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A Day In The Life Of An Academic Mom
NPR: Blogger Tania Lombrozo is an academic — and a mom. Here, she gives a window into what that's like day-to-day. 6:00 a.m. I'm yanked from sleep by the little one calling from her room. "Mommy! Is it time to wake up yet? Can I get up now? Pleeeeeeaaaase?" The answer is "no," but I get up anyway. 7:00 a.m. The little one wants oatmeal. The big one wants cereal. I just want coffee. I feed the kids, unload the dishwasher, assemble lunches and backpacks and sweaters and water bottles, brush teeth and hair. I am an octopus, all limbs in motion. Is that letter of reference due today? 8:00 a.m. My husband is taking the children to school; I go for a short run.
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The Utter Uselessness of Job Interviews
The New York Times: A friend of mine once had a curious experience with a job interview. Excited about the possible position, she arrived five minutes early and was immediately ushered into the interview by the receptionist. Following an amicable discussion with a panel of interviewers, she was offered the job. Afterward, one of the interviewers remarked how impressed she was that my friend could be so composed after showing up 25 minutes late to the interview. As it turned out, my friend had been told the wrong start time by half an hour; she had remained composed because she did not know she was late. Read the whole story: The New York Times
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Children Notice Information That Adults Miss
Adults are good at remembering information they are told to focus on, while young children tend to pay attention to all the information presented, even when they were told to focus on one particular item.
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The Truth Is, Lying Might Not Be So Bad
NPR: VEDANTAM: So that's right. If you buy the idea that all behavior stems from the brain, Rachel, this prick of conscience that we often experience obviously has something to do with what's happening in the brain. Some months ago, Neil Garrett, Stephanie Lazzaro, Dan Ariely, and Tali Sharot conducted a very interesting study. I talked to Dan Ariely. He studies economics and psychology at Duke University. And he said that the premise of the study was actually a very old idea. DAN ARIELY: The brain is really a mechanism for detecting surprising things, right? The brain is basically working on adaptation. You get to a certain level of flight.
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Meet the ‘super-agers’ who defy the effects of old age
TODAY: TODAY special anchor Maria Shriver visits a group of senior citizens known as “super-agers” whose brains have been shown to be as sharp as those of people in their 20s. Late in life they’re taking on new challenges, learning to play piano and chess, and preventing loss of memory as well as aches and pains formerly considered inevitable. Read the whole story: TODAY
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How Uber Uses Psychological Tricks to Push Its Drivers’ Buttons
The New York Times: The secretive ride-hailing giant Uber rarely discusses internal matters in public. But in March, facing crises on multiple fronts, top officials convened a call for reporters to insist that Uber was changing its culture and would no longer tolerate “brilliant jerks.” Notably, the company also announced that it would fix its troubled relationship with drivers, who have complained for years about falling pay and arbitrary treatment. “We’ve underinvested in the driver experience,” a senior official said. “We are now re-examining everything we do in order to rebuild that love.” Read the whole story: The New York Times
