November 2010
63 posts
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The 'smell' of other people's anxiety makes us... →
psychotherapy:
When people are anxious they release a chemical signal that’s detectable on a subconscious level by those close to them. That’s the implication of a new study that collected sweat from people as they completed a high-rope obstacle course, and then tested the effect of that sweat on study participants as they played a gambling game. Katrin Haegler’s team placed the sweat samples...
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American Mystery X - My Protestant Reformation
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Can you believe it?
It’s a Monday and I actually plan on working today! More out of necessity than desire, so I’m not sure it counts but hey, at least it won’t be like the past 2 Mondays in which I’ve done nothing. Literally nothing.
I’ve already done more in my first hour at work than the previous 2 Mondays this month. Being productive is easy when you set the bar low.
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Expats recalled as North Korea prepares for war -... →
A mass exodus of North Korean workers from the Far East of Russia is under way, according to reports coming out of the region. As the two Koreas edged towards the brink of war this week, it appears that the workers in Russia have been called back to aid potential military operations.
Vladnews agency, based in Vladivostok, reported that North Korean workers had left the town of Nakhodka en masse...
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I'm Thankful For...
Not having to live at home
Having a great group of friends who remember to say “Happy Thanksgiving” even if through a text, that’s just a nice thing to do.
Having a loving family who wants to be around me more than I want to be around them.
I feel guilty for that last one, but certainly they felt the same way at my age. Nevertheless, seeing the disappointment in their faces...
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Thought: Biking = Worse for Environment than...
Caloric expenditure while riding a bike (and the necessary greenhouse gases used during the planting, tending, harvesting and transportation of said caloric delivery systems) versus sharing emissions cost of an extremely efficient vehicle with 25+ other riders of a bus and preserving caloric expenditure.
I’m not going to do the work to figure it out, but unless you are both a bike rider...
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Post-coital Tristesse - Wikipedia Article →
Sexual intercourse can sometimes lead to a feeling of melancholy called PCT, or post-coital tristesse (from Latin post-coital, and French tristesse, literally — “sadness”). This is more common in men than in women. Many PCT sufferers may also exhibit strong feelings of anxiety, anywhere from five minutes, to two hours after coitus.[citation needed]
The phenomenon is referred to by the...
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State-Sponsored Cyber Wars →
Experts dissecting the computer worm suspected of being aimed at Iran’s nuclear program have determined that it was precisely calibrated in a way that could send nuclear centrifuges wildly out of control.
[continues]
The paternity of the worm is still in dispute, but in recent weeks officials from Israel have broken into wide smiles when asked whether Israel was behind the attack, or knew...
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This Table Will Self-Destruct →
The top of the table is structured as a grid of concrete pixels. Each time a new table is produced, one pixel is removed from the design. Following these rules of self-destruction, the shape becomes more intricate as it diminishes. This project converges elements of mass production and handmade craftsmanship, resulting in a limited edition series of entirely unique tables that will...
Sugru - Product of the Future
I’m no shill, but when I find a product I like I really enjoy telling my friends about it. I honestly feel like I’m making their lives better by cluing them into a great thing - SO - check this stuff out, it’s a malleable silicon compound which cures in open-air and hardens into silicon-rubber. The result? Custom made grips, handles, cell-phone buttons etc etc.
Imagine you had...
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“The head of an anti-gay group is warning travelers that homosexual agents of the...”
– Anti-gay group: ‘Homosexual’ TSA staff ‘secretly turned on’ by patdowns (via ryking)
If this argument helps build public furor over the ridiculous practice, so be it. Obviously the guy is a fucking idiot, but whatever. Means to an end, right? Utilitarianism rules.
The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death →
givemesomethingtoread:
But for all scientists and statisticians now know of freezing and its physiology, no one can yet predict exactly how quickly and in whom hypothermia will strike—and whether it will kill when it does. The cold remains a mystery, more prone to fell men than women, more lethal to the thin and well muscled than to those with avoirdupois, and least forgiving to the arrogant...
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If Facebook Knows When People Break Up And Google... →
Well think about how most people use LinkedIn, you pretty much treat your profile like your CV, when things are stable you tend to leave it, never updating or checking it reguarly to improve it. However when it looks like you need a new job you’ll keep logging in, add new experience, etc. Now if your data sample is a 100 people in one company, then of course you might not get any solid...
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Republican Election Strategist "Robocalls"... →
The state attorney general’s office is seeking millions of dollars in fines from a political consultant who sent out an election night “robocall” to thousands of Marylanders suggesting that they “relax” because the race was over, even though polls were still open.
[Story continues]
In the call, a woman’s voice — later determined to be that of Russell — ...
Bored at work? Reply to every facebook status on...
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On Facing Fears
I am a huge fan of comedy, as of late. Sure I’ve always liked funny stuff, but only recently have I delved into the stand-up comic community. When I say delve, I mean it in the way that most surface-skimming social researchers do - I did some google searches and listened to podcasts. Still, I find myself entranced by the idea of writing jokes and performing them, no matter how much it scares...
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This time of year is the worst for HR
Open Enrollment for Benefits
Year-End Performance Reviews
Safety Refreshers
Bonus Calculations & Metrics
Talent Search for New Hires approved in 2011 Budget
Fuck. Me. This day is almost over.
