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Social Connection Makes a Better Brain
The Atlantic: Matthew Lieberman, a distinguished social psychologist and neuroscientist, basically won the lottery. This past summer, he was offered three million dollars for an academic position—one million in raw income and two to do lab research. That’s a king’s ransom for a psychology professor. On average, psychology professors make less than six figures and rely on a patchwork of modest grants to sustain their research. All Lieberman had to do was spend four months this year and next year in Moscow, a nice enough city, doing some research—which he would have done anyway at home at UCLA. But there was a catch.
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Why Attractive Candidates Win
The New York Times: JOHN F. KENNEDY, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Kirsten Gillibrand: Americans have a long history of electing good-looking leaders. Of course, not every successful candidate could be a stand-in for George Clooney or Angelina Jolie. Indeed, sometimes a less attractive candidate triumphs over a better-looking rival. So when and why do voters prefer more attractive politicians? Scientists had previously theorized that the general preference for attractive leaders was just another example of a “halo effect.” In other words, we attribute all kinds of positive characteristics to attractive people, and this tendency leads to more votes for politicians who look like Hollywood stars.
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Learning mentally demanding skills may help keep an ageing mind sharp
Zee News: A new research has shown that learning only certain activities, such as photography, may help elderly improve their cognitive functioning. These findings reveal that less demanding activities, such as listening to classical music or completing word puzzles, probably won't bring noticeable benefits to an aging mind. Lead researcher Denise Park of the University of Texas at Dallas, said that it seems it is not enough just to get out and do something-it is important to get out and do something that is unfamiliar and mentally challenging, and that provides broad stimulation mentally and socially.
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Why job interviews don’t work
The Washington Post: Do job interviews really help the people doing the hiring make better decisions? Here’s an interesting post by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham writes about here that is just as important. ... My colleague, Tim Wilson, has long advocated that the psychology department at the University of Virginia stop interviewing potential graduate students or job applicants. We conduct unstructured interviews, as most departments do, meaning the candidate meets with an individual for 20 or 30 minutes and chats. You do end feeling as though you have a richer impression of the person than that gleaned from the stark facts on a resume.
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How to Be a Better Cook
Scientific American Mind: I've never enjoyed cooking. All the chopping, stirring and waiting—not to mention handling raw meat (the former vegetarian in me can't help but shudder). Somehow I still pull together meals for my family that they seem to enjoy. But when I think about teaching my daughter to cook or about ways to help my husband become more comfortable in the kitchen, I'm at a loss. How do you translate habit and instinct into step-by-step pointers anyone can follow? ... Complex dishes can involve long lists of ingredients and instructions, and even simple ones can get mind-numbingly repetitive—measure, pour, stir, repeat.
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How Everyday Ergonomics Shape Your Behavior
Fast Company: One of Darwin's greatest insights came at the end of his 1872 work, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. "The free expression by outward signs of an emotion intensifies it," he wrote. Darwin simply meant that emotion and expression cut both ways: you can thrust out your chest because you feel proud, or you can feel proud because you thrust out your chest. Modern science has confirmed the wisdom of this perception time and again. People feel happier when their facial muscles are positioned into a smile. And they feel sadder when they're made to hunch over.
