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The Secret to Increased Productivity – Single Tasking

There is a myth of multitasking, which many have bought into, but which reduces their effectiveness and productivity. I still remember when I was struggling with this in my job and an article in   Time magazine  from 2006 struck a cord with me as I read it: There’s substantial literature on how the brain handles multitasking. And basically, it doesn’t. The Time magazine article focuses on what a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation study dubbed "Generation M," a group of young people (ages 8 to 18) who were increasingly engaging in "media multitasking." The article found that while the total time spent with electronic media hadn't increased significantly, the amount of media consumed within that time had, thanks to activities like instant messaging while watching TV or doing homework. The key scientific finding highlighted in the article is that the human brain does not truly multitask. Instead, it performs a rapid toggling between tasks . When an individual attempts ...
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Article: "Is Sugar Toxic?" NYTimes.com

Is Sugar Toxic? - NYTimes.com The hour and a half long video lecture from UC :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM Small Excerpt      The viral success of his lecture, though, has little to do with Lustig’s impressive credentials and far more with the persuasive case he makes that sugar is a “toxin” or a “poison,” terms he uses together 13 times through the course of the lecture, in addition to the five references to sugar as merely “evil.” And by “sugar,” Lustig means not only the white granulated stuff that we put in coffee and sprinkle on cereal — technically known as sucrose — but also high-fructose corn syrup, which has already become without Lustig’s help what he calls “the most demonized additive known to man.”      It doesn’t hurt Lustig’s cause that he is a compelling public speaker. His critics argue that what makes him compelling is his practice of taking suggestive evidence and insisting that it’s incontrovertible. Lustig ce...

"Sword of Damocles" (from Damocles on Wikipedia)

Excerpt (2011) Wikipedia Entry The Damocles of the anecdote (of Greek Legend) was an obsequious courtier in the court of Dionysius II of Syracuse , a fourth century BCE tyrant of Syracuse, Italy. Pandering to his king, Damocles exclaimed that, as a great man of power and authority surrounded by magnificence, Dionysius was truly fortunate. Realizing the folly of this courtier, Dionysius offered to switch places with him, so he could taste first hand that fortune. Damocles could think of no other place he would rather be and quickly accepted the King's proposal. Damocles sat down in the king's throne surrounded by every luxury, but Dionysius arranged that a huge sword should hang above the throne, held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse's tail. Damocles finally begged the tyrant that he be allowed to depart, because he no longer wanted to be so fortunate. Dionysius had successfully conveyed a sense of the constant fear in which the great man lives. Cicero uses t...

Caveat Emptor | Wall Street is a cybernetic Las Vegas

YouTube - TEDxConcordia - Yan Ohayon - The Impact of Algorithmic Trading This presenter is actually pretty dry and boring, but his points are sound. The world economy is headed for some rough times ahead because of the machines we've built and the greed that drives men. Wall Street is a cybernetic Las Vegas. Caveat Emptor.

"Education may be the only thing people still believe in in the United States"

Article Link   Peter Thiel: We’re in a Bubble and It’s Not the Internet. It’s Higher Education. "Instead, for Thiel, the bubble that has taken the place of housing is the higher education bubble. “A true bubble is when something is overvalued and intensely believed,” he says. “ Education may be the only thing people still believe in in the United States. To question education is really dangerous. It is the absolute taboo. It’s like telling the world there’s no Santa Claus.” Like the housing bubble, the education bubble is about security and insurance against the future. Both whisper a seductive promise into the ears of worried Americans: Do this and you will be safe. The excesses of both were always excused by a core national belief that no matter what happens in the world, these were the best investments you could make. Housing prices would always go up, and you will always make more money if you are college educated."

Men and women see colors differently

HHjH ~Yellowberri Unprofessional

"You Are Solving The Wrong Problem"

Paul MacCready , considered to be one of the best mechanical engineers of the 20th century, said it best:  The problem is we don’t understand the problem. "You Are Solving The Wrong Problem"  outlines the fundamental steps, mental processes, strategies, and common hurdles involved in effective problem-solving. Summary Problem-Solving Steps: It details a structured, multi-step approach: identifying the issue by gathering and analyzing information, deciding to address the problem by weighing the pros and cons of taking action, understanding the issue to avoid making it worse, investigating various options to make an informed decision, and finally, taking steps to achieve your objectives based on a clear understanding of the root cause. Mental Processes: The article explains the cognitive aspects of problem-solving, such as identifying a problem cognitively (recognizing and correcting biased thinking), making a mental representation of the situation (visualizing the problem to ...