To Build the Best Savings Plan, Think of the Present

/0 Comments/in /by

In a 2014 study, participants were introduced to two different saving styles. The first group was told to save with the traditional, “”linear”” approach — that is, budgeting based on what you think you’ll need in the future. In this philosophy, “”the individual’s focus is on the forward flow of time and on an improvement from the current state,”” according to the study authors. In other words, you’re working towards a whole new you.
The second group was told to think cyclically — as Science of Us explains, this savings style bridges the gap between your present and future self. How? The future is hypothetical, but the present is actionable. If you do something now, like save money, you’re more likely to do the same thing next month. Current actions predict future actions.
So, who won? The second group — by a long shot. The subjects who budgeted cyclically saved 78 percent more than the future-oriented linear group. The research is clear: Your focus should be on the process and not the end goal. A small shift in strategy could be huge for your bank account.
Shift Your Mindset, Save More Money

So how can you use a cyclical strategy with your own budget? Consider the instructions the researchers gave their volunteers:
“”Make your savings task a routinized one: just focus on saving the amount that you want to save now, not next month, not next year. Think about whether you saved enough money during your last paycheck cycle. If you saved as much as you wanted, continue with your persistence. If you did not save enough, make it up this time, with the current paycheck cycle […] We want you to focus on your personal savings in the present, and that is all. What’s more, at the end of the day, you will be able to look back and see how much personal savings you have achieved.””
Instead of thinking of saving money as a means to an end — “”if I put away money from this paycheck, I’ll have a better cushion for when I go on vacation in a few months”” — think of it as a regular habit, like flossing your teeth or paying your bills. If you floss today, you’ll probably floss every day, and you’ll probably be better off at your next dentist’s visit. If you save this month, you’ll probably save every month, and your bank account will thank you down the line

This Is the Important Reason All Airplane Windows Are Round

/0 Comments/in /by

The round windows on airplanes aren’t a frivolous design choice. It’s a life-saving engineering innovation. If commercial plane windows were square like the ones in your house, the whole plane would disintegrate mid-flight, and no one wants to deal with any of that on their way to Cancún.

Don’t Be a Square.Around the mid-twentieth century, commercial airlines started flying their planes at higher altitudes. This plan was ultimately a money-saving move, as lower air density means less drag on the plane, and less drag means less fuel is wasted. Flying in the upper atmosphere means a smoother ride, too.

To make planes suitable for flying at higher altitudes, airlines had to make some design changes. First, the plane cabin had to be pressurized so passengers could, well, breathe. Secondly, the plane had to be cylindrical in order to withstand the newly increased internal pressure. Voila! The perfect plane — or so you’d think. In the 1950s, three airplanes crashed when the fuselage was ripped to shreds because engineers overlooked one crucial design flaw: They used square windows.

Square windows are problematic for high-flying planes because of a slight difference in atmospheric and cabin pressure. This difference causes the cabin to expand very slightly, which puts stress on the material — in this case, the window frames. That stress builds most at the sharp corners of a square window, and when the stress becomes too great, crrrack! With an oval window, however, the stress flows more smoothly around the whole thing, avoiding a potentially destructive buildup of stress.

Get in Line.Since we’re on the topic of airplane windows, you may have noticed another quirk about them: They’re often not aligned with the rows of seating. Don’t blame the airplane manufacturers; this issue is solely up to the airline that purchases the plane. It’s their property, after all. The manufacturers build the planes with row positioning, legroom, and window placement in mind, and pass their recommendations along to the airline. They’re rarely followed, however. Depending on the airline, different planes stack more rows together than others. Once the number of rows changes, the window alignment gets — sorry — thrown right out the window.

DingTalk Gets Bad Grades From China’s Stuck-At-Home Students

/0 Comments/in /by

Alibaba Group’s communication app DingTalk has begged China’s school students to stop venting anger on the software after they gave it poor grades when made to use it to attend online classes. Millions of Chinese are stuck at home because of the coronavirus outbreak. Authorities shut schools until at least the end of February to try to stop the spread of the virus and many school students were hoping for an extended holiday.

So they were less than grateful when DingTalk, originally designed for China’s white collar workers, adapted to the virus outbreak by offering the service to help educate primary and middle school teenagers. Its app, with new features such as homework grading, the ability to livestream classes and watch video replays, has received a flood of one-star reviews from disgruntled pupils.

On Monday, DingTalk had a score of 2.5 out of 5 stars, despite being No.1 in the business category. “I know, young heroes, you were not expecting such a fulfilling holiday, it’s difficult for you,” it said in a music video with cartoons posted on its verified Weibo late on Sunday. “Young heroes please spare my life, you all are my papas,” it said. Many of the roughly 800,000 reviews on the app on the Apple store platform criticised DingTalk for spoiling their plans for a rest. “My holidays! I love DingTalk, say no more, there is one star for you,” said one review.

“Thank you so much DingTalk for making me feel the warmth of coronavirus even though I am not in Wuhan,” read another one-star verdict. “I am giving you five-stars, but in instalments.”
The five-year-old company, competes with Tencent Holding’s WeChat Work and Bytedance’s Lark in the office tools space. These apps have seen a surge in downloads in recent weeks as many firms also rolled out work-from-home policies.

Hidden ‘Jesus’ Found Under Famous Leonardo Da Vinci Painting

/0 Comments/in /by

The Leonardo da Vinci painting the “Virgin of the Rocks” was hiding another image beneath its surface: a winged baby Jesus, a new X-ray examination has revealed. This isn’t the first signal that the “Virgin of the Rocks” hid older sketches that might have led to a different masterpiece. A similar effort, using infrared light in August 2019, revealed a sketch of a different Virgin Mary posed higher in the frame, as Live Science previously reported. But this new scan of the painting using a technique called macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) — as well as a new algorithm to interpret the data — revealed the head and wings of this unseen baby Jesus.

“It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but such a great feeling to see the wings and head finally uncovered,” Pier Luigi Dragotti, a professor at the Imperial College London’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, said in a statement.

MA-XRF works by exciting individual chemical elements in the paint, causing them to faintly glitter in ways a sensitive scanner can pick up. It’s been used for a bit more than a decade to study old paintings, according to a paper published March 2018 in the Microchemical Journal. The newly uncovered baby Jesus was found thanks to a new algorithm to interpret the MA-XRF data. Developed by Dragotti, it turned more of the task of hunting through huge piles of MA-XRF data over to a computer, which was able to help discern the patterns of the hidden sketches and reveal features humans might have missed. The key element that’s been helpful in revealing the sketches was zinc. Da Vinci’s original sketch must have used a substance that contained it. Once that feature was identified, the researchers knew what to look for in order to reveal new hidden details.

“Before, we were getting very weak signals from the zinc within the painting due to its overlap with other elements, but the algorithm has given us more confidence in the signals that relate to the underdrawing,” Catherine Higgitt, a researcher at the National Gallery in London who was also responsible for the sketch’s discovery, said in the statement. It’s unclear why da Vinci covered up his original sketch. This is the second time da Vinci painted a Virgin on the Rocks scene but the final painting looks much more like the original, separate painting he made than the hidden sketch did.

Alibaba Sees More Online Businesses Resume Work

/0 Comments/in /by

More online businesses are resuming work on China’s e-commerce platform Taobao as the logistics sector continues to warm up, according to a report released by Alibaba on Monday. Since February, more than 30,000 people have opened new stores on Taobao every day, with the number last week surging 22 percent compared with the previous one.

Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces reported the largest number of new stores. Statistics from Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics arm, showed more than half of the couriers in China have returned to work based on the package collection rate and signing-in rate.

In Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, 400 delivery outlets have resumed operation. Previously, Cainiao and online shopping sites Taobao and Tmall had jointly set up a 1 billion yuan ($143 million) fund to subsidize supply chain and logistics.

According to Taobao, this week, 4,000 factories, 500 properties on sale, 400 auto 4S stores and 5,000 real estate consultants started selling through its live streaming services. Over 10,000 vegetable greenhouses across the country have been turned into live-streaming rooms, with farmers hosting broadcasts in the fields.

Affected by the epidemic, many agricultural products in China became unsalable. E-commerce companies such as Alibaba and JD.com launched campaigns to facilitate sales online. From Feb 6 to Feb 12, 12,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables were sold through Alibaba’s campaign.

Why Privacy at Work Is Important

/0 Comments/in /by

Offices used to offer plenty of privacy and were defined by walls and private offices. Status was based on moving up to the higher-floor corner office that had floor-to-ceiling windows. More recently, however, no matter what your status, the workplace has taken away much of the opportunity for privacy. In the worst cases, offices are like bullpens with nothing but rows of work surfaces. Some employees say they can’t find a place to take a private call—from the doctor, their child’s school, or for a work matter—unless they go to the bathroom or outside to their car. This could be funny if it weren’t true. Many office designs have overvalued collaboration, transparency, and openness and in so doing have gone too far and negated the opportunity for people to have a place to get away.

Work is fundamentally social, and plenty of work requires collaboration to accomplish results. Both extroverts and introverts need people and connections—though to greater and lesser degrees. But no matter what your style, you also need time that is private.

FOUR REASONS WHY WE NEED PRIVATE TIME AT WORK

 

Privacy is important because it is required for ideas to gain traction, especially if they are new (or even subversive). Every new idea requires a quiet discussion between trusted colleagues before it goes before a larger group. The conversation on the down-low is what allows the idea to be developed and tested. The riskier the idea or the more it pushes the envelope of the current system, the more it requires confidential conversations to process and incubate.

Privacy is also required for creativity. Far from a process that always emphasizes brainstorming in big groups, creativity must also include quiet moments for reflection and focus. It is a process that flows between groups and individuals and between convergent and divergent thinking.

Privacy facilitates focus. In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport argues we need more focus. In a world marked by superficially scanning and skimming from one topic to the next, we must make room for profound thinking, reflection, attention, and concentration. These are best done with some privacy.

Privacy is related to engagement. My company’s research found when people have greater amounts of choice in their workplace, they tend to be more engaged. Choice implies various levels of privacy as well as spaces that offer differing levels of buzz, postures, and connection.

Whether privacy is facilitating innovation and the creative process, focus, or engagement, it translates into effectiveness. People need some level of privacy to be at their best.

PRIVACY OCCURS IN DIFFERENT WAYS

 

My company has researched privacy—from the overwhelm people feel to the ways the office can respond. In particular, privacy may be acoustical (I can’t hear others and they can’t hear me), informational (people can’t see what I’m working on), visual (I can’t see others, or be seen by them), or territorial (I have space that belongs to me [for now]).

While everyone needs all these kinds of privacy at one time or another, few people need all of these at once. The best offices offer people a choice so that they can access the kind of privacy they need. And the most effective company cultures allow people to make their own choices about where to work throughout their day.

It’s also helpful to think about the differences between access and visibility and the research my company has done in these areas. We may want to be visible—via transparent offices or conference room walls—but not accessible for people to stop by. On the other hand, it is possible to be accessible—via instant messaging, texting or phone calls—without being visible, as someone might be offsite or in a home office. Designing offices for these differences and educating people about what kind of privacy they need to facilitate various kinds of work can help people be most effective.

China has taken strictest measures to curb epidemic

/0 Comments/in /by

The Chinese government has taken the strictest measures to prevent and control the novel coronavirus epidemic, said the country’s health authorities on Friday.

China is confident in and capable of effectively containing the novel coronavirus epidemic, and eventually defeating it, said the National Health Commission (NHC) at its daily press briefing on the epidemic.

The NHC made the remarks while responding to reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

According to the NHC, as of Thursday, 9,692 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported nationwide. A total of 213 people have died of the disease.

Also 1,527 patients remained in critical conditions, and 15,238 people were suspected of being infected with the virus.

The experts and the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, appreciated China’s efforts to prevent and control the epidemic, noting that the designation was aimed at mobilizing more international resources to deal with the epidemic, according to the NHC.

To curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, China has rolled out a host of unprecedented moves, including extending the Spring Festival holiday, postponing the spring semesters of schools and universities, and adopting transport restrictions in various areas.

Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, has been put on lockdown for more than a week to prevent further outbreaks. As a megacity with a population of over 10 million, Wuhan has seen 2,639 confirmed cases as of the end of Thursday.

Doctors and nurses are rushing to Wuhan at the same time. Over 6,000 medical staff and 52 medical teams from all over the country are now in Wuhan to join the fight against the virus.

Wuhan authorities decided to build two hospitals dedicated to treating the novel coronavirus patients. The 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital and the 1,500-bed Leishenshan Hospital will begin admitting patients on Feb. 3 and Feb. 6, respectively.

According to the Ministry of Finance, China has allocated 27.3 billion yuan (about 3.94 billion U.S. dollars) to support the battle across the country as of Jan. 29.

China also ordered community organizations to suspend mass gatherings amid coronavirus outbreak.

The NHC hoped the international community understand and support China’s efforts in preventing and controlling the epidemic and make concerted efforts with China to contain the epidemic, and maintain global health security together.

Artificial Sweeteners May Cause Weight Gain

/0 Comments/in /by

A $2.2 billion industry to help people lose weight through artificial sweeteners may be contributing to type 2 diabetes, according to researchers from the University of South Australia.
A recently published review led by UniSA Professor Peter Clifton reveals that people who use low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are more likely to gain weight, the exact opposite of what consumers expect.
This is despite controlled clinical trials showing that artificial sweeteners do lead to weight loss.
There has been a 200 per cent increase in LCS usage among children and a 54 per cent increase among adults in the past 20 years, Prof Clifton says.
Low calorie sweeteners are used in place of sucrose, glucose and fructose. They have an intense sweet flavour without the calories, but recent studies have highlighted potential adverse health effects.
Prof Clifton says a US study of 5158 adults over a seven-year period found that those who consumed large quantities of artificial sweeteners gained more weight than non-users.
“Consumers of artificial sweeteners do not reduce their overall intake of sugar. They use both sugar and low-calorie sweeteners and may psychologically feel they can indulge in their favourite foods.
“Artificial sweeteners also change the gut bacteria which may lead to weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes,” he says.
Artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) are also linked with increased risks of death and cardiovascular disease, and strokes and dementia among older people, but it is not clear why.
Prof Clifton cites 13 studies which investigated the effects of ASB intake on the risk of type 2 diabetes, all of which found either no link or a positive one. One study found that substituting ASB for sugar-sweetened beverages or fruit juices was associated with a 5-7 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
“A better option than low-calorie sweeteners is to stick to a healthy diet, which includes plenty of whole grains, dairy, seafood, legumes, vegetables and fruits  and plain water,” Prof Clifton says.

To Build the Best Savings Plan, Think of the Present

/0 Comments/in /by

Just hearing the word “budget” might be enough to make you squirm. You probably start thinking of anything else you could do besides write down your expenses (clean the house, mow the lawn — did someone say happy hour?). But marketing researchers think they’ve unlocked the secret to a pain-free budget that’s destined to stick. The trick? It’s all about the present.
Future vs. Present

In a 2014 study, participants were introduced to two different saving styles. The first group was told to save with the traditional, “linear” approach — that is, budgeting based on what you think you’ll need in the future. In this philosophy, “the individual’s focus is on the forward flow of time and on an improvement from the current state,” according to the study authors. In other words, you’re working towards a whole new you.
The second group was told to think cyclically — as Science of Us explains, this savings style bridges the gap between your present and future self. How? The future is hypothetical, but the present is actionable. If you do something now, like save money, you’re more likely to do the same thing next month. Current actions predict future actions.
So, who won? The second group — by a long shot. The subjects who budgeted cyclically saved 78 percent more than the future-oriented linear group. The research is clear: Your focus should be on the process and not the end goal. A small shift in strategy could be huge for your bank account.
Shift Your Mindset, Save More Money

So how can you use a cyclical strategy with your own budget? Consider the instructions the researchers gave their volunteers:
“Make your savings task a routinized one: just focus on saving the amount that you want to save now, not next month, not next year. Think about whether you saved enough money during your last paycheck cycle. If you saved as much as you wanted, continue with your persistence. If you did not save enough, make it up this time, with the current paycheck cycle […] We want you to focus on your personal savings in the present, and that is all. What’s more, at the end of the day, you will be able to look back and see how much personal savings you have achieved.”
Instead of thinking of saving money as a means to an end — “if I put away money from this paycheck, I’ll have a better cushion for when I go on vacation in a few months” — think of it as a regular habit, like flossing your teeth or paying your bills. If you floss today, you’ll probably floss every day, and you’ll probably be better off at your next dentist’s visit. If you save this month, you’ll probably save every month, and your bank account will thank you down the line.

World’s Oldest Known Fossil Forest Found in New York Quarry

/0 Comments/in /by

The world’s oldest known fossil forest has been discovered in a sandstone quarry in New York state, offering new insights into how trees transformed the planet.

The forest, found in the town of Cairo, would have spanned from New York to Pennsylvania and beyond, and has been dated to about 386m years old. It is one of only three known fossil forests dating to this period and about 2-3m years older than the previously oldest known fossil forest at Gilboa, also in New York state.

“These fossil forests are extremely rare,” said Chris Berry from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. “To really understand how trees began to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, we need to understand the ecology and habitats of the very earliest forests.”

The forest would have been quite open and its ancient trees would appear alien to the modern eye. A walker would have encountered clusters of Cladoxylopsid, a 10m-tall leafless tree with a swollen base, short branches resembling sticks of celery and shallow, ribbon-like roots. The fossils also revealed a tree called Archaeopteris, something like a pine, but instead of needles the branches and trunk were adorned with fern-like fronds, giving it an almost hairy appearance. “It’s not something we can immediately recognise as a modern tree,” said Berry.

Archaeopteris also featured enormous woody roots, which had not previously been seen in forests of this era.

The prehistoric forest would have been sparse on wildlife. The first dinosaurs would only appear 150m years later and there were no vertebrates on land yet and no birds. The forest’s primary occupants were millipede-like creatures, called myriapods, and some other primitive insects that may or may not have begun to fly.

“It’s funny to think of a forest without large animals. No birdsong. Just the wind in the trees,” said Berry.

The emergence of forests is one of the most transformative events in Earth’s history, marking permanent changes to ecology, atmospheric CO2 levels and climate. Before forests, CO2 levels were far higher and the Earth’s climate was hotter with no ice caps. By the end of the Devonian period, about 350m years ago, there were glaciers and, soon after, polar ice became permanent.

However, there have been so few fossil remains of early trees that scientists have had only a hazy idea of which trees dominated which habitats, how root systems altered soil chemistry and how forests opened up new ecological niches for animals.

“These remarkable findings have allowed us to move away from the generalities of the importance of large plants growing in forests,” said Berry. “We are really getting a handle on the transition of the Earth to a forested planet.”

Today, forests cover about 30% of the planet and are being cleared on a massive scale. Between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles of forest, according to the World Bank – an area larger than South Africa – and about 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared over the past 50 years. Even without accounting for the impact of burning fossil fuels, deforestation could lead to profound changes to the world’s ecosystem and climate. “If you reverse that process [of forestation] you probably lose the ice,” said Berry.