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If Smart Is the Norm, Stupidity Gets More Interesting
The New York Times: Few of us are as smart as we’d like to be. You’re sharper than Jim (maybe) but dull next to Jane. Human intelligence varies. And this matters, because smarter people generally earn more money, enjoy better health, raise smarter children, feel happier and, just to rub it in, live longer as well. But where does intelligence come from? How is it built? Researchers have tried hard to find the answer in our genes. With the rise of inexpensive genome sequencing, they’ve analyzed the genomes of thousands of people, looking for gene variants that clearly affect intelligence, and have found a grand total of two. One determines the risk of Alzheimer’s and affects I.Q.
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Finding good health info online
Fox News: We're becoming a nation of DIY doctors: A whopping 80 percent of Internet users have turned to the Web for health help, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. "We take it for granted that you can, for instance, look up the side effects for a prescription on your mobile device as the pharmacist fills your order, but this instant access to digital health information now is pretty remarkable," notes Betsy Humphreys, deputy director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.
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Self-Affirmation Enhances Performance, Makes Us Receptive to Our Mistakes
Life is about failure as much as it is about success. From the mistakes we make at work or school to our blunders in romantic relationships, we are constantly reminded of how we could be better. By focusing on the important qualities that make us who we are – a process called self-affirmation – we preserve our self-worth in the face of our shortcomings. Self-affirmation has been shown to have powerful effects – research suggests that it can minimize the anxiety, stress, and defensiveness associated with threats to our sense of self while keeping us open to the idea that there is room for improvement. But how does the process of self-affirmation actually work?
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How Teen Rejection Can Lead to Chronic Disease Later in Life
TIME: Teens may not be wrong when they see their social troubles as matters of life and death. Being excluded, rejected, dissed by friends or otherwise ostracized by your peers is practically a rite of passage of adolescence, but these social challenges— particularly when they are repeated — can have a lasting legacy on health. A new study of teenage girls shows that “targeted rejection,” in which students are singled out for taunting or personally rejected by a friend, can have measurable effects on the immune system.
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Many who delay sex are happier as adults
United Press International: U.S. teens who delay having sex may have more satisfying romantic relationships in adulthood, but were less likely to get married, researchers say. Paige Harden of The University of Texas at Austin said the study found those who had a later first sexual experience were less likely to be married and had fewer romantic partners in adulthood. Harden said it's possible people who have their first sexual encounter later might be pickier in choosing romantic and sexual partners, but more research is needed. Read the whole story: United Press International
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Parenting Style May Shape Political Views
LiveScience: Parenting style and childhood temperament might play a role in shaping one's political mindset, new research suggests. Specifically, kids who have fearful temperaments and are raised by parents who value obedience are more likely to endorse conservative ideologies as young adults, the study found. A team led by psychology researcher R. Chris Fraley of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign examined data from 708 children who originally participated in a National Institute on Child Health and Human Development study.
