Need a favor? The way you ask may matter as much as what you’re asking for. Researchers have found that a few simple changes in how you make a request can dramatically increase the chances someone will say yes—and most people overlook them completely. ⁠https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/francis-flynn-if-you-want-something-ask-it⁠ (more…)

Have you ever forgotten a phone number, birthday, or why you walked into a room because you knew your phone would remember it for you? Many people joke about “digital dementia.” While it isn’t a real medical diagnosis, researchers are becoming increasingly concerned that our growing dependence on technology may be changing how we remember, think, and solve problems. ⁠https://www.neurocenternj.com/blog/digital-dementia-how-screens-and-digital-devices-impact-memory/⁠ (more…)

Many ballpoint pens have a particular design feature intended to save your life – if necessary. It’s one of those clever features most people never notice and hopefully never have to use yet millions of pens contain it. ⁠https://www.iflscience.com/theres-a-surprising-reason-why-pen-caps-have-holes-in-them-47723/⁠ (more…)

Can you train yourself to become a night owl—or an early bird? Millions of people try. They force themselves to stay up later, wake up earlier, or work overnight because that’s what life demands. But can your body really adapt? Or is there a biological clock inside you that simply refuses to cooperate? (more…)

People often assume that someone with brown eyes appears more trustworthy than someone with blue eyes. Research suggests there may be something to that belief—but not for the reason most people think. In fact, eye color may have very little to do with it. ⁠https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3541379/⁠ (more…)