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Myth Busted: Conspiracy Theorists Do Believe Stuff ‘Just Happens’
Live Science: The sheriff of Douglas County in Oregon where a mass shooting occurred on Oct. 2 is in hot water after the discovery that he posted a "Sandy Hook truther" video to Facebook in 2013. Now, a new study casts doubt on the psychology blamed for belief in such conspiracy theories. Contrary to popular opinion, the research finds, people who think conspiratorially aren't more likely to assume everything happens for a reason, rejecting the likelihood of random chance, than people who don't hold conspiracy beliefs.
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A bad economy means more reasons to watch our mental health at work
The Globe and Mail: Traditional and social media scream bad economic news almost every day: The dollar is falling, oil prices have plummeted, the stock market is tumbling and Canada may now be in a recession. At the same time, uncertainty has increased, and no one can predict when oil will return to its former levels – indeed, whether it ever will. Few Canadians believe the economy will improve in the next 12 months. As unsettling and harmful as all this is, it is nothing new. Most countries have seen darker economic times. But something has changed.
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Hidden Perk to Telework: Healthier Meals
Telecommuting may be good for your diet. In a new comprehensive review on the science of telecommuting, psychological scientists Tammy Allen, Timothy Golden, and Kristen Shockley describe both the benefits and drawbacks of working from
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How Much Should Scientists Check Other Scientists’ Work?
The Wall Street Journal: A question is dividing the scientific community: Is there a value to public health in spending time and money to replicate long-completed, peer-reviewed studies? Two recent high-profile papers that scrutinize older research have raised questions about the fundamental reliability of scientific findings. One, a reanalysis of data from a study published in 2001 on antidepressant use in children, describes the original analysis as flawed. The new study, published in the journal BMJ, is prompting some scientists to call for the original study to be retracted. ...
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How Educators Can Engage Millennial Minds
The Huffington Post: Millennials, the generation who are always one step ahead when it comes to knowing what they want and how to get it. They are the generation who value experiences above anything else and it's likely because of how much information they have at their fingertips. I imagine it like a boat in a sea of data, without a compass. How the millennial generation learns today is also changed drastically for the same reasons. Millennials are the most tech-savvy generation to date (obviously). Tell a millennial to take notes in class with pen and paper today and you're bound to get a look of dismay. Today it's all about note-taking apps, tablets and laptops in the classroom.
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Conspiracy Theorists Aren’t So Different From the Rest of Us
Pacific Standard: Where there's tragedy, conspiracy theories are sure to follow, a phenomenon that rests in part on a need for order and a strong distaste for randomness in the world around us—hence, the argument goes, the need to explain every little detail in the wake of an attack or a scandal. But, a new paper argues, the need for order and control might not be so deep seated—it turns out believers are just as likely to find a signal in the noise as the rest of us. Read the whole story: Pacific Standard
