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Where Do Eureka Moments Come From?
The New Yorker: A man in a town married twenty women. There have been no divorces or annulments, and everyone in question is still alive and well. The man is not a bigamist, and he has broken no laws. How is this possible? This is the so-called marrying-man problem, which psychologists often use to study creative insight: the process by which we suddenly figure out the answer to something that had previously stumped us. A problem makes no sense at first. But then we turn it around in our minds and, presto, the answer comes.
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Want a Better Deal? Put on Your ‘Angry Face’
TODAY: Skip the poker face. If you’re hoping to get a good deal on a car, or get people to do what you want, you should put on your best angry expression, a new study suggests. “If you come in with a scowl on your face, they’re going to take your threat more seriously,” said study co-author Lawrence Ian Reed, a researcher at Harvard University. “You might think a poker face would be better in a negotiation. But in a bargaining situation when you make threats, your facial expression could add credibility to what you are saying.” Read the whole story: TODAY
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Rethinking the Colorful Kindergarten Classroom
The New York Times: Imagine a kindergarten classroom. Picture the vividly colored scalloped borders on the walls, the dancing letters, maybe some charming cartoon barnyard animals holding up “Welcome to School!” signs. That bright, cheery look has become a familiar sight in classrooms across the country, one that has only grown over the last few decades, fed by the proliferation of educational supply stores. But to what effect? A new study looked at whether such classrooms encourage, or actually distract from, learning.
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It’s the Last Bite That Keeps You Coming Back for More
Your memory for that last bite of a steak or chocolate cake may be more influential than memory for the first bite in determining when you want to eat it again, according to research published
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Der letzte Eindruck zählt (The Last Impression Counts)
Sueddeutsche Zeitung: Achtung, Binsenweisheit: Das Finale entscheidet. Tatsächlich gilt das nicht nur für Fußballmeisterschaften, Tennisturniere und andere Wettkämpfe, es scheint auch ein grundsätzlicher Umstand des Lebens zu sein. Der letzte Eindruck prägt das Urteil über Erlebtes besonders stark. Auf das Ende kommt es an: Ein Katastrophentag kurz vor Abreise ruiniert einen sonst großartigen Urlaub, eine seltsame Verabschiedung versaut ein eigentlich wunderbares Treffen. Und der letzte Bissen einer Speise, so zeigen Psychologen um Emily Garbinsky von der Universität Stanford in einer aktuellen Studie, kann das Urteil über ein Gericht oder sogar ein komplettes Menü prägen.
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African American Success Stories Have a Downside
Ken Frazier grew up in inner-city Philadelphia. His father was a janitor, and his mother passed away when he was 12. As a child, he idolized Thurgood Marshall. He received scholarships to both Penn State and Harvard Law School. At the acme of his distinguished career in law and business, Frazier in 2011 became Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co.—standing as the first African American to lead a pharmaceutical company.
