Study: Women Just As Shallow As You Think They Are @3:40 PM
Exactly what I suspected. Yeah, you broads talk a good game about how a sense of humor is the most important thing, or that you really just want a good listener who appreciates you for all funny, quirky things that make you who you are, but when it comes right down to it you're just gonna go for the jerk with the fancy car. Science is on to you, ladies. This is why dudes drive Hummers, you know. Nice job. 25
This is going to come as a shock to some of you, so brace yourselves: Astrology? It's bullshit. Here's some actual proof, not that those of you who believe in astrology will pay attention to that, particularly those born between March 21st and April 20th, who are all exactly the same kind of gullible. @1:10 PM 4
Smoking Is Awesome @9:40 AM
Good news, smokers! A new study shows that you are reducing your risk of developing Parkinson's disease simply by enjoying your favorite hobby, the near-perfect act of lighting a cigarette and drawing its comforting smoke and nicotine deep into your lungs. That's right, not only does smoking steady your nerves, sharpen your focus, and soothe your anxieties, it also helps to prevent movement disorders. Even better, smoking rewards commitment: The longer you smoke, the less likely your chances of developing Parkinson's actually are. As someone who has his twenty-fifth anniversary with sweet, inhalable tobacco coming up next year, this is the kind of gift I never expected from the marvelous companion that is nicotine, which makes it all the more meaningful. Smoking is also thought to prevent Alzheimer's. And there is a wealth of scientific evidence showing that people who smoke are intrinsically cooler than non-smokers. It really is a miracle drug, isn't it? 24
Science Finally Comes Up With Good Use For Human Body @11:55 AM
This is crazy! Computer people at Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon are developing a system for "allowing the skin to be used as a finger input surface"—basically turning the human body into one big computer keypad. Soon, apparently (watch!), we will be playing Tetris on little screens on our palms, using our fingers as joysticks! I am not creative enough to figure out the porn/masturbation possibilities for this technology—I'm sure someone in California is already hard at work—but Sarah Palin is going to be able to do like a whole PowerPoint thing for her next interview. 10
Don't believe a dude with a wide face, says Science. "Here's how the researchers figure the link between facial width and trustworthiness might work: During male adolescence, a surge in testosterone prompts bone growth not only in the spine and limbs, but also in the face. Therefore, a wide face may be a sign of an overall bigger man, one who can get away with being more aggressive and less cooperative. Slighter men might act in a more civilized, and trustworthy, way — out of necessity." @2:30 PM 9
A Country Of Junkies Cannot Put Down Their iPhones @10:40 AM
A survey of 200 students at Stanford University revealed the newest crippling dependency that is sapping the vitality of our nation's youth: iPhone addicition. Nearly half the survey's participants admitted to being very or completely addicted to the devices, while 41 percent admitted that they would characterize the loss of their iPhones as a "tragedy." READ MORE 8
Smiling Helps You Live Longer, Particularly If You Are A Baseball Player From The Fifties @12:55 PM
What else does Science have for us today? "If you want to live to a grand old age, then smile – and make sure you mean it. Pro baseball players in the 1950s who genuinely beamed in their official photographs tended to outlive more sullen-looking sportsmen and those who put on fake smiles. Players from the US major league with honest grins lived an average of seven years longer than players who didn't smile for the camera and five years longer than players who smiled unconvincingly, conclude Ernest Abel and Michael Kruger at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan." 15
Science: Dudes Will Do Stupid Stuff For Hot Tail @11:40 AM
Psychologists at the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia studied the behavior of male skateboarders and made a rather stunning discovery: Men do stupid things in the presence of a pretty girl. READ MORE 19
The Battle Between The Sexes @3:00 PM
"In evolutionary terms, and sometimes in real terms, males and females fight to get the maximum reproductive output for the minimum input. Identifying which sex wins has a long history and remains a highly controversial area of biology that is still full of surprises. Yet the question of who prevails in this particular battle of the sexes is too tempting to dismiss."
That's from the provocatively-titled New Scientist piece, "Dirty tricks of the egg and sperm race." It's a rather lengthy examination of how reproduction has been considered throughout history as a battle over which gender's genes will dominate in its offspring, and how those perceptions have shifted back and forth as Science has evolved. It's a fascinating article, and you should for sure read the whole thing, but I'm particularly intrigued by this part, at the end, which draws a conclusion based on some very recent studies.
This maternal control of growth and development has some fascinating implications. It means that, for many of the traits important in the mating game, such as body size and brain function, the father's genes might not be as influential as the mother's. So perhaps the fine details of what a particular male looks like are not as important to females as biologists have been apt to think. Instead, what females could really be after when they choose the sperm of one male over another is the male whose genes they can most easily manipulate behind the scenes.
Science To Turn Human Beings Into Batteries For Machines @9:50 AM
Great. People have figured out how to convert basic human organ function into electric energy. "The act of breathing—of moving the ribs to draw air into the lungs and expel it—can generate about a watt of power," according to an article by Henry Fountain in today's NYT Science Times. "And if the potato actually gets up off the couch and walks briskly across the room, each heel strike can produce even more power, about 70 watts’ worth. That energy could be put to work, charging a cellphone, say, or a medical sensor in the body. The problem is how to harvest it." READ MORE 5
"The earthquake that killed more than 700 people in Chile on Feb. 27 probably shifted the Earth’s axis and shortened the day, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist said. Earthquakes can involve shifting hundreds of kilometers of rock by several meters, changing the distribution of mass on the planet. This affects the Earth’s rotation, said Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who uses a computer model to calculate the effects." Scientists expect the planet's chronological balance to be restored during this Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, which, with ten best picture nominees, is gonna take forever. @9:00 AM 7
"When Gupta was asked how a physician deals with such apparent medical miracles, he fell into the fallacy of the argument from ignorance: 'When I was researching this for a long time, I thought I was going to explain it all away physiologically. But things that I heard and validated and subsequently believed convinced me that there were things that I could not explain. There were things that were happening at that moment, that near-death experience moment, that simply could not be explained with existing scientific knowledge.' So what? The fact that we cannot fully explain a mystery with natural means does not mean it requires a supernatural explanation. It just means that we don’t know everything. Such uncertainty is at the very heart of science and is what makes it such a challenging enterprise."
—Michael Shermer writes an entertaining and important piece in Scientific American about his experience of going on "Larry King Live" in December to discuss near-death experiences—or, as some of his less-convincing fellow guests from that night might put it, "life after death." (Deepak Chopra goes off!) Also: it's March, so, Biggie! @3:00 PM 13
Sometimes I'm Happy @2:57 PM
Happy people are more selfish and pay less attention to details than do those of us who know that life is an unrelenting slog of boredom, horror, and melancholy, says Science. This obverse of this assertion is looked at in much longer detail in a Times Magazine article on depression this weekend. It examines the idea that depression is an evolutionary strategy aimed at helping us better focus on things. And there is this, on the link between depression and creativity. READ MORE 30
"Advertisements are capable of bringing forth feelings so unpleasant that we're compelled to eliminate them by whatever means possible."
—Indiana University marketing professor Adam Duhachek discusses a new study showing that PSAs using "guilt or shame to warn against alcohol abuse can actually have the reverse effect, spurring increased drinking among target audiences." And how! Just reading about this study makes me want a drink, like NOW. [Via] @1:00 PM 10
Yay! There's a new heaviest element! "Copernicum has the atomic number 112 — this number denotes the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. It is 277 times heavier than hydrogen, making it the heaviest element officially recognized by international union for chemistry IUPAC." The element was named after astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who was best known amongst his contemporaries for his gigantic ass, of which Erasmus Reinhold once quipped, "You could play gin rummy on that thing." @1:15 PM 6
Name Your Baby Something Unusual And Watch Them Make It All About Themselves @10:55 AM
Parents are no longer content to give their child the same name that everyone else has, and Science has a theory about it! "[R]esearchers suspect the uptick of unusual baby names could be a sign of a change in culture from one that applauded fitting in to today's emphasis on being unique and standing out. When taken too far, however, this individualism could also lead to narcissism, according to study researcher Jean Twenge, of San Diego State University." Twenge, who has already written a couple of books about narcissism, notes that, "There's been this cultural shift toward focusing on the individual, toward standing out and being unique as opposed to fitting in with the group and following the rules. I think it is an indication of our culture becoming more narcissistic." You hear that, Mahddyisen? Your folks are FUCKING YOU UP. 39
Stop, Hey, What's That Smound? @9:08 AM
"I was simply trying to find the way the olfactory tubercle responds to odors.” That's neurologist Daniel Wesson, proving that science dorks are the very best kind of dorks, as he recalls the time he noticed that the clunk his coffee mug made on the counter in the lab registered a spike in the odor-receiving area of the brain in the mice he was studying. That kismet eureka moment at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, NY, led Wesson and his partner Donald Wilson to the discovery of what they believe may be a new category of sensory perception: the combination of smell and sound: "smound." READ MORE 14
There's an interesting article in the Independent on the difficulties of diagnosing autism in girls. I was totally unaware of the link between autism and anorexia. @3:10 PM 5
Also, Eating Is Like Uploading Music To Your iTunes @2:30 PM
Forget the whole bit about naps making you smarter, because, you know, NO SHIT. We all need rest these days, especially those of you with jobs. No, what gave me pause here was the way they explained the benefits of a nap: It's like "deleting your e-mail" for your brain. Richard Lawson was right, The Machines are winning. 6
Science: Bad Men Make Women Sad @1:15 PM
This is not an Onion headline, although it kind of reads like one, doesn't it? Anyhow, take it away, Science: A new study suggests that, yes, husbandly hostility will make a Mrs. mope. READ MORE 9
"A higher density of alcohol sales outlets in an area means closer proximity and easier availability to an intoxicating substance for residents. Perhaps just as importantly, alcohol outlets provide a greater number of potentially deviant places. Convenience stores licensed to sell alcohol may be especially troublesome in this regard, as they often serve not only as sources of alcohol but also as local gathering places with little formal social control."
—Indiana University professor William Alex Pridemore discusses his new study which shows that there is a correlation between the number of locations in which one can buy alcohol in a neighborhood and the rate of violence in that neighborhood. As it turns out, the more places you can buy alcohol, the more assaults you're going to see. Which, you know, wow, who knew? @3:30 PM 10
Stop, Hey, What's That Sound? And Why Do I Feel A Sudden Urge To Buy Something? @2:20 PM
Interesting if slightly creepy article at Fast Company about "addictive sounds." Author and "neuromarketing" consultant Martin Lindstrom's collaborated with Elias Sound productions on a study that "wired up 50 volunteers and measured their galvanic, pupil and brainwave responses to sounds using the latest neuroscience-based research methods." READ MORE 27
How To Be Happy @1:05 PM
Suck it, Barbara Ehrenreich: Science says that positive thinking can make you happier! "Despite the finding that happiness is partially genetically determined, and despite the finding that life situations have a smaller influence on our happiness than we think they do, we argue that still a large portion of happiness is in our power to change," says UC Riverside psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky. The article includes five activities in which you can engage to make yourself more chipper. (There is also, naturally, an iPhone app.) They are mostly on the order of thinking nice thoughts about yourself and others. Fair enough—some of these things very well may work—but I still have doubts. Why? Because I personally know the actual secret to happiness. There are five simple rules, and a bonus caveat. Would you like to hear them? Very well, come closer. READ MORE 32
Narcissist Knows Research Is All About Him @11:50 AM
Admit it, you like me. You like me a lot. What is it about me that you like? Oh, pretty much everything: my oversize self-confidence, my relentless charm, the way I get so worked up and passionate about things—even my deep despair, and my belief that no one hurts, no one really feels sorrow, the way I do. You can't help it, you're drawn to me. And that's fine, because I am pretty fascinating. Unfortunately, new research shows that eventually you'll tire of me. Just like all the others, your initial adoration will give way to exhaustion and disdain for the way everything I do is somehow centered around me. (Why shouldn't it be? I'm amazing!) It's a sorry state of affairs, and I'll be sad to see you go, but you know what? I'm fucking awesome. I'll make new friends. Because people cannot get enough of me. Anyway, that's my takeaway from this report, which was pretty clearly written with me in mind. 20
Now You're Cooking With Cancer! @10:30 AM
Okay, what's going to give you cancer today? Let's go with cooking!
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has also classified cooking fumes as "probably carcinogenic". Now researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim have compared gas and electric cooking methods, and found that gas produces higher levels of the cancer-causing fumes.
Thinking about sex will improve your performance on analytical tasks, while thinking about love will boost your creativity, says Science. However, thinking about sex with someone you love marks you as a self-delusional romantic or someone with a very poor imagination. (Science didn't say that part, but you know it's true.) @3:50 PM 4
How Can I Make My Children More Racist? @12:35 PM
I got all excited—and then found out that it was one of those newfangled "ironic" headlines on this dad-blogger guide that PURPORTEDLY explains "How to Raise Racist Kids." It isn't really helping me in my quest to make various children more racist! It does suggest a few tips for making your kids "more racist," such as pretending "everybody's equal" and claiming that "simply putting our kids in a diverse environment will teach them that diversity is natural and good" doesn't work. I don't know, I've discovered more consistent techniques, like watching Lou Dobbs and going to skinhead-run dog fights. 15
Coma Guy Did Not Type Out His Story @11:50 AM
Remember Rom Houben, the Belgian man who was supposedly completely conscious during a 23-year coma? Back in November there was some controversy around the contention that Houben was able to communicate his ordeal "with assistance from an aide who helps guide his finger to letters on a flat computer keyboard." Well, guess what? READ MORE 6
How To Make Men Wear Condoms @10:50 AM
A recent study conducted by Sexually Transmitted Infections journal—their Ethicist column is even better than the Times Magazine's—shows that men are more likely to remove a condom during sex if it doesn't fit right. Researchers suggest that the problem could be alleviated if men had a better idea of the variety of shapes and sizes in which condoms were available, but we're talking about guys here: The only way I can see this working is if we resort to some kind of Starbucks system where every size is made to sound like it's goddamn enormous, e.g. "The Ass-Destroyer," "The ICBM," "The Horse Frightener," and "Venti." Anyway, lest you think I am making light of the importance of condom use, I will simply end this post by saying that everyone should use condoms for protection. Unless you think you're never going to see your partner again, in which case why bother? 56
It turns out that even old people can get AIDS. @2:25 PM 2
