Do boring jobs make you more creative?
bsp; Mindless jobs let your brain wander, which can boost creative potential. Via Globe and Mail: “Do you have a numbingly dull job, one so monotonous that you frequently find your mind wandering?” asks Pacific Standard magazine. “Well, congratulations: Without realizing it, you have boosted your creative potential. Mindless tasks that allow our thoughts to roam can be catalysts for innovation. That’s the conclusion of a research team led by Benjamin Baird and Jonathan Schooler of the University of California,…
1 min read
Is the internet creating an echo chamber where you only hear those who agree with you?
bsp; There's no doubt that the internet can allow you to wall yourself off inside a symphony of agreement if that's what you want. What's fascinating is that a study of "echo chamber" type effects showed that the Web only scored "moderate" in this area. The internet is more ideologically isolating than local newspapers and cable news channels but less so than national newspapers. Turns out what produces the biggest echo chamber by far isn't any form of media: it's…
2 minutes
Two things that can increase the hours in your day:
thing can actually increase the hours in the day. That's impossible. But you can do things to trick your brain into feeling you have more time. More often than not, that's really what we want: relief from the stress of time pressure. Time is immutable. Time perception, however, can be downright funky. And we can use it to our advantage. Car Crashes and Getting Old People often say that during car crashes and scary situations "time slowed down." They're…
4 minutes
What would an engineer’s system for happiness look like?
bsp; "Perhaps you're thinking: “What can two pointy-headed math geeks possibly teach me about happiness?” As any good, curious engineers would do, the two of us set out to define, measure, and discover the properties of happiness in a systematic and analytical way. Our curiosity has led us to some fascinating findings, the most important of which is our belief that happiness can, in fact, be engineered." Via Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life: We have…
2 minutes
When it comes to career, should you follow your passion?
bsp; It may not be that easy unless we can all be athletes and artists: "...less than 4 percent of the total identified passions had any relation to work or education, with the remaining 96 percent describing hobby-style interests such as sports and art." Via So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love: In 2002, a research team led by the Canadian psychologist Robert J. Vallerand administered an extensive questionnaire to…
2 minutes
What 6 things can improve your relationship?
the past I've covered the research regarding what you should look for in a marriage partner. What do studies say about what you can do to improve your relationship? Excitement Divorce may have less to do with an increase in conflict and more to do with a decrease in positive feelings. Boredom really can hurt a relationship: Being bored with the marriage undermines closeness, which in turn reduces satisfaction, Orbuch said. "It suggests that excitement in relationships facilitates or…
3 minutes
10 ways science can make *men* sexier:
bsp; You need to move right, keep cool, and be confident. Or just go buy a puppy. And you know those obnoxious jerks who constantly lift weights, show off their fancy cars and throw lots of money around? Well, that stuff works. Get to the gym and make that physique more symmetrical. It's one of the cornerstones of physical attractiveness and actually makes women more likely to orgasm. Men who look dangerous are sexy. Tailor your approach. More feminine women…
2 minutes
10 ways science can make *women* sexier:
bsp; Emphasize that hourglass figure. Men's brains are pretty much programmed to respond to it. Corsets were a big deal for a reason. Even blind men prefer that type of waist-to-hip ratio. Guys are naturally attracted to big boobs and hourglass figures because they are legitimate biological signals of female fertility. Men are more likely to approach blondes. Dyeing your hair not only makes you feel younger it also makes people say you look younger -- even when they can't…
2 minutes
