Fact O' The Day

[Krandall]

A Harvard professor has developed an accelerometer that costs four cents to produce."


Accelerometers, which measure the acceleration forces of the object they're attached to, have countless uses in engineering, consumer electronics and medicine (the NFL is planning a test run of on-helmet accelerometers to gauge and diagnose the severity of concussions). While they used to be time-consuming to produce, a professor named George Whitesides has now developed a model made mostly of chromatography paper and other extremely low-cost materials. The sensors -- roughly the size of a dime -- demonstrate a proof-of-concept that would allow accelerometers to be built on flexible, stretchable materials. This could revolutionize the way they're used.

[Krandall]

"Six of the 12 most recent presidents have been left-handed."


Even though only 11% of the world is left-handed, a dramatically higher incidence of left-handedness has been apparent in presidential elections since the end of World War II. In two general elections, all of the contenders have been left-handed (McCain and Obama in 2008; Bush, Clinton and Perot in 1992). One possible explanation is that some left-handers process language using both sides of the brain instead of just one, making them more adept speakers. Another is that left-handers are predisposed to creative problem solving.

[dragonz]

"Six of the 12 most recent presidents have been left-handed."


Even though only 11% of the world is left-handed, a dramatically higher incidence of left-handedness has been apparent in presidential elections since the end of World War II. In two general elections, all of the contenders have been left-handed (McCain and Obama in 2008; Bush, Clinton and Perot in 1992). One possible explanation is that some left-handers process language using both sides of the brain instead of just one, making them more adept speakers. Another is that left-handers are predisposed to creative problem solving.

It's cos us lefties are just better than you lot!

[Krandall]

"Small children are generally less afraid of spiders and snakes than adults are."


A Rutgers experiment showed that children, just like adults, were able to recognize images of snakes and spiders faster than they did other images -- caterpillars, mushrooms, cockroaches -- but "not a single one" displayed any fear while doing so. While snakes and spiders are two of the most commonly-feared creatures amongst adults, depending on their prevalence in a given area, young children have apparently not yet developed this aversion.


I HATE SNAKES!

[dragonz]

"Small children are generally less afraid of spiders and snakes than adults are."


A Rutgers experiment showed that children, just like adults, were able to recognize images of snakes and spiders faster than they did other images -- caterpillars, mushrooms, cockroaches -- but "not a single one" displayed any fear while doing so. While snakes and spiders are two of the most commonly-feared creatures amongst adults, depending on their prevalence in a given area, young children have apparently not yet developed this aversion.


I HATE SNAKES!

But you like Australia???
They have 7 of the 10 most deadly snakes in the world there

[Krandall]

Haven't seen any snakes while there. Other than what was in the zoo.

Did get to see a white tail spider there... Quick little f*ckers!

[Krandall]

"Playing hard to get actually does work."


Harvard and UVA researchers found that women who do not know whether a man is interested in them or not become more interested. The researchers showed college-aged women fake Facebook profiles of attractive men who had allegedly viewed the subjects' own Facebook profiles. The subjects were then told that the men had given them high ratings, were told that they'd given average ratings, or were told nothing at all. The women were more interested when they were told nothing at all. "Uncertainty increases thoughts about the uncertain situation," study author Erin Whitchurch explained. People can't help their curiosity, "but rather than recognize it's because of the uncertainty, they assume it is because they must be attracted to the person."

[Krandall]

"A full bladder causes you to make more cautious decisions."


Though the conclusion might seem counterintuitive, the need to urinate actually correlates to more reserved decision-making. A study published in Psychological Science tested 500 college students, who drank either a few sips of water or five cups of water and then waited 40 minutes. The students were then offered choices involving deferred rewards: $18 tomorrow or $30 in 25 days. The students with higher bladder pressure were more likely to choose the long-term reward. The suggested explanation was that inhibition takes place in the same neural area -- when you're concentrating on inhibiting one behavior, you inhibit them all.


That's funny.

[Peelz]

Ill take the 18 now plz. I need a hit bad.

[Krandall]

"Attractive men are more likely to get hired than attractive women."


An Israeli study sent out 2,656 resumes in pairs -- 5,312 in all -- to advertised job openings. In Israel, resumes are often delivered with attached photos, and the pairs of resumes contained one with no picture and one with a picture of an attractive or plain-looking man or woman. Attractive men were substantially more likely to receive a response than plain-looking men, and twice as likely to get one as resumes with no photo. The trend was reversed in women: attractive women were the least likely to get a response, beneath plain-looking women and no-photo resumes.

[Krandall]

"Exercise can actually increase, rather than decrease, your stress levels."


Exercising as much as you want makes you smarter, and being forced to exercise beyond that point can make you even smarter than that (at least this is what scientists have gathered from observing mice). Stress is a separate result, however. Willingly engaging in exercise helps decrease your stress response, but much of that decrease is attributable to an elevation in mood. Mice who were forced to run showed an increase in stress hormones, indicating that the mood benefit of exercise is tied to whether or not you're going to enjoy it.

[dragonz]

"Exercise can actually increase, rather than decrease, your stress levels."


Exercising as much as you want makes you smarter, and being forced to exercise beyond that point can make you even smarter than that (at least this is what scientists have gathered from observing mice). Stress is a separate result, however. Willingly engaging in exercise helps decrease your stress response, but much of that decrease is attributable to an elevation in mood. Mice who were forced to run showed an increase in stress hormones, indicating that the mood benefit of exercise is tied to whether or not you're going to enjoy it.

well, being chased by a mechanical cat isn't going to lower a mouses stress levels any is it?

[russ-russ]

Fact: This guy is my new effing hero.  Fact.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/lozito.html

[dragonz]

The female of the species is more deadly than the male in virtually all living species.   

Good to know, Lorena....

I am nothing like her... I would have shoved it down his throat, not throw it in the field.   

I can hear her now

"Meatballs & sausages for dinner dear.............
You eat it all, I'm happy with a salad, go on, I insist..........."

[Peelz]

you have too much free time.