Vladimir_Golovin

> In the new study, two experiments using the well-known "trolley dilemma" tested the hypothesis that when faced with moral choices in a foreign language, people are more likely to respond with a utilitarian approach that is less emotional. > > The researchers collected data from people in the U.S.,...

http://thobbs.github.com/blog/2012/06/17/you-should-downvote-anecdotes/ > Anecdotal evidence has been shown to have a greater influence on opinion than it logically deserves, most visibly when the anecdote conflicts with the reader’s opinion and when the reader is not highly analytical, even if the anecdotes are accompanying statistical evidence. Though the anecdotes may not totally...

A surprisingly good New York Times essay on willpower / ego depletion: Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? As it turns out, the essay is based on an upcoming Roy F. Baumeister book, "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength", which will be available from Amazon in a couple of weeks...

Paul Graham of Y-Combinator on picking winners-at-life: Paul Graham spills: Why some companies get his cash and others don't > What's most essential for a successful startup? > The founders. We've learned in the six years of doing Y Combinator to look at the founders--not the business ideas--because the earlier...

What does it feel like to be stupid? > I had an arterial problem for a couple of years, which reduced blood supply to my heart and brain and depleted B vitamins from my nerves (to keep the heart in good repair). Although there is some vagueness as to the...

15-minute writing exercise closes the gender gap in university-level physics: > Think about the things that are important to you. Perhaps you care about creativity, family relationships, your career, or having a sense of humour. Pick two or three of these values and write a few sentences about why they...

"Outsmart your brain by knowing when you are wrong": http://troysimpson.co/outsmart-your-brain-by-knowing-when-you-are-w > Humans are incredibly bad at summing up a bunch of small numbers. I had recently read a study that looked into why people are so bad at this task, but the important part was people commonly underestimate the total....