-
People in Rich Countries Are More Stressed Out
LiveScience: Although people who live in wealthy countries, including the United States, are generally more satisfied with their lives than people who live in poorer countries, they may experience more worry and anger than residents of poorer countries, according to a new study. The higher stress level that typically comes with living in an affluent country might explain why these negative emotions seem to be more common in people living in richer nations. "Life [in an affluent country] is more fast-paced, and there are just so many things that you have to do," said study author Louis Tay, an assistant professor of psychology at Purdue University. Read the whole story: LiveScience
-
Stay Connected at the 26th APS Annual Convention
The 26th APS Annual Convention is fast approaching! Download the mobile app, and stay connected with up-to-date convention information at your fingertips. The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Once downloaded, the app requires no Internet connection, though updates do require Internet connectivity, which is provided free by APS at the Convention. *Note: Click the login button at the bottom of your screen to sync your schedule, notes and favorites across multiple devices. To download: You can search for "2014 APS Convention" in your phone’s App Store. Don’t have a smart phone or tablet? No problem! Use the web version of the App.
-
The Part of Your Brain That Made You Eat That Doughnut
TIME: If you’re like most people, your brain rarely gets straight A’s when it comes to resisting temptation. We know the dangers of eating too much, of drinking too much, of drugs or gambling or having an extramarital romp. But faced with the food or the drink or the buzz or the fling—faced with the fun, in other words—we too often give in. The problem, it turns out, is not with your brain as a whole, but with a battle for dominance between two parts of it: the nucleus accumbens (where the good times roll) and the inferior frontal gyrus (where the bouncer lives).
-
The Best Way To Remember Something? Take Notes By Hand
Fast Company: Headed into an important meeting? Grab a pen. Taking notes longhand will help you remember information better than typing them out, according to new research from a pair of psychologists from Princeton University and UCLA. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, compared how well more than 300 students retained information after taking notes on 15-minute TED Talks either by hand or with a laptop. Across three different experiments, the researchers found that taking notes with a laptop can be detrimental to learning.
-
The Joys Of Spoiling
NPR: In the age of the Internet, the act of spoiling is easier than ever before. Through live-tweeting and message boards and comments sections, the information is out there and spreads quickly. But why do some people enjoy revealing certain information about stories — surprises and finales and more — before others have had the opportunity to experience it? We could tell you what we think now. But that would spoil the rest of this story. Read the whole story: NPR
-
The problem with that amazing speed-reading app
Smartplanet: In February, a company called Spritz unveiled an app to dramatically increase your reading speed. The idea is that words are fed to readers one at a time, with each word popping up in the same place to reduce the inefficiency of moving your eyes across a page. It's a fascinating idea and fun to be able read a few sentences at 500 words per minute. But, like us, scientists questioned the reading comprehension level for those who use this type of speed reading app. A new study from the University of California, San Diego addressed this question based on previous knowledge that readers move their eyes to reread text about 10 to 15 percent of the time.
