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“You’re Making Us Look Bad!” Why the Best Cooperators Sometimes Get Punished
The results of this experiment suggest that competitive environments could curtail selflessness or generosity
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Basic scientists still feel pinch of new NIH clinical trial policy
Basic researchers who study the brain and human behavior thought lawmakers had come to their rescue in March by blocking the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, from redefining their studies as clinical trials. But NIH officials are still pushing ahead with new requirements that scientists say make no sense and will cripple their research. What some see as NIH’s narrow interpretation of a directive from lawmakers has researchers up in arms as they navigate confusing new rules and paperwork. The clinical trial policies “are not appropriate for fundamental research,” a group of societies wrote in an email to NIH this week.
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Here’s a Better Way to Deal With Life’s Risks
The world is an uncertain and risky place. The news constantly bombards us with scary situations from school shootings to gruesome murders. Risk is everywhere and associated with everything. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a decade ago estimated 234,000 people a year ended up in emergency rooms because of bathroom injuries alone. While this figure is shockingly high, it probably won’t prevent you from using the toilet or washing your hands. And in general, hiding under the bed to avoid risky decisions is not a realistic option for living life. In part, that’s because we’re all risk analysts, continually weighing the costs and benefits of every decision we make.
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How laughter makes you a better worker
Could laughing be a way to build a stronger, more creative team culture in the workplace? Since the global economic downturn in 2008, many of us may feel that laughing in the office might send a signal that we don’t have enough to do. Discussions that might previously have been conducted in person at a colleague’s desk increasingly take place over e-mail or Slack. In that context, office chatter can at times seem unnecessary. But what if, rather than signalling inactivity, laughing together is something that improves team collaboration and stimulates innovation? After years of not paying much attention to laughter, scientists are starting to reach that very conclusion.
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Why Too Much Experience Can Backfire
In its relatively short history Pixar has achieved remarkable success, garnering 15 Academy Awards and an average international gross of more than $600 million per film. Pixar movies appeal to moviegoers of all ages, with their unconventional plots and emotional depth. Talking cars (Cars), a rat who wants to be a chef (Ratatouille), an elderly man whose house floats to South America on the strength of thousands of balloons (Up), are among the unusual stars of Pixar films. But when I spoke with Pixar president and cofounder Ed Catmull, he told me that he prefers to tell new recruits about Pixar’s failures.
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Melania Trump’s BE BEST Campaign Takes a Cue From Clinical Psychological Science Study
A study published recently in an APS journal has helped inspire First Lady Melania Trump’s new initiative to teach children about the importance of social, emotional, and physical health. In its May 7, 2018 announcement about the new BE BEST campaign, the White House referenced a study published in 2017 in Clinical Psychological Science showing that children who spent more time on new media between 2010-2015 were more likely to report mental health issue than those who spent time on non-screen activities such as sports and in-person socializing.
