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- December 13, 2011
- 07:30 PM
- 2,911 views
No difference between math abilities of men and women
by United Academics in United Academics
There’s a longstanding myth about the existence of a “gender gap” between boys’ and girls’ math performance. Now, a new international study contradicts the idea that girls are worse at math due to biological differences. Instead, the researchers linked differences in math performance to sociocultural factors.... Read more »
Jonathan M.Kane, & Janet E. Mertz. (2011) Debunking Myths about Gender and Mathematics Performance. Notices of the American Mathematical Society. info:/10.1090/noti790
- December 13, 2011
- 04:15 AM
- 3,122 views
Babies recognize word patterns before starting to talk
by United Academics in United Academics
Contrary to popular belief, grammar might be involved in first stages of language learning... Read more »
Jill Lany, & Jenny R. Saffra. (2011) Interactions between statistical and semantic information in infant language developmen. Developmental Science. info:/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2011.01073.x
- December 12, 2011
- 05:00 PM
- 290 views
Optimal Design of Supply Chain Networks with uncertain Demand
by Daniel Dumke in SCRM Blog - Supply Chain Risk Management
This article describes a mathematical modeling approach which integrates demand uncertainty into a strategic network design problem.... Read more »
Georgiadis, M.C., Tsiakis, P., Longinidis, P., & Sofioglou, M.K. (2011) Optimal design of supply chain networks under uncertain transient demand variations. Omega, 39(3), 254-272. info:/
- December 12, 2011
- 11:25 AM
- 3,348 views
Alcohol causes risky sexual behavior
by United Academics in United Academics
Every glass of alcohol increases someones intention to engage in unsafe sex, according to researchers of the Toronto University. Important information, since unsafe sex is the most important pathway to HIV. ... Read more »
Rehm J, Shield K.D., Joharchi N., & Shuper P.A. (2011) Alcohol consumption and the intention to engage in unprotected sex: Systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Addiction. info:/doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03621.x
- December 12, 2011
- 08:00 AM
- 2,642 views
Cell Phones Still Not Linked to Brain Cancer
by Michael Kruse in Skeptic North
Enter cell phones. We are constantly reminded of the failure of society to recognize the dangers of tobacco, let alone do something about it, and the industry led effort to suppress information and increase uncertainty in the pubic is held up as proof that all industries will stop at no lengths to protect their investment, despite dangers to the public. In the face of this, we need a scientific outlook to unblinker us from determining an unbiased truth. A new systematic review published in October’s Bioelectromagnetics is an excellent illustration of how we determine causality.... Read more »
Repacholi MH, Lerchl A, Röösli M, Sienkiewicz Z, Auvinen A, Breckenkamp J, d'Inzeo G, Elliott P, Frei P, Heinrich S.... (2011) Systematic review of wireless phone use and brain cancer and other head tumors. Bioelectromagnetics. PMID: 22021071
- December 12, 2011
- 07:41 AM
- 2,909 views
Chimpanzees more closely related to humans than previously thought
by United Academics in United Academics
It is very uncommon for animals other than humans to share food if not for kin-based transfer. One of the exceptions is the ape, which, according to different studies, shares meat in order to achieve a certain goal, or to please the more dominant apes within the group. A new study which will soon be published in Primates Journal (already available online), explains how chimpanzees at Fongoli, Senegal, share not only meat but also wild-plant foods and tools, a behavioral adaptation that makes them more similar to humans than was previously thought.... Read more »
Jill D. Pruet, & Stacy Lindshiel. (2011) Plant-food and tool transfer among savanna chimpanzees at Fongoli, Senega. Primates. info:/10.1007/s10329-011-0287-
- December 12, 2011
- 07:40 AM
- 3,071 views
Body focus: How removing clothes changes the way the mind is perceived
by United Academics in United Academics
The research was performed by Kurt Gray, psychologist at the University of Maryland, along with colleagues from Yale and Northeastern University. What makes this research interesting is that unlike many previous studies, this one applies to both sexes and calls into question the role of objectification. The researchers argue that concentrating on someone’s physical characteristics doesn’t mean this person is perceived as a mindless object.... Read more »
Gray K, Knobe J, Sheskin M, Bloom P, & Barrett LF. (2011) More than a body: Mind perception and the nature of objectification. Journal of personality and social psychology, 101(6), 1207-20. PMID: 22059848
- December 10, 2011
- 09:00 AM
- 2,484 views
Cursing soothes your pain
by United Academics in United Academics
No acces to painkillers after bumping your head? Just shout out all the bad, vulgair, and profane words you can think of. New research shows that swearing actually relieves your pain. But don’t curse to often, overuse of swearing decreases the beneficial effect.... Read more »
Stephens, R., & Umland, C. (2011) Swearing as a Response to Pain—Effect of Daily Swearing Frequency. The Journal of Pain, 12(12), 1274-1281. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2011.09.004
- December 9, 2011
- 10:13 AM
- 710 views
Obese monkeys lose weight after treatment with new drug
by United Academics in United Academics
Despite much research into the non-surgical treatment of obesity, few drugs have been developed that result in weight reduction.... Read more »
Barnhart KF, Christianson DR, Hanley PW, Driessen WH, Bernacky BJ, Baze WB, Wen S, Tian M, Ma J, Kolonin MG.... (2011) A peptidomimetic targeting white fat causes weight loss and improved insulin resistance in obese monkeys. Science translational medicine, 3(108). PMID: 22072637
- December 8, 2011
- 09:00 AM
- 778 views
Babies support punishment for bad behavior
by United Academics in United Academics
New evidence shows that babies as young as 8 months old like when people who behave badly get punished.... Read more »
Hamlin JK, Wynn K, Bloom P, & Mahajan N. (2011) How infants and toddlers react to antisocial others. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. PMID: 22123953
- December 8, 2011
- 05:34 AM
- 645 views
Child abuse has deeper effect than previously understood
by United Academics in United Academics
It is no secret that child abuse is a terrible threat to the physical and mental health of a child, including its effect on a child later in life.... Read more »
Fisher PA, & Pfeifer JH. (2011) Conceptual and methodological issues in neuroimaging studies of the effects of child maltreatment. Archives of pediatrics , 165(12), 1133-4. PMID: 22147781
- December 7, 2011
- 07:00 PM
- 911 views
Creative people more likely to cheat
by United Academics in United Academics
New research highlights the dark side of creativity. Dan Ariely of Duke University and Francesca Gino of Harvard published a study that examined the link between creativity and dishonesty. They found that creative people are more likely to cheat than less creative people, possibly because creativity promotes the ability to justify behavior, which, in turn, leads to dishonest behavior.... Read more »
Gino F, & Ariely D. (2011) The dark side of creativity: Original thinkers can be more dishonest. Journal of personality and social psychology. PMID: 22121888
- December 7, 2011
- 06:25 PM
- 953 views
Reinventing Discovery: Book Review, Part I
by Hadas Shema in Information Culture
In Arthur C. Clarke's story "Into the Comet" he describes a spaceship with a computer malfunction that dooms all abroad to eventual death by starvation/oxygen deprivation, whichever comes first. The solution is a device older than the computer: the abacus. The entire crew run calculations on acabi, and they make their way out of the comet's nucleus successfully. That is an extreme example of citizen science (or oh-my-God-we're-all-going-to-die science) but it shows the principle, that collaboration by a large number of people can solve very complicated problems. Michael Nielsen's excellent book, 'Reinventing Discovery' tells us about many such examples, though in most of them participants have to do a lot more than just calculate without thinking.Source Take 'Galaxy Zoo': volunteers can help classify galaxies (it turns out people do it faster and more accurately than a computer). It all began when one overworked grad student, Kevin Schawinski, wanted to prove that elliptical galaxies aren't always old, but had simply too many galaxies to go through in order to prove his theory. He and a post-doc, Chris Lintott, joined forces and opened a website which allowed anyone to come and classify galaxy photos. The project is an enormous success, with 22 scientific papers so far and the spin-offs Galaxy Zoo 2 and Galaxy Zoo:Hubble.Another story Nielsen recounts is the story of the Polymath Project: Fields Medal recipient Tim Gowers posted a mathematical problem in his blog and asked for a collaborative efforts. Twenty-seven people wrote 800 comments and solved the problem within 37 days. Now there is a Polymath blog which keeps up the good work.These projects were a success, but Nielsen also studies failed projects and the reasons for their failure. He argues (which I wholly agree!) that scientists are rewarded by writing as many good scientific papers as possible. Contributing to, say, Wikipedia, essentially takes away time from research and gives nothing in terms of academic reputation. Galaxy Zoo is a success because it gives astronomers something to write about, and it's possible the Polymath project succeeds because it A. involves people with tenure and B. involves people who want to be noticed by people with tenure. Personally, I think the solution to scientists' reluctance to cooperate in collaborative projects is simple: put them in a spaceship and tell them they won't be able to make it home until they collaborate. However, it is possible the oxygen run out while they'd argue about whose name gets to be first in the authors' list. Also, spaceships are very costly. Next part: what Nielsen has to say about Arxiv and the future of open science. Bora's ReviewJoerg Heber's ReviewMichael Nielsen talks Open Science in a TED event:Nielsen, Michael (2011). Reinventing Discovery Princeton University Press Other: 9780691148908... Read more »
Nielsen, Michael. (2011) Reinventing Discovery. Princeton University Press. info:other/9780691148908
- December 7, 2011
- 05:00 PM
- 290 views
Exception Handling for Robust Supply Chain Design
by Daniel Dumke in SCRM Blog - Supply Chain Risk Management
This article presents a approach to include disruption risks into the supplier selection process using a exception handling approach.... Read more »
Gaonkar, R., & Viswanadham, N. (2003) Robust Supply Chain Design: a Strategic Approach for Exception Handling. Proceeings of the 2003 IEEE International Conference on Robotics , 1762-1767. info:/
- December 7, 2011
- 01:54 PM
- 225 views
Scientists use serotonin to change the way you think about relationships
by eHarmony Labs in eHarmony Labs Blog
A recent study shows that chemicals in the brain can alter the way you think about romantic relationships. Find out how and what this means for your next date.... Read more »
Bilderbeck AC, McCabe C, Wakeley J, McGlone F, Harris T, Cowen PJ, & Rogers RD. (2011) Serotonergic activity influences the cognitive appraisal of close intimate relationships in healthy adults. Biological psychiatry, 69(8), 720-5. PMID: 21396628
- December 7, 2011
- 11:37 AM
- 813 views
Climate change has great impact on Himalaya region, reports reveal
by United Academics in United Academics
Despite the great ecological importance of the Hindu-Kush-Himalayas (HKH) region, site of Mt. Everest and listed as extremely vulnerable to climate change, it has received little to no attention from media and politicians. Three recent reports published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) may change that situation.... Read more »
Bajracharya, S. R., & Shrestha, B. (2011) The Status of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. info:/
- December 7, 2011
- 10:48 AM
- 906 views
The Perceived Crisis of Masculinity of the 1950′s
by United Academics in United Academics
The 1950′s in the United Sates were a period of radical change for men in the work place, as the Corporation rose to new heights, and the white-collar worker became commonplace. But social critics of that era saw this rise as terrible for the traditional idea of men as “masculine.”... Read more »
Joyce, Thomas Andrew. (2011) A Nation of Employees: The Rise of Cooperations and the Perceived Crisis of Masculinity of the 1950's. The Graduate History Review. info:/
- December 7, 2011
- 07:01 AM
- 380 views
Two Roads to Middle-earth Converge & one online social networks analysis tool to study them all: Introducing Netlytic
by Anatoliy Gruzd in Social Media Lab
This post is part of the series of post designed to highlight some of the web tools that we are developing at the Social Media Lab and how they can be used for research. Given the choice between watching a movie or reading the book from which the movie is based on, which would you [...]... Read more »
Grek Martin, Jennifer M. (2011) Two Roads to Middle-earth Converge: Observing Text-based and Film-based Mental Images from TheOneRing.net Online Fan Community. Master's thesis, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. info:/
- December 7, 2011
- 05:40 AM
- 742 views
Men’s sex thoughts: not every 7 seconds
by United Academics in United Academics
Men think about sex, but not nearly as often as most people believe, a new study finds. Why not? They need to spend much time thinking about food and sleep, too.... Read more »
Fisher, T. D., Moore, Z. T., & Pittenger, M. (2012) Sex on the Brain?: An examination of frequency of sexual cognitions as a function of gender, erotophilia, and social desirability. The Journal of Sex Research. info:/10.1080/00224499.2011.565429
- December 6, 2011
- 08:30 PM
- 863 views
Two gigantic black holes discovered
by United Academics in United Academics
Black holes are a mysterious field in science, one in which researchers often need to redefine their theories under the light of new discoveries. After decades of observational work, scientists have already agreed that there are supermassive black holes at the center of all massive galaxies. ... Read more »
Nicholas J. McConnell, Chung-Pei Ma, Karl Gebhardt, Shelley A. Wright, Jeremy D. Murphy, Tod R. Lauer, James R. Graham, & Douglas O. Richston. (2011) Two ten-billion-solar-mass black holes at the centres of giant elliptical galaxies. Nature. info:/10.1038/nature1063
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