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Shiny Things - March 29th, 2008
Mar. 29th, 2008
08:40 am - Squid Beaks
Scientists have apparently pondered for some time how a creature with no bones can use a hard, sharp beak without damaging itself. The answer: the chitinous material of the beak changes in density from the hard point to where it attaches to the rest of the squid, creating a protective cushion. This potentially has applications for human prosthetics. (Discovery News) Squids are nifty.
10:28 am - Self-Control: A Limited Resource
I found this article on 43 Folders about a fascinating psychological study on self-control. The conclusion is as follows:
"People have a limited amount of self-control, and tasks requiring controlled, willful action quickly deplete this central resource. Exerting self-control on one task impairs performance on subsequent tasks requiring the same resource."
The good news is that through practice you can improve your self-control and exert it longer.
"Though we have a shallow and finite reserve of willpower, self-control can improve over time, much like a muscle can be trained. The trick is knowing how to train your will. Simply slowing down and thinking clearly about an impulse (rather than reflexively giving in or denying it) can build self-control, says Inzlicht. Setting specific self-control goals also works the control muscle."
One trick for managing your willpower that I read about recently is called performing a "dash". When faced with an overwhelming task, instead of planning to dig in and keep going until it's done (which often results in procrastination), you set a timer for a few minutes and tell yourself you're only going to work on it until the timer goes off.
The most useful technique, to my mind, in David Allen's Getting Things Done is to only focus on the next action for any given project. That way, instead of putting massive unmanageable projects on your to-do list, you instead are listing only small, manageable tasks. If you keep doing just the next action, eventually the project will be completed.
Or another way I've seen it put: "How do you eat a whole elephant? One bite at a time."
06:39 pm - Professor Randy Pausch's Last Lecture
Professor Randy Pausch is dying of cancer, and only has a few months to live. He's prepared a last lecture that is educational and inspiring. (Sent to me by ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
bushi7)
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