Different Measure of Intelligence Peak at Different Ages

One potential concern with cross-sectional data is that it may be subject to cohort effects. Our findings in Experiment 2 are consistent with the possibility that people born in 1945 have unusually large vocabularies, people born in 1980 have unusually good working memory, and people born in 1990 have unusually fast processing speed. Such concerns can be mitigated by converging results from cross-sectional datasets collected at different times (Schaie, 2005). Here, we compared results derived...

 Ways to Tackle a Problem

If a problem seems familiar, try reasoning by Analogy.  If you solved a similar one in the past, and can adapt to thedifferences, you may be able to re-use that solution.  If the problem still seems too hard, divide it into several parts.  Every difference you recognize may suggest a separate subproblem to solve. If it seems unfamiliar, change how you’re describing it. Find a different description that highlights more relevant information. If you get too many ideas, then focus on ...

 Running In Elderly Promotes Walking-Economy of Youth

Older runners had a 7–10% better walking economy than older walkers over the range of speeds tested (p = .016) and had walking economy similar to young sedentary adults over a similar range of speeds (p = .237). We found no substantial biomechanical differences between older walkers and runners. In contrast to older runners, older walkers had similar walking economy as older sedentary adults (p = .461) and ~26% worse walking economy than young adults (p<.0001).

 Greeks and Romans Lacked the Virtue of Doubt

The Greek and Roman antiquarians, and even their literati and philosophers, are chargeable with a total neglect of that spirit of doubt which subjects to a rigorous investigation both sacts, and the proofs that establish them. In reading their accounts of the history of events or of manners, of the productions and phenomena of nature, or of the works and processes of the arts, we are astonished at the composure with which they relate the most palpable absurdities, and the most fulsome and dis...

 Convergent Evolution in Cacti and Succulents

Let’s begin with one observation that strikes anyone who travels widely. If you go to two distant areas that have similar climate and terrain, you find different types of life. Take deserts. Many desert plants are succulents: they show an adaptive combination of traits that include large fleshy stems to store water, spines to deter predators, and small or missing leaves to reduce water loss. But different deserts have different types of succulents. In North and South America, the succulents...