-
Weight loss jab could reduce heart attack risk, study finds
The jab could reduce heart attack and stroke risks regardless of the amount of weight people lose.
Continued here -
Concrete made with Fleetwood shells could prevent floods
The sustainable concrete is made from seashells and allows water to drain through its surface.
Continued here -
A Neurologist’s Tips to Protect Your Memory (Published 2022)
A new book by a renowned brain expert says there are a few simple things we can do to prevent memory decline as we age.
Continued here -
The Annoying, Go-Getting Colleague: Beat Her or Emulate Her?
When corporate jousting, don’t choose jealousy.
Continued here -
A global plastic treaty will only work if it caps production, modeling shows
An international agreement to end plastic pollution is due to be sealed this year in Busan, South Korea. At the penultimate round of negotiations, held in Ottawa, Canada, Rwanda and Peru proposed a target to cut the weight of primary plastics produced worldwide by 40% by 2040, compared with 2025.
Continued here -
Are there research studies that attempt to determine the value of a "Growth Mindset?"
Psychologist Carol Dweck's "growth mindset" theory has become a popular solution and intervention technique in (mostly American) schools of all ages. We might say that it's become the new version of the "self-esteem" movement seen in the 80's. While Dweck first developed the theory in the 90's, it's really taken hold of popular consciousness from the 2010's on.
Unfortunately, we should remember that psychology has an ongoing replication crisis in many of its landmark findings. Many of the "easy" ideas for transformative effects have not borne fruit over the years, and been later found to have tainted methods by core researchers. Sure enough, in recent years many or most of the large-scale, high-quality attempts at replicating the claims of growth mindset have failed to so. Here are a few examples:
Continued here -
Americans Are Lonelier than Europeans in Middle Age - Scientific American (No paywall)
The lack of a safety net in the U.S. is a big factor that explains why Americans feel lonelier than Danes or Swedes
Continued here -
With Measles on the Rise, Here's How to Check If You Were Vaccinated or Have Immunity - Scientific American (No paywall)
Certain adults may need to get an additional dose of the measles vaccine. Here’s how to know if you have adequate immunity to measles
Continued here -
Why Engineers Should Study Philosophy - Harvard Business Review (No paywall)
The ability to develop crisp mental models around the problems you want to solve and understanding the why before you start working on the how is an increasingly critical skill, especially in the age of AI. Coding is one of the things AI does best and its capabilities are quickly improving. However, there’s a catch: Code created by an AI can be syntactically and semantically correct but not functionally correct. In other words, it can work well, but not do what you want it to do. Having a crisp mental model around a problem, being able to break it down into steps that are tractable, perfect first-principle thinking, sometimes being prepared (and able to) debate a stubborn AI — these are the skills that will make a great engineer in the future, and likely the same consideration applies to many job categories.
Continued here -
Surveilling Employees Erodes Trust -- and Puts Managers in a Bind - Harvard Business Review (No paywall)
There’s a growing movement to track employee productivity through increasingly sophisticated technology, such as desktop surveillance, biometric smart badges, location tracking, or desk heat sensors. While this can be intrusive, it also presents opportunities for gaining profound insights into employee behavior, such as which applications employees use most frequently or whether employees are at risk of overworking based on their work patterns and productivity. While the ultimate decision to use these technologies typically comes from upper management, implementation and utilization of such systems typically falls on supervisors. New research suggests that when information obtained through monitoring is used for control purposes (e.g., performance review), employees were more likely to engage in counterproductive behavior, such as time thievery, inattentiveness, cyberloafing, or tardiness. However, when the information obtained through monitoring was used for feedback, employees continued to trust and maintain positive relationships with their supervisors and performed better in their jobs.
Continued here
Tuesday 14th May 2024
Top stories this week