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Does Video Game Driving Translate to Real-World Skills?
Evidence is mounting that playing video games may be one way for people to sharpen a number of cognitive skills. One recent study found that older adults could significantly improve their ability to multi-task after playing a specially designed driving video game called NeuroRacer. Another study from researchers at the University of Rochester found that playing action-packed video games improved people’s ability to make quick decisions and ignore distractions. But can hours spent hunched over a controller translate to real skills on the road?
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Are ‘Learning Styles’ a Symptom of Education’s Ills?
The New York Times: Do you like to learn by seeing, hearing or doing? According to some education researchers, it may not matter. They say the idea of teaching according to students’ “preferred learning styles” — auditory, visual or kinesthetic — has little to no empirical backing. But although criticism may be denting the idea’s popularity, it still persists — which may say something larger about the way teachers today are trained. Students do have preferences when it comes to receiving information visually or verbally, said Mark A.
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No, Mornings Don’t Make You Moral
The New Yorker: e idea of the virtuous early bird goes back at least to Aristotle, who wrote, in his Economics, that “Rising before daylight is … to be commended; it is a healthy habit.” Benjamin Franklin, of course, framed the same sentiment in catchier terms: “Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy and wise.” More recently, there has been a push for ever earlier work starts, conference calls, and breakfast meetings, and a steady stream of advice to leave Twitter and Facebook to the afternoon and spend the morning getting real things done.
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Angry Tweets Predict Patterns Of Heart Disease, Researchers Say
NPR: Let's go from art to science. Our colleague Shankar Vedantam regularly joins us on the program to talk about social science research. And today, he chats with our colleague David Greene about heart disease. SHANKAR VEDANTAM, BYLINE: Not just heart disease, heart disease and Twitter, David. Heart disease and Twitter. OK, tell me more. VEDANTAM: David, there's been a lot of interest recently in using technology to track diseases.
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Daydream Believing: Imagining Connections
Imagine this scenario. You’re working away in your cubicle, and a co-worker strolls by, humming a tune. You recognize it as an old ballad, Suzanne, and you immediately think of your friend, Suzanne, who you haven’t talked to in a while. How is she? She was frustrated at work last time you chatted. Wonder if she’s okay now. And then you remember—it’s her birthday next week. You should buy her a little something, but what? She loves daisies, and she usually gathers for her birthday with a small group of family and friends, including Drew. Wonder what Drew is up to these days. . . . Then, snap! You’re back in your cubicle, and work is demanding your attention.
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Understanding Loneliness Through Science
Loneliness may be a fundamental part of the human condition, but scientists have only recently begun exploring its causes, consequences, and potential interventions. A special section in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the
