New generation Aga: turns on in 8 minutes, by iPhone

The manufacturer, based in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, has now made a cooker which looks exactly like a traditional Aga, in cast iron, but which can be fired up with a flick of a switch. Rather than the usual six hour delay before the machine is ready to cook, the new Aga Total Control, will be ready Read more about New generation Aga: turns on in 8 minutes, by iPhone[…]

Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie

Gym machines are boring, CrossFit is sadistic, and dieting sucks. Luckily, none of them is essential to being truly fit. Through years of trial and error — and humiliation at the hands of some of the world’s top trainers — the author discovered the secrets to real health. The article starts to get useful at Read more about Everything You Know About Fitness is a Lie[…]

World’s bees still face multiple threats

UNEP head Achim Steiner said: “The way humanity manages or mismanages its nature-based assets, including pollinators, will in part define our collective future in the 21st century. The fact is that of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees. via World’s bees face Read more about World’s bees still face multiple threats[…]

Social Media Dashboard | Unilyzer

Unilyzer – Social Media Dashboard Share25Social Media ManagementWant to understand the return on your investment ROI from social media? Need to show your clients, investors, or manager results? Now you can with the Unilyzer Social Media Dashboard. Simply add your social accounts and let Unilyzer do the tracking and reporting. Social Media Metrics Facebook Fan Read more about Social Media Dashboard | Unilyzer[…]

Facebook status updates analysed

People use status updates to share what’s on their minds, to tell others what they’re doing, and to gather feedback from friends. The different ways people use status updates form some interesting patterns. In this study, we looked at the usage of words in different “word categories” in status updates. This led us to discover Read more about Facebook status updates analysed[…]

theory of free radical ageing debunked some more

Worms that were genetically modified by McGill University researchers not only survived exposure to a banned poison, they lived even longer than normal worms, challenging scientists’ understanding of the aging process. Dr. Siegfried Hekimi and his student Dr. Wen Yang, who are in the Montreal university’s biology department, planned to test the so-called “free radical Read more about theory of free radical ageing debunked some more[…]

People ignore facts, opinions are based on beliefs

Not only that, but presenting people with facts can entrench them further in their beliefs. People willfully ignore facts that don’t correspond to their opinions. “This bodes ill for a democracy, because most voters — the people making decisions about how the country runs — aren’t blank slates. They already have beliefs, and a set Read more about People ignore facts, opinions are based on beliefs[…]

Incidental Haptic Sensations Influence Social Judgments and Decisions — Ackerman et al. 328 (5986): 1712 — Science

Touch is both the first sense to develop and a critical means of information acquisition and environmental manipulation. Physical touch experiences may create an ontological scaffold for the development of intrapersonal and interpersonal conceptual and metaphorical knowledge, as well as a springboard for the application of this knowledge. In six experiments, holding heavy or light Read more about Incidental Haptic Sensations Influence Social Judgments and Decisions — Ackerman et al. 328 (5986): 1712 — Science[…]

Stand up to child bullying – it’s good for you!

Children who returned hostility with hostility appeared to be the most mature, the researchers found. Boys who stood up to bullies and schoolyard enemies were judged more socially competent by their teachers. Girls who did the same were more popular and more admired by teachers and peers, the researchers found. via Bullying ‘can be good Read more about Stand up to child bullying – it’s good for you![…]

A school with normal times gets impressive results.

A school that has allowed its pupils to start the day an hour later says it has seen absenteeism decline.At Monkseaton High School, in North Tyneside, 800 pupils aged 13-19 have started lessons at 10am since October.Early results indicates that general absence has dropped by 8% and persistent absenteeism by 27%. via BBC News – Read more about A school with normal times gets impressive results.[…]

Behavioral Game Design / How you get addicted to games

This article is a general primer on how to get players to continuously play your game, which in the world of the MMPORG is a very important element, using a behavioural model. Gamasutra – Features – Behavioral Game Design. This article is a bit more cynical and compares the above techniques to addiction creation and Read more about Behavioral Game Design / How you get addicted to games[…]