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Children’s Drawings May Indicate Later Intelligence
How 4-year-old children draw pictures of a child is an indicator of intelligence at age 14, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Researchers studied 7,752 pairs of identical and non-identical twins (a total of 15,504 children) from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS), funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in the UK, and found that the link between drawing and later intelligence seemed to be influenced by genes. At the age of 4, children were asked by their parents to complete a ‘Draw-a-Child’ test, i.e. draw a picture of a child.
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American Philosophical Society Announces Grants
The American Philosophical Society has announced two grants for the 2014–2015 school year. The Franklin Research Grant is a collection of small grants to scholars intended to support the cost of research leading to publication in all areas of knowledge. The Franklin program is particularly designed to help meet the cost of travel to libraries and archives for research purposes; the purchase of microfilm, photocopies or equivalent research materials; the costs associated with fieldwork; or laboratory research expenses. Applicants are expected to have a doctorate or to have published work of doctoral character and quality.
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The Good Judgment Project Seeks Participants
The Good Judgment Project is a 4-year research study begun in mid-2011 and organized as part of a government-sponsored forecasting tournament. The GJP is looking for people around the world who might value participating in a massive forecasting tournament, either as question generators, as forecasters, or as both. To volunteer as a forecaster, click here. Those who would rather serve as subject matter experts and assist with identifying the key properties of forecasting questions can complete the survey here. The tournament will begin on August 20. Forecasting Tournaments: Tools for Increasing Transparency and Improving the Quality of Debate Philip E. Tetlock, Barbara A.
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One of science’s most baffling questions? Why we yawn
BBC: Mid-conversation with Robert Provine, I have a compelling urge, rising from deep inside my body. The more I try to quash it, the more it seems to spread, until it consumes my whole being. Eventually, it is all I can think about – but how can I stop myself from yawning? Provine tells me this often happens when people are talking to him; during presentations, he sometimes finds the majority of his audience with their mouths agape and tonsils swinging. Luckily, as a psychologist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond, he isn’t offended. “It makes a very effective lecture,” he says.
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On the road to happiness, a pleasant surprise beats a sure thing
The Washington Post: Do you remember the last time you were dreading something, only to have it turn out to be a pleasant surprise? Maybe it was a bad summer blockbuster you were forced to watch, or a blind date set up by your parents. You turn up, grumbling and prepared to hate every second of it. But then a funny thing happens: You crack a smile--laugh out loud, even--and before you know it, you're having a grand old time. It turns out that the element of surprise has a big impact on how we feel from moment to moment and that we're happier when satisfied unexpectedly instead of certain of a positive outcome in advance, according to a new mathematical model of happiness.
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Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain
The New York Times: This month, many Americans will take time off from work to go on vacation, catch up on household projects and simply be with family and friends. And many of us will feel guilty for doing so. We will worry about all of the emails piling up at work, and in many cases continue to compulsively check email during our precious time off. But beware the false break. Make sure you have a real one. The summer vacation is more than a quaint tradition. Along with family time, mealtime and weekends, it is an important way that we can make the most of our beautiful brains. Read the whole story: The New York Times
