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A Thing or Two About Twins
National Geographic: Every summer, on the first weekend in August, thousands of twins converge on Twinsburg, Ohio, a small town southeast of Cleveland named by identical twin brothers nearly two centuries ago. They come, two by two, for the Twins Days Festival, a three-day marathon of picnics, talent shows, and look-alike contests that has grown into one of the world's largest gatherings of twins. Dave and Don Wolf of Fenton, Michigan, have been coming to the festival for years. Like most twins who attend, they enjoy spending time with each other.
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Prejudice Is A Basic Human Need
Science 2.0: Prejudice is just bigotry that arises from flawed ideology, right? Not so, say the authors of a new paper. They contend prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need and it is associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren't comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about others. People who are prejudiced feel a much stronger need to make quick and firm judgments and decisions in order to reduce ambiguity. And, they argue, it's virtually impossible to change this basic way that people think.
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Never mix business with pleasure: How the office ogler takes a toll on your work rate
Daily Mail: Being ogled by the office lothario probably makes most women feel uncomfortable. Now, it seems, it might also affect their work performance. A study has found women who were subjected to an ‘objectifying gaze’ by men at work scored less well in maths tests than those who were not. Men who were ogled by women, however, scored the same as those who were not. The researchers say the findings may have implications for boosting the numbers of women in traditionally male-dominated fields such as science, technology and engineering. They asked 150 men and women to take part in an interview exercise and told them it was to examine how people work in teams.
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Unlock your creative side
Men's Health: With almost half of Brits working between 9 and 11 hours a day, finding a creative spark can be elusive. Borrow these tips from well-trained minds to turn on your light-bulb moment Be an ideas man under pressure “In my work, being ‘stuck’ is the norm,” says Professor Ian Stewart, a mathematician at the University of Warwick. “So I go off and do something else. Like mow the lawn or take a bath. Your subconscious keeps working, and if it gets somewhere, it tells you.” Distract yourself: When a deadline is looming, create the same ‘psychological distance’ that Stewart relies on by spending 30 minutes doing something completely off topic.
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Why make New Year resolutions if genes and environment decide our behaviour rather than free will?
Irish Times: THE NEW YEAR is a time for resolutions. You promise to take up jogging, spend more time with friends, do good works or maybe smile a little more frequently. But are you fundamentally deluding yourself into thinking you can change? A growing body of research suggests that much of our behaviour is determined by either our genes or our environment, leaving little room for personal choice. The age-old notion of “free will” is under attack, boosted by examinations of brain activity during decision-making.
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Die Sicherheit des Status quo
Wiener Zeitung: "Gott soll einen behüten vor allem, was noch ein Glück war", zitiert Friedrich Torberg seine Tante Jolesch. Mit seinen Büchern über die Tante Jolesch er nicht nur seiner Jugend und dem jüdischen Leben im Wien und Prag der Zwischenkriegszeit, sondern auch dem Schönreden ein Denkmal gesetzt. Wer vom zweiten Stock aus dem Fenster fällt und nicht tot auf dem Pflaster landet sondern in einem Misthaufen, hat noch ein Glück gehabt. Und wem der Bäcker sagt, dass sein geliebtes Rauchfangkehrerbrot aus ist, auch. Das Brot würde eh nur blähen, wenn er es hätte. Wenn eine Katastrophe gerade noch verhindert wurde, reden wir das Resultat schön.
