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What’s the Best Way to Stay Motivated?
The Atlantic: At its best, work is like a semi-challenging level of Super Mario World. It’s hard enough to be engaging, easy enough that victory is within sight, and fun enough to make you want to try again if you lose—as long as you have lives left. What happens, though, when you reach the level where Bowser just keeps crushing you, or you can’t figure out the exact right way to make Yoshi jump to avoid the lava? Maybe time for a good ol’ game of pogs instead? Like with video games, behavioral economists have found that it’s a sense of progress that makes adults stay motivated at work.
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Ask Well: The Health Benefits of Meditation
The New York Times: Meditation has long been used to induce calm and physical relaxation. But research on its potential uses for treating medical problems “is still in its very early stages,” and designing trials can be challenging, said Richard J. Davidson, a neuroscientist who founded the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “So it’s not surprising the scientific literature is filled with mixed findings at this point in time.” ...
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Diversity: it’s good for your brain
The Guardian: I recall, a few years ago, being on a flight to Ancona in Italy. As we began our descent the (female) pilot came on the intercom to give the customary report on progress. As she signed off, the passenger next door smiled at me nervously and said, “Oh, a woman… that’s unusual.” It was, by the way, a textbook landing. Of course, stereotypes abound in daily life, and they’re often imbued with inherent beliefs about ability. We know there’s no scientific basis for gender differences on things like piloting ability, business acumen or midwifery skills, yet people still seem surprised when they encounter someone who doesn’t fit the expected gender profile.
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Hillary Clinton Is an ‘Intro-Extrovert,’ and Maybe You Are, Too
New York Magazine: It is 2015, which apparently means that everyone — presidential candidates included — will at some point be subjected to this one particular question: Are you an introvert or an extrovert? On Friday, this was part of a “lightning round” in the Democratic candidates forum, hosted by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Hillary Clinton answered by calling herself an “intro-extrovert”: Sometimes she likes being around people, and sometimes she prefers to be alone. ...
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Information Is Contagious Among Social Connections
Advanced computer modeling shows that the memory of one individual can indirectly influence that of another via shared social connections in large groups.
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Music to Cats’ Ears
The New York Times: In the long battle for feline affection, cat owners may have some fresh ammunition. David Teie, a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, recently teamed up with animal scientists to develop “Music for Cats,” a series of whirring, lilting and at times squeaky musical tracks designed for cats’ brains and ears. Owners often leave the radio or a playlist on for cats alone in the house, assuming they will share human musical tastes, be it classical, country or the lyrical tones of NPR hosts.
