Feel guilty about the Everest like mounds of paper on your desk? Don't. They're an essential part of the human thought process, according to one research team. In a series of studies across many occupations, social scientists Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper, co-authors of The Myth of the Paperless Office, observed that when people read at work, they use annotating, cross-referencing and paper-sorting to tackle complex problems. When only electronic files were used, or when papers were filed away, workers weren't as effective. Piles of paper, they say, serve as "temporary holding patters" for ideas in progress. "People with messy desks don't have messy heads," says Harper. "Quite the contrary -- they've taken the mess out of their heads and piled it on their desks." So the next time someone comments on your state of disarray, tell them you're a stacker, not a slacker.
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In defence of clutter
Feel guilty about the Everest like mounds of paper on your desk? Don't. They're an essential part of the human thought process, according to one research team. In a series of studies across many occupations, social scientists Abigail Sellen and Richard Harper, co-authors of The Myth of the Paperless Office, observed that when people read at work, they use annotating, cross-referencing and paper-sorting to tackle complex problems. When only electronic files were used, or when papers were filed away, workers weren't as effective. Piles of paper, they say, serve as "temporary holding patters" for ideas in progress. "People with messy desks don't have messy heads," says Harper. "Quite the contrary -- they've taken the mess out of their heads and piled it on their desks." So the next time someone comments on your state of disarray, tell them you're a stacker, not a slacker.
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Donkey Diaper
Donkey owners in Limuru, Kenya are enraged after officials ordered their animals to wear nappies, The local council said that the idea was to keep the town's streets clean. Water trader Simon Kamau, who uses donkeys to transport water, says, "The problem is that donkeys kick. I was once kicked by one and it broke my leg. Perhaps the council could come and show us how to tie the nappies on the donkeys." Last heard, the mayor, who was not interested in giving a demonstration, is shelving the idea.
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Are humans the only animals that can recognize their own reflection?
No. A landmark study in 1970 at Tulane University in New Orleans, USA, showed conclusively that chimpanzees recognize their own reflections.
Under sedation, a blob of non-toxic paint was applied to the chimps' faces. When they woke they were given mirrors and, seeing the paint, the chimps touched it and cleaned it off, demonstrating that thhey realized the image in the mirror was their own.
Similar studies have suggested that orangutans can also recognize their own reflections. » Continue reading
Under sedation, a blob of non-toxic paint was applied to the chimps' faces. When they woke they were given mirrors and, seeing the paint, the chimps touched it and cleaned it off, demonstrating that thhey realized the image in the mirror was their own.
Similar studies have suggested that orangutans can also recognize their own reflections. » Continue reading
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We talk of First and Third World countries. What or where is the Second World?
The term "Second World" was coined during the Cold War to describe Communist-bloc states. Their capitalist rivals in the West were known as the First World while the largely neutral states of Latin America, Africa and Asia became the Third World.
With the collapse of the Eastern bloc, the Second World all but ceased to exist. Today, the UN calls countries "developed" or "developing." » Continue reading
With the collapse of the Eastern bloc, the Second World all but ceased to exist. Today, the UN calls countries "developed" or "developing." » Continue reading
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Why are horseshoes considered lucky?
The belief comes from a sixteenth century idea that iron horse-shoes were a protection against witches and evil.
Antiquarian John Aubrey wrote in his 1696 book Miscellanies that the reasoning was that Mars (the Roman god of war and associated with the metal iron) was the enemy of Saturn (ruler of the witches).
A less pagan interpretation of the superstition is that a horseshoe held on its side makes a "C" for Christ. » Continue reading
Antiquarian John Aubrey wrote in his 1696 book Miscellanies that the reasoning was that Mars (the Roman god of war and associated with the metal iron) was the enemy of Saturn (ruler of the witches).
A less pagan interpretation of the superstition is that a horseshoe held on its side makes a "C" for Christ. » Continue reading
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What causes the jerking sensation sometimes felt while falling asleep?
As the brain gradually slips into unconsciousness it loses control over the muscles, says Dr John Shneerson, director of The Sleep Centre at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, England.
In this relaxed state, muscles spasm in reaction to thoughts passing through the mind. These sometimes take the form of loud noises or a feeling of falling that can seem very real and may even wake you up. But "sleep starts," as the spasms are often called, are completely harmless. » Continue reading
In this relaxed state, muscles spasm in reaction to thoughts passing through the mind. These sometimes take the form of loud noises or a feeling of falling that can seem very real and may even wake you up. But "sleep starts," as the spasms are often called, are completely harmless. » Continue reading
Walk your way to health at work
A sedentary lifestyle coupled with erratic eating habits has resulted in an increasing amount of obese professionals. This is why two researchers in the Mayo Clinic in the US have devised a 'vertical workstation'. This is a desk fitted over a standard treadmill. And you can work out while you work.The researchers -- James Levine and Jennifer Miller -- persuaded 15 obese people to work at the treadmill-desk and measured how many calories they burned. If an overweight office worker used this vertical workstation all day, every day for a year, he or she could lose up to 66 pounds, the researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. On average, the overweight volunteers burned 100 calories more every hour while walkinig slowly, at 1 mile per hour, than while sitting in a chair.
The researchers said their desk costs approximately $1,600. Fancy buying one for your office? » Continue reading
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