MULTITASKING MYTH: BUSTED AGAIN

Researches from the University of Utah have reached one conclusion about multitaskers:  You aren’t as good at it as you think you are.

David Sanbonmatsu, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, said, “Our data suggest the people talking on cell phones while driving are people who probably shouldn’t.

“We showed that people who multitask the most are those who appear to be the least capable of multitasking effectively.” 

The study focused on tests given to 310 university undergraduates.  The students’ abilities to multitask while driving and using cell phones and electronic media yielded these observations:

**Those best able to multitask were the least likely to do multiple tasks simultaneously.

**The more the students multitasked, the more they lacked the ability to multitask.

**Those most likely to multitask were those with personality traits with high levels of impulsivity and sensation-seeking.

 **The reason multitaskers do so is because “they are less able to block out distractions and focus on a singular task,” not because they’re good at it.

In summary, David Strayer, co-author of the study and also a professor at the University of Utah, said, “The people who are most likely to multitask harbor the illusion they are better than average at it, when in fact they are no better than average at it, and often worse.”

My Take on the study:  If the shoes fit, take’em off—one at a time, so you don’t miss one.

Source:   Smart Planet Daily, January 25, 2013               Study published in PLOS ONE, January, 2013

SLOVENIAN WORKMEN’S HOME 2013 POLKA SCHEDULE, MARCH-MAY

“Waterloo Ballroom” @ Slovenian Workmen’s Home

15335 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44110, Ph:  216/481-5378 – e-mail:  swh-waterloo@sbcglobal.net

3:00 PM until 7:00 PM

$12 per person includes a sandwich and a soft (water or fountain) drink

Dances every Sunday October, 2012 through May, 2013

March 3^rd – Bobby Kravos

March 10^th – The Culker Band

March 17^th Mike Wojtila

March 24^th & 31^st – NO DANCE

April 7^th – Frank Spetich, Jr.

April 14^th – Joey Tomsick

April 21^st – Bob Kravos

April 28^th – Jeff Pecon

May 5^th – Mike Wojtila

May 12^th – Fred Ziwich

May 19^th – Frank Moravsek

May 26^th – Bob Kravos

End of Season – Back in October

WHY THE WORLD FOR SURE WON’T END DECEMBER 21ST

 

Thanks to Mary Ann Wagner for sharing this reassurance with me.

 

 

THE CAUSE OF AND SOLUTION FOR INAPPROPRIATELY AMOROUS US GENERALS

 

Here’s the cause, as stated by an anonymous internet wag:

“The generals are taking orders from their privates.”

Here’s the solution, as stated by John Oliver, one of the Daily Show’s fake news analysts:

“Get rid of the heterosexuals in the military.”

My Take:  Tee-hee!

SLOVENIAN WORKMEN'S HOME SUNDAY #POLKA DANCE SCHEDULE THROUGH 2-10-13

Reblogged from My Take on Today:

• 

“Waterloo Ballroom” @ Slovenian Workmen’s Home

15335 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44110

 Ph:  216/481-5378

e-mail:  swh-waterloo@sbcglobal.net

Website:  swh-waterloo.com

3:00 PM until 7:00 PM

$12 per person includes a sandwich and a soft (water or fountain) drink

December 2nd – Joey Tomsick Band

December 9th – Mike Wojtila Band     

December 16th – Joe Novak       

December 23rd – Eddie Vallus          

January 6th – Fred Ziwich Band…

Read more… 23 more words

“RED SUN IN THE MORNING . . .

Sailor take warning.”

I know, I know.

But isn’t it glorious?

And ephemeral.

By the time I plugged in my camera settings, the color had already begun to fade into an all-gray sky only three minutes later.

Carpe diem!

AMONG ALL ANIMALS, #DOGS EXHIBIT UNIQUE RESPONSES TO HUMAN TEARS

Researchers at the Department of Psychology at the University of London’s Goldsmiths College found dogs were more likely to respond to persons crying than to persons talking or humming.  Moreover, the canines’ response was submissive and included tucked tails, bowed heads and nuzzling and licking.

Deborah Custance and colleague Jennifer Mayer set up their study with 18 dogs, a mix of mutts and common breeds.  The experiment took place in the dogs’ owners’ living rooms.

Mayer arrived and ignored the dog so it took little interest in her.  Then she and the owner took turns talking, fake crying and humming.

Fifteen of the 18 dogs approached either their owner or Mayer during crying fits; only six approached during humming, suggesting the dogs were motivated by the emotional context of the situation, not curiosity.

“The humming was designed to be a relatively novel behavior, which might be likely to pique the dogs’ curiosity,” Custance said.  “The fact that the dogs differentiated between crying and humming indicates that their response to crying was not purely driven by curiosity.

“Rather, the crying carried greater emotional meaning for the dogs and provoked a stronger overall response than either humming or talking.”

Mayer added, “The dogs approached whoever was crying, regardless of their identity.  Thus they were responding to the person’s emotion, not their own needs, which is suggestive of empathic-like comfort-offering behavior.”

Another recent study by the Emory Center for Neuropolicy published in PLoS ONE showed that dogs, more so than other animals, were responsive to human hand signals.

Custance and Mayer think that canines have been rewarded so much for responding to distressed humans for their 15,000 years of domestication, that certain responses may somehow be hard-wired in them

Similarly, Matthew Campbell, assistant professor at Georgia State University’s Department of Psychology, believes we have selectively chosen and bred dogs that are in tune with human emotions.  He points out that dogs show contagious yawning to human yawns.

Custance and Mayer don’t claim to be dog whisperers, don’t claim to understand what was in the dogs’ minds as they made comforting gestures to distressed humans.

They wrote, “We in no way claim that the present study provides definitive answers to the question of empathy in dogs.”

They further said that their experiment opens the door for more studies of dogs’ emotional lives:  studies directed at determining if different breeds respond differently to emotional situations and at determining if dogs understand the difference between human laughter and tears.

Source:   Discovery News, August 31, 2012       Huffington Post, May 08, 2012   Studies published in Animal Cognition, May 30, 2012   and in PLoS ONE

#MARS PLAIN COVERED WITH DUNES

Though the surface of the Red Planet has not hosted earthquakes or volcanic eruptions as has the surface of Earth, winds and seasonal changes shape and reshape the Martian landscape.

The above mounds on what appears to be a hard, bumpy terrain of permafrost are called barchan dunes.  Barchans generally form where there’s a supply of sand and a prevailing wind.

In this photo, a prevailing wind blows sand into these 100-meter wide mounds to create the structures.  The “arms” or “horns” of the dunes point in the downwind direction, indicating that the prevailing winds blow toward the northwest.

Typically, the leading/upwind edge of the dune is gently sloped and more rounded.

Wide angle view of the barchan dunes

Scientists plan to use repeat imaging of this dune field to determine if the dunes are presently moving.

The photo was taken using the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

Sources:  Discovery News  July 17, 2012    HiRISE  July 11, 2012

Photos credit NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

#MENTOR SENIOR CENTER: SINGLES GROUP AUGUST 2012 ACTIVITIES

MENTOR SENIOR CENTER:  SINGLES GROUP CALENDAR, AUGUST 2012

Cordial Connections

“The club where single seniors meet and mingle.”

August 2012 Newsletter

Gayle Celizic,Pres. 440-953-4469

Nancy Hess, V.Pres. 440-520-5539

Tuesday    August 7^th    6 PM      Captain’s Club – 34820 Vine St                   St,Eastlake   Trivia Game night- each team uses a smartphone to play and win prizes. It’s  taco night.                                                                                                                                                RSVP to Gayle

Friday        August 17^th Gotta Dance Ohio        (in Heinen’s plaza)                 7 to 8 PM   Dance,     8 to 10:30 PM   Open Dance     They offer appetizers from an area restaurant, soda and water.   If you would like to bring something stronger, you are welcome to do so.Cost for Class and Dance is $10.                                                                                                            RSVP to Alice Channell, 440 255-7965.

Friday        August 24^th      5:30pm.     Dinner Connection at Ruby Tuesday’s  (Heisley Rd  to Diamond Center)     Enjoy their new entrees and salad bar.                  RSVP  to Gayle.

Monday       August 27^th      1:30 PM     Planning Meeting for September activities at Kirtland City Tavern. We need ideas for events.  Their delicious hamburgers are half price on Mondays.                                                                                                       RSVP to Nancy

FIVE MORE MYTHS ABOUT #FITNESS WORKOUTS

Myth #6:  Squats make your butt bigger.

Fact:  “This one cracks me up,” says Chris Freytag, personal trainer and Prevention contributing editor.  “We all know what makes your butt big, and it isn’t squats.  All of us who sit in front of a computer, at a desk, or in a car seat all day are at risk for developing weak glues unless we actively do something about it.

“Science shows that (squats) will help to lift, firm, and strengthen your buns.

“Just be sure to focus on good form.  Keep your knees above your shoe laces and sit back into an imaginary chair: squeeze through your glutes as you return to standing.”

Myth #7:  You’ll reach a weight loss plateau in only a few weeks.

Fact:  “If you are only a couple weeks into your program and weight loss has halted, you probably need to watch your diet,” says Jari Love, star of the Get Extremely Ripped:  1000 Hardcore DVD.

A study in the Journal of American Dietetic Association found that it takes 6 months for a person to reach a weight loss plateau.

Myth #8:  You can slim down by switching to diet soda.

Fact:  “A study at Purdue University found that rats given artificial sweeteners ate more calories and gained more weight than rats given sugar,” says Love.

She recommends drinking water that’s naturally flavored with lemon or cucumber slices to keep hydration high and calories low.

Myth #9:  You’ll force your body to burn more fat if your stomach’s empty.

Fact: Not so, says Freytag.  “Science has shown you need to have some glucose in your system in order to ignite your fat-burning furnaces.  If you run out of stored glucose, your flame goes out and you start burning up muscle.”

Having a little snack 30-60 minutes before working out gives you the energy to go longer and harder.

Myth #10:  You can target body fat you want to reduce.

Fact:  Alas.  Your muffin top ignores your will in favor of its DNA.

Samantha Clayton, personal trainer and co-star of YouTube’s Be Fit in 90, says, “The scientific truth is that your body decides where to burn fat based on genetics, regardless of the body part you are exercising.”

She advises that rather than focusing on one area, spend your time doing full-body workouts that burn calories, such as running or body-weight circuits, for all-over slimming.

Source:  Prevention, April 19, 2012   and other sources.