI could think when reading this was "DUH". Still it's nice this is getting some attention.

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  2. I agree 100%. Nature infuses tranquility into a day.

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  3. Nothing like some time spent outside just chillin.

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  4. Really nice Ken!
    I agree ..nod..
    please come by Lurkynat and leave me a comment!
    Thanks!
    Best Regards to Beth who makes me think!
    Tell her I have learned a lot from her!
    natalie

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  5. Good post. Another one of those studies that states the obvious, but at least they have documentation. Right? :-)

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