Pragma Synesi - interesting bits

Compendium of interesting bits I come across, with an occasional IMHO

What not to name your kid

Juvenile delinquency and glass ceilings caused by first names? Hmmm….

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Why Curly is a stooge and Justin a golden boy

Among the wealth of research on the importance of given names, a new study correlates first names with criminal behaviour
MICHAEL VALPY | From Monday’s Globe and Mail | June 9, 2008 at 4:44 AM EDT

A Jarrit by any other name might be a brain surgeon.

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August 7, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | sociology | , , , , | No Comments

What should you really fear?

Our “anecdotal” brain sucks up all the sensational news a media (vying for higher ad revenues) can muster.  This results in some skewed gut feelings of what we should be afraid of.

Wired’s book review of Dan Gardner’s The Science of Fear includes a quiz that is worth taking.

August 7, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, brain, decision making, statistics | , , | No Comments

The End of Theory?

“All models are wrong, but some are useful” — I love that quote. For me it highlights the raison d’etre of science: to predict and therefore to increase control. I don’t agree with the article that theories and models will become obsolete, but it is time to add some new tools to the set of predicting tools we already have.  And use the most useful ones.

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WIRED MAGAZINE: 16.07

The End of Theory: The Data Deluge Makes the Scientific Method Obsolete

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August 7, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | statistics | , , , , | No Comments

How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

For me, this is the key quote from the article below:
“…we have evolved brains that pay attention to anecdotes because false positives (believing there is a connection between A and B when there is not) are usually harmless, whereas false negatives (believing there is no connection between A and B when there is) may take you out of the gene pool…”
Something to watch for - both in self and in others.

Scientific American Magazine - July 25, 2008

How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Why subjective anecdotes often trump objective data

By Michael Shermer

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August 1, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, brain, decision making, evolutionary psychology | , , , | 3 Comments

How Snoozing Makes You Smarter

Key points in this article: sleeping allows us to learn. It cements our memories, but also culls them, keeping the ones that are emotionally related. Our brains also solve problems/discover patterns while we sleep. We need about 6 hours of continuous sleep to achieve this, both slow-wave and REM.

Scientific American Mind - August 7, 2008

How Snoozing Makes You Smarter

During slumber, our brain engages in data analysis, from strengthening memories to solving problems

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July 31, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | brain | , , , , | No Comments

Neuroeconomics

Neuroeconomics

Do economists need brains?

Jul 24th 2008 | NEW YORK
From The Economist print edition

A new school of economists is controversially turning to neuroscience to improve the dismal science

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July 30, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, brain, decision making, economics, neuroeconomics | | No Comments

Wonder Drugs That Can Kill

This article from Discover Magazine includes an eye-opening section on interpretation of clinical research studies and doctors’ understanding of it.

I am passing this article on to my doctor.

Wonder Drugs That Can Kill

06.20.2008

Modern pharmaceutical “breakthroughs” sometimes do more harm than good.

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July 29, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | health | , , , , , , | No Comments

Whole grain — NOT!

Nothing pisses me off more than deliberately misleading advertising. Want to eat healthier and buy whole grain products? Good luck — this article explains why no one knows how much whole grain there is in some products.

From Business Week:
July 23, 2008, 12:01AM EST

How Whole Is Whole Grain?

A settlement between Sara Lee and the Center for Science in the Public Interest may lead to more accurate claims about whole grains on food labels

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July 25, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | diet, health, nutrition | , | No Comments

Start with vinaigrette; finish with fruit

If you want to control your blood sugar level (and possibly even lose weight), vinegar is your friend. And if you want to avoid cancer-causing damage by meat, red wine (or fruit in general) will neutralize some of the nasties before it even gets into your bloodstream. So start your meal with a vinaigrette salad; have some wine with your meat and fruit for dessert.

Here are the two articles supporting the above.

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July 24, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | diet, health, nutrition | , , , | No Comments

Tough Choices: How Making Decisions Tires Your Brain

July 22, 2008 in Mind & Brain |SciAm.com

Tough Choices: How Making Decisions Tires Your Brain

The brain is like a muscle: when it gets depleted, it becomes less effective.

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July 24, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | brain, decision making | | No Comments