A Compelling Reason to Carry Cash

I fed cash to a parking machine the other day, but I think that's the first time I'd looked in that section of my wallet for quite some time. I use my debit card for just about everything, but here's something it can't do. The debit card does nothing to reduce physical pain or the distress of rejection. Cash, on the other hand...

Source: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-easily-reduce-feelings-of-rejection-or

Extreme Paper Crafting: Amazing Les Paul Guitar

This is beautiful. Even if I weren't a paper junkie, I'm sure I'd still be awed by the paper guitar.

Source: http://www.dudecraft.com/2010/12/paper-guitar.html

Another Key to Creativity... Happiness

Yesterday it was getting enough sleep. Today we add happiness. I can definitely say that I'm definitely happier when I get enough sleep, so yesterday's advice is a jump start on today's. A study has found that being happy improves creative thinking.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101215113253.htm

Wanna Be Creative? Get Enough Sleep

"In our fast-paced society, one of the first things to go is our sleep," Payne says. "I think that's based on a profound misunderstanding that the sleeping brain isn't doing anything." The brain is busy. It's not just consolidating memories, it's organizing them and picking out the most salient information. She thinks this is what makes it possible for people to come up with creative, new ideas. - Science Daily

I'm so happy to see the recent sleep research getting out into the world. I always knew in my gut that people who said, "You can sleep when you're dead." or "I'll sleep when I'm dead." were full of it. Now I have evidence to back up my gut.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101113165441.htm

Sleep Deprivation Makes You Look Ill, Ugly, and (duh) Tired

"Our findings show that sleep deprived people appear less healthy, less attractive, and more tired compared with when they are well rested. This suggests that humans are sensitive to sleep related facial cues, with potential implications for social and clinical judgments and behaviour."

More scientists catching up with what the rest of us already knew. :)

Source: http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6614

Google Docs Animation

This is so amazing!

Source: http://www.onecoolthingaday.com/today/2010/12/17/an-animated-movie-using-nothing-but-google-docs.html

The Trusting Are Better Lie Detectors

Interesting. And a good rebuttal to those people who refuse to ever believe anyone's word without seeing proof. Assuming innocent until proven guilty finds the lies better than the reverse.

Source: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-trusting-people-the-secret-to-detecting-li

Blame Al Gore For the Stalemate?

This article suggests that perhaps the reason we haven't made much progress on getting acceptance for the science behind climate change is that using Al Gore to present it in An Inconvenient Truth politicized the issue. So, people are focused on being politically like Al or not like Al rather than on what the movie was trying to say.

Source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2010/12/06/is-al-gore-responsible-for-destroying-the-planet/

Savor Your Food Before You Eat In Order to Eat Less?

Interesting idea. I can't imagine having a lunch break long enough to imagine my way through the food before actually eating it, but for snacks and the like, this might be interesting to try.

Source: http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/12/to-eat-less-imagine-eating-more.html?ref=hp

Wacky Way To Multiply by Drawing Lines

This is really interesting. Do multiplication by drawing modified tic-tac-toe boards.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-P5RGdjICo

Amazing Typewriter Art

Wow! This is ASCII art in the extreme. No backspace key!

Source: http://www.dudecraft.com/2010/12/unbelievable-typewriter-art.html

Beards and Credibility: An Explanation for the Success of the iPhone?

Turns out we like our toothpaste advice from the bearded and our undies from the clean shaven. Who knew? Is that why Steve Jobs keeps going back to the beard?

Source: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-we-think-people-with-beards-are-more-trust

Amazing Iron Fence Art

Wow. This is sooooo cool!

Source: http://www.dudecraft.com/2010/12/ghostly-figures.html

Very Sorry to Welcome the Guys to the Party

The dark side of selling fantasy in marketing and entertainment has been beating the stuffing out of women's self image for ages. Pretty much everyone knows that. Now the scientists are finding the same effects on the guys.

Source: http://swbodybuilders.blogspot.com/2008/06/critical-awareness.html

Nurture Looms Large in Preschoolers Gender Stereotyping

Amazing how conscious teachers will have to be to let kids be who they are instead of who the teacher thinks they should be...

Source: http://masculineheart.blogspot.com/2010/12/children-are-only-as-gender-stereotyped.html

Storm Trooper Snowflakes

These are hilarious. Peace on earth, good will toward men, or crush 'em in a compactor?

Source: http://www.dudecraft.com/2010/12/empire-strikes-christmas.html

Entertaining TV Show Causes Suspicion

I love Lie to Me, even though I've read a lot of the science upon which it's loosely based and can clearly see that they've pushed the limits of credibility way out there. Well, it turns out, watching the show does not make one any better at detecting lies, but does encourage distrust and suspicion.

Source: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/35116649

A two-layer movable sweating thermal manikin

I get why they're trying to build a mannequin with the heat and sweat properties of a human. What I don't get is why said creations are smiling at the sky...

Source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/12/01/ncbi-rofl-development-of-a-two-layer-movable-sweating-thermal-manikin/

Great Photo of SF Building

This is awesome. I love the quirkiness of it.

Source: http://www.likecool.com/Crazy_hills_of_San_Francisco--Pic--Gear.html