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Are We Happier When We Have More Options?
NPR: Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied. Listen to the story: NPR
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On the Face of It: The Psychology of Electability
The New Yorker: Few people knew that the country’s thirty-second President was paralyzed. Most knew that he’d had polio, but they remained unaware that he could not walk. Franklin Delano Roosevelt managed to hide the extent of his condition from the majority of the voting public with a simulated walking technique and a moratorium on photography of him in motion or in a wheelchair. His successor, Harry S. Truman, followed an opposite approach to publicity: for his first election campaign, he completed a train tour that covered some twenty-two thousand miles. At each stop, he would make sure that voters got a good, long look at him.
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A Scientific Journal For Kids, Edited By Kids
Fast Company: Frontiers for Young Minds is made up of editors ages 5 to 18 who learn the ropes of peer review from working scientists. With 18 young minds and 38 adult authors and associate editors lending their expertise, the journal--an offshoot of the open-access publisher and academic research network Frontiers--includes such articles as "Why sleep?" ("Sleep has to be really important since we cannot live without it and spend so much time doing it") and "Our brain enjoys making friends" ("Part of the reason human brains are so complex is that our interactions with others are so complex").
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Nostalgia For The Past Boosts Optimism For The Future, Study Suggests
The Huffington Post: Thinking fondly about the past can make you more excited about what's to come, according to a new study. Nostalgia seems to spur optimism for the future because it "raises self-esteem which in turn heightens optimism," study researcher Dr. Tim Wildschut, of the University of Southampton, said in a statement. "Memories of the past can help to maintain current feelings of self-worth and can contribute to a brighter outlook on the future," he added. "Our findings do imply that nostalgia, by promoting optimism, could help individuals cope with psychological adversity." ...
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The Dark Side of Power Posing: Cape or Kryptonite?
Scientific American Mind: In 1942, the mild mannered Clark Kent excused himself from his friend Lois Lane to take an important call. Clark slipped into a phone booth (remember those?), and moments later Superman emerged. Have you ever wished that you had ability to step into a phone booth or bathroom for a minute to shed your insecurities in favor of superhuman confidence? This would certainly be a handy trick before a job interview, public speaking engagement, or even a first date. New research suggests that power poses just might do the trick. Throughout the animal kingdom expansive non-verbal expressions are used to communicate dominance and power to others.
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Why Do Giraffes Have Long Necks?
The Huffington Post: Anyone who has seen this majestic creature in the wild, nibbling away at the top of an acacia tree, has to marvel at the wonder of evolution. The giraffe's long neck is a perfect adaptation to the animal's natural habitat. Clearly the giraffe evolved this uncommon and helpful trait in order to reach those nourishing leaves. That's how natural selection works. If you're a 6-year-old. As appealing as this explanation is, it shows a complete misunderstanding of the concept of adaptation by natural selection, a key concept in the theory of evolution. What's wrong with the 6-year-old's idea is not its focus on the neck's function.
