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Is Lying Rational?
Scientific American: Everybody lies. But for the most part, we still see ourselves as good, honest people. So, why do we do it—and are we all just kidding ourselves? This is Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m Daisy Yuhas. Got a minute? Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, at Duke University, studies irrational behavior. In recent years he has found himself drawn to mendacity, prevarication, fabrication—you know, lying. Now Ariely has teamed up with documentarian Yael Melamede to create a film called(Dis)Honesty. Through a series of interviews the movie presents real-world cases of cheating, corruption and little white lies, alongside Ariely’s scientific findings.
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Everything You Thought You Knew About Love is Wrong
TIME: My parents had an arranged marriage. This always fascinated me. I am perpetually indecisive about even the most mundane things, and I couldn’t imagine navigating such a huge life decision so quickly. I asked my dad about this experience, and here’s how he described it: he told his parents he was ready to get married, so his family arranged meetings with three neighboring families. The first girl, he said, was “a little too tall,” and the second girl was “a little too short.” Then he met my mom. He quickly deduced that she was the appropriate height (finally!), and they talked for about 30 minutes. They decided it would work. A week later, they were married. ...
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Charlie Charlie Challenge: Can You Really Summon a Demon?
Live Science: "Charlie, Charlie, can we play?" That is the seemingly innocent question that begins a new "spirit-summoning" game that is taking the Internet by storm. The so-called Charlie Charlie Challenge is based on shaky science (the objective is to summon a malignant spirit from beyond the grave), but there are some real and powerful forces behind this parlor game, according to one expert. Here's how the Charlie Charlie Challenge works: players balance one horizontally aligned pencil on top of a vertically aligned pencil (essentially, in the shape of a cross). ...
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Can Leadership Potential be Predicted at Age 10?
New research concludes that the foundations of leadership may be laid early in life, suggesting that our cognitive abilities as children strongly influence our odds of moving up the corporate ladder as adults. Analyzing data from almost 17,000 working individuals in the UK collected in two major studies over a span of 4 decades, psychological scientists Michael Daly, Mark Egan, and Fionnuala O'Reilly of Stirling University found that high scores for cognitive abilities at age 10 dramatically improved the odds of becoming the boss by age 50.
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Forgetting the Pain of Exercise
The New York Times: Completing a marathon can be exhilarating but also agonizing. Thighs cramp. Backs ache. Toes bleed. Stomachs churn. Afterward, leg muscles can become so sore and tight that finishers must ease themselves backward down stairs and request assistance to rise from the toilet. Yet, despite these aches and indignities, many of us who have finished a marathon will eagerly sign up later for another, to the occasional bafflement of friends or loved ones who saw us after the first race, peeling off bloody socks. ...
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How Can Students Better Apply Math Learning? New Studies Hold Answers
Education Week: Mathematics is the language of science, the foundation of engineering, the power switch for new technology—but students often struggle to transfer their understanding of math concepts to practical application in other STEM subjects. Researchers at the Association of Psychological Science conference here last month discussed new findings on ways to help students link their math learning to science, technology, and engineering. Read the whole story: Education Week
