Pragma Synesi - interesting bits

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

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

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

Read more »

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

Read more »

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

Moral thinking

Human evolution

Moral thinking

Feb 21st 2008 | BOSTON
From The Economist print edition

Biology invades a field philosophers thought was safely theirs

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July 22, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, brain, decision making, emotions, evolutionary psychology | , | No Comments

Sleep loss produces false memories

It seems false memories are formed at the time of recall, which has interesting potential consequences for using sleep deprivation as an interrogation technique.

And chalk one up for coffee for the sleep deprived.

Sleep loss produces false memories

But caffeine helps to boost accurate recall

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July 15, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, brain | , , , , , | No Comments

Employees who socialize between tasks, but not during, are more productive

Sounds like the office watercooler is a productivity enhancer! From Nature:

Published online 30 June 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.925

Get a (social) life

Employees who socialize between tasks, but not during, are more productive.

Read more »

July 2, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour | , , | No Comments

The value of a coin or banknote depends on its familiarity

It seems money is not just money…

From The Economist:
=======================
Irrational economics
Look and feel

Apr 3rd 2008
From The Economist print edition

The value of a coin or banknote depends on its familiarity

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June 20, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, psychology | , | No Comments

The curse of untidiness

The endowment effect: an object is worth more to you if you already own it. The article below explores its evolutionary roots and how it is being exploited in today’s markets.

From The Economist:

The curse of untidiness

DNA all over the place
Read more »

June 19, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, evolutionary psychology | , | No Comments

Bumper stickers reveal link to road rage

Answer before you read it: how many personalizing objects do you have on your desk?

From Nature:

Bumper stickers reveal link to road rage

Car adornments betray a territorial mindset.

June 17, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, evolutionary psychology | , , | No Comments

Girls gone wild … for monkeys

From Seed Magazine:

Girls gone wild … for monkeys

What you are into may surprise you

Read more »

June 17, 2008 Posted by pragmasynesi | behaviour, brain | , , , , | No Comments