02 MAR 2019 by ideonexus
Knowledge Work
The growing importance of knowledge as an economic resource reflects the fact that, as economies and production technologies develop, they become ever more complex and specialized, leading to increasing coordination costs. In the language of information economics, the organizational or informational task of coordinating the diverse steps in the productive chain grows, as the number of transactions within and among productive units increases (Joncher, 1983). Logically, the increasingly complex...Folksonomies: knowledge work symbolic work
Folksonomies: knowledge work symbolic work
1 
notes
notesKnowledge is becoming increasingly specific. Professionals of all types are managing larger quantities of sybolic reasoning. Informational laborers or symbolic analysts are a growing portion of the workforce.
27 APR 2015 by ideonexus
Exercise "Sweet Spot" for Extending Lifespan
They found that, unsurprisingly, the people who did not exercise at all were at the highest risk of early death.
But those who exercised a little, not meeting the recommendations but doing something, lowered their risk of premature death by 20 percent.
Those who met the guidelines precisely, completing 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, enjoyed greater longevity benefits and 31 percent less risk of dying during the 14-year period compared with those who never exercised.
The sweet s...
1 06 APR 2015 by ideonexus
Ideal Amount of Exercise for Longevity
People who got some exercise, but not enough to meet the physical activity recommendations were still 20 percent less likely to die over a 14-year period than those who did not do any physical activity. (The recommendations say to do 150 minutes of moderate activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.)
People who engaged in the recommended level of physical activity saw even more benefit: They were 31 percent less likely to die during the study period, compared with those w...
1 Who recommendation is 150 minutes moderate or 75 minutes vigorous a week. Three to five times this amount was linked with a 39% reduction in mortality; therefore, 7.5 hours moderate exercise or 3.75 hours vigorous for best results.
29 MAR 2013 by ideonexus
Overconfidence Breeds Error
In one classic demonstration,
clinical psychologists were asked to give
confidence judgments on a personality
profile. They were given a case report in
four parts, based on an actual clinical
case, and asked after each part to answer
a series of questions about the patient’s
personality, such as his behavioral
patterns, interests, and typical reactions to
life events. They were also asked to rate
their confidence in their responses. With
each section, background information
about the case i... 1 notes
notesThe more a person knows about a subject, the more likely they are to make mistakes in judgement.
21 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Evolution of Lactose Tolerance
One case involves our ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk.
An enzyme called lactase breaks down this sugar into the more easily
absorbed sugars glucose and galactose. We are born with the ability to
digest milk, of course, for that’s always been the main food of infants.
But after we’re weaned, we gradually stop producing lactase. Eventually,
many of us entirely lose our ability to digest lactose, becoming “lactose
intolerant” and prone to diarrhea, bloating, and cramps a... 1 notes
notesSome groups of humans evolved the ability to digest milk beyond infancy as their societies domesticated cows.
28 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Characteristics of Visionaries
Visionaries had in common five characteristics, which the researchers termed “Innovator’s DNA.” Here are the first three:
• An ability to associate creatively. They could see connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, problems or questions.
• An annoying habit of consistently asking “what if”.And “why not” and “how come you’re doing it this way”. These visionaries scoured out the limits of the status quo, poking it, prodding it, shooting upward to the... 1 notes
notesExperimentation, inquisitiveness, and the ability to draw associations are the cognitive traits of an innovative mind.
19 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
The Importance of Nutrition in the Developing Mind
In the case of a mother's more general nutritional status—her tota caloric intake—the brain is actually less sensitive during the first three to four months of gestation. In spite of its massive developmental changes, the fetus grows surprisingly little in size during this period, so its growth is not very dependent on the mother's diet. (This is probably no accident, since women are often unable to consume many calories because of first-trimester nausea.) Beginning around midway through ...There is a crucial period in fetal development where nutrition is of the utmost importance to the growing brain. If these nutritional needs are not met, then the baby's intelligence may suffer.
08 JUN 2011 by ideonexus
A Flu Pandemic Reduces Quality of Life for Babies
Initially, Almond doubted that the intrauterine conditions provided by a pregnant woman, even one sick with a virulent strain of the flu, could exert any lasting influence on her offspring. “When I started looking at the influenza pandemic, I was skeptical of the fetal origins hypothesis. I didn’t think I’d find any long-term effects,” Almond says. “But the evidence was the opposite of what I expected.” Through an analysis of census data, Almond discovered that those individuals g...Folksonomies: pregnancy fetal development
Folksonomies: pregnancy fetal development
Children born during the flu pandemic grew up to have a poorer socioeconomic status than those born at other times.
21 APR 2011 by ideonexus
Spend 20 Percent of Your Time Learning New Things
He says things like, "Do good stuff." He says, "If you don't do good stuff, in good areas, it doesn't matter what you do." And Hamming said, "I always spend a day a week learning new stuff. That means I spend 20 percent more of my time than my colleagues learning new stuff. Now 20 percent at compound interest means that after four and a half years I will know twice as much as them. And because of compound interest, this 20 percent extra, one day a week, after five years I will know three time...From Joe Armstrong, the "compound interest" on this learning will result in big gains in the future.
