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Rent the Runway means you can always wear something new. Should you have to?
The Washington Post: The main entrance to the new Rent the Runway boutique, which opened just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations, faces M Street NW in the middle of old Establishment Georgetown. Despite the high-tech, data-driven, proudly disruptive business model of the company, which was founded on the premise that it makes more sense for a woman to rent her special-occasion clothes than buy them, the store recalls those intimate, personal shopping salons of yore that were filled with slimming mirrors, makeup tables and discerning saleswomen ready to cast a sober eye on the emotional process of getting dressed.
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Perceptions of Race at a Glance
The New York Times: Jennifer L. Eberhardt, 49, an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University, studies the effect of unconscious ideas about race on the workings of the criminal justice system. She was one of 21 winners of 2014 MacArthur “genius” grants. Interest in her work has grown after the deaths of black suspects at the hands of police officers in Missouri and New York. We spoke for two hours in New York in September and again by telephone on Jan. 1. Here is an condensed and edited version of our conversations. WHEN YOUR MACARTHUR WAS ANNOUNCED, IT WAS SAID YOU HAD SHOWN HOW CRIMINAL SENTENCING WAS RELATED TO SKIN COLOR AND RACIAL STEREOTYPING. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
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People Who Weigh Themselves More Lose More Weight
New York Magazine: Within the general category "trying to lose weight," there is a huge range of behaviors. Some people take this quest very seriously, diligently tracking seemingly every category down to the bite. Others see it as a more general long-term goal, but one that doesn't end up hugely affecting their day-to-day life. It's not surprising that this latter group tends to be less successful in their efforts, and anew study in PLOS ONE led by Elina Helander from Tempere Univeristy of Technology in Finland (and co-authored by friend of Science of Us Brian Wansink) makes the case for a vigilant approach to weight loss, at least when it comes to weigh-ins.
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You’re Just Like Me!
The Atlantic: Sometimes opposing adages fight to a draw: “Better safe than sorry” versus “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” But when it comes to “Opposites attract” versus “Birds of a feather flock together,” the data are in: we end up with partners like ourselves. A study of 291 newlywed couples found spouses to be closer in values, religiosity, and political attitudes than would be predicted by chance [1]. Scientists have a term for this: positive assortative mating. (It’snegative assortative mating when opposites attract.) The human species isn’t the only one that flocks together.
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Focusing on Lasting Legacy Prompts Environmental Action
Prompting people to think about the legacy they want to leave for future generations can boost their desire and intention to take action on climate change.
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Preventing Road Accidents Before They Can Happen
Perceptual errors, when a driver looks but fails to register pedestrians or other vehicles, are one of the leading causes of car accidents. Sometimes called “looked-but-failed-to-see” accidents, because a driver fails to notice another vehicle even though they looked in the right direction. These errors are particularly common and dangerous in accidents involving bicycles and motorcycles. On the road, drivers face many simultaneous demands on their attention: pedestrians, traffic light changes, other cars, and following GPS directions. It’s impossible for a driver to focus their full attention on all of these events at once.
