[{"title":"First Impressions Might Not Be As Valuable As You’ve Been Led To Believe","body":[{"children":[{"_key":"ee6fc0e4ca790","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s an often-repeated adage that advises: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a36207f872da","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although it’s true that people frequently make ","_key":"76b11407a4860"},{"_type":"span","marks":["dc9366d87049"],"text":"assumptions","_key":"76b11407a4861"},{"text":" based on a split-second initial encounter, that doesn’t mean it’s smart.","_key":"76b11407a4862","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9f45ad2aeaa9","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.psypost.org/psychology-how-first-impressions-can-trap-us-into-making-suboptimal-decisions/#google_vignette","_key":"dc9366d87049"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"2d401afbcc59","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What the research shows","_key":"5ff962e41b6a0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Experts recently conducted research for a study that was just published in Motivation Science … and the results are pretty eye-opening.","_key":"f23133ab0afc0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"46f1db3e1d4e"},{"_key":"f44b7fa7232d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Professor Chris Harris, who wrote the new report, explained how","_key":"7604fbcb50c40"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" inherent biases seem to influence our first impressions","_key":"7e2f99a7690c","_type":"span"},{"marks":[],"text":" far more than the facts. He added that this can lead us to believe we’ve made the best choice in a situation even if a more rational approach would have resulted in an objectively better outcome.","_key":"d91ee3863773","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“In other words, even when we get to make many repeated choices and even when the alternative is better, we might still continue","_key":"1517e07d24470"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" wrongly thinking that we have the best option","_key":"7d2f9e6ee4d2"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” Harris said. “I believe this research has implications for why stereotypes are so pervasive.”","_key":"0e0e3e4e5a10"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"cd2b5e061d2d"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ee5b4b8e325c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Two different experiments","_key":"e552ff168f900"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"241d375485a2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In one study, subjects were asked to choose balls from a bag that would either add or subtract points from their total. Because the bag with the lowest reward was shown more frequently, participants demonstrated a bias toward it despite the presence of a better option.","_key":"d65976205b910"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"04e6cbff8cd9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In another, researchers upped the ante with","_key":"d680d46d95b70"},{"text":" an even bigger difference in reward probability","_key":"8626381b0cb5","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". While most participants finally shifted their preference toward the better option, it took longer than researchers anticipated.","_key":"048a1b599cbf"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"c012495218e1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The same trend can play out in your everyday life.","_key":"28c76f84bec80"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_key":"0e71acd752d70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Say you preferably interact with one group of people, this often means that you then interact less with other groups,” Harris said. “But as a result, it will be"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" much more difficult to realize","_key":"e18c983df0ba"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" whether this other group is equally fun to hang out with or perhaps even more fun.”","_key":"804e2b1bd4c9"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e1dd35b2c729","markDefs":[]}],"id":"dL8rSgyE","category":"nature","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_createdAt":"2024-06-30T20:20:38Z","_updatedAt":"2024-06-30T20:23:43Z","slug":"/story/2024/07/first-impressions-might-not-be-as-valuable-as-youve-been-led-to-believe","image":{"asset":{"size":1417319,"assetId":"472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86","_updatedAt":"2024-06-30T20:22:17Z","_createdAt":"2024-06-30T20:22:17Z","originalFilename":"2b605903-9960-4b3c-8b4b-78868cd9c786.gif","extension":"gif","metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.9834710743801653,"height":242},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M27v_hBV0g:m#Q0L-C^76fS2~WburqixIo","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#4f3026","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.74},"muted":{"population":0.01,"background":"#8c808c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#d5b8a4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#7a080e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.78},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":1.9,"background":"#cfbfb9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"background":"#765036","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.03},"dominant":{"population":4.78,"background":"#7a080e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAKABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFBgj/xAAhEAEAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADEwQFEVEhQTEycf/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQBBf/EABsRAAMAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMSBBFR/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDnnbNZju45ZI8iIHdP66wlhxgsWKPtqtsduDdksIrz7KevRjh+p89UW62ao0OLKvaX4Y0bttYxj4HrmiquuCOoQOPyiqHeSk+j/9k="},"sha1hash":"472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86","source":{"url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/abcnetwork-abc-nick-l0MYznthASduzAYuY","name":"season 21 rachel GIF by The Bachelor","id":"l0MYznthASduzAYuY"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86-480x242.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86-480x242.gif","uploadId":"e5oxqCXQD9RaPbQNEHAc48Bigq3owXWW","mimeType":"image/gif","_rev":"0sm0cIPrrxmscoBjhVWe5d","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_id":"image-472ea64fd869f9122d2b14f21a19fa33ab294c86-480x242-gif"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"},"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9315068493150683,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy"},"_rev":"0sm0cIPrrxmscoBjhVWism","_type":"story","publishDate":"2024-07-01","_id":"353c1220-2dd0-4858-8360-4e625e849ba3","summary":"As it turns out, our intuition might not be all that reliable after all.","visibility":"true"},{"publishDate":"2024-06-28","id":"MNZZvbXp","_rev":"chQWOmp2AIkRT8OQXLjfCY","_id":"8ec615e5-08ab-4a7b-94ef-91ff7dde9af4","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"School’s out and the sun is shining, so it’s no surprise that many people choose summer as their favorite season. But the hottest season also comes with some risks.","_key":"5768b7bf6b0c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c6c26eb029a1","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"f12f75ab604d","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2024/06/27/g-s1-6315/expert-ideas-to-make-your-summer-safer-and-brighter","_key":"048af9b2bec7"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you’re looking for some ","_key":"37b9779ca4ba0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["048af9b2bec7"],"text":"advice","_key":"37b9779ca4ba1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that goes beyond obvious tips like “drink plenty of water,” keep reading for a few pointers from a team of experts consulted recently by NPR.","_key":"37b9779ca4ba2"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"0ae560fb2d44","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Grill like a pro","_key":"457b3d34dbe40"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Cookouts are a summer staple, but choosing the right location for your grill is key. Avoid balconies or any area too close to your home’s siding. When in doubt, consult the owner’s manual.","_key":"552b526e4b40"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_key":"948486a87f1c","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Watch the water","_key":"db9ea5a4de160"},{"_key":"ed007b35b8c8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Kids of all ages love splashing around in the heat, but pools can pose a serious risk. That’s why an attentive (and sober!) adult should always be in charge of keeping an eye on all children."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"aa95daaad7c5","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"692b89828d1c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Beat the heat"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": If you’ve got AC in your home, use it. Take frequent breaks from the sun to avoid heat-related illness. And if you don’t have AC, find a public place that does, like a mall, library, or coffee shop.","_key":"877b8618930e"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Pay close attention","_key":"073c20df0a420"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": The heat can take its toll on our cognitive and mental health, so you might start feeling more forgetful than usual. Focusing on specific things will help you remember them for longer.","_key":"b45b710967f3"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6c933fda0201","listItem":"bullet"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Not all of the expert tips are specifically related to summer, but they can all be used throughout the season to get the most out of each day.","_key":"f50dc3eb0ae80","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"60f9a2397526","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"1c995643d6be","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"For example, if you’re feeling stagnant at your job or in your personal life, you might benefit from a change in scenery.","_key":"01c28ee955de0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"672ecda27b85","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot referenced research showing that “if you","_key":"4a21c37f59e50","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" change your environment in a very 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So the fact that infections are on the rise isn’t altogether unexpected — and experts seem to agree that there’s reason to believe this year’s variants won’t be as severe as those in years past.","_key":"7e95582f01480","_type":"span"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Nevertheless, some people are at higher risk of serious illness, and there’s a new variant — LB.1 — that is quickly spreading, currently ","_key":"cc61b3a0f3c20"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"accounting for more than 17%","_key":"9f71e4f1e367","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of reported cases.","_key":"65f6a225a847"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2339e588b855"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“It’s sort of ","_key":"80800306c21f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the newest kid on the block","_key":"c8e260328768"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” explained Dr. Dan Barouch of the Beth Israel Deaconess Center for Virology and Vaccine Research. “There’s not much known about it.”","_key":"925c7bf5411d"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"448a5a9dd65b"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Early evidence suggests LB.1 is more infectious and less responsive to vaccines than other variants.","_key":"384f35db1ca00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"89e400bbecda"}],"title":"COVID Is Staging A Summertime Comeback … Should You Be Worried?","_updatedAt":"2024-06-25T23:02:19Z"},{"_rev":"UU5Xfjrqun1nrUABczIRFB","summary":"But it wasn't as early as it will be later on this century. 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And in fact, we did technically get an earlier start than usual."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2024/06/20/nx-s1-5013295/summer-solstice-2024-early","_key":"e54f9ec506e7"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Although the summer solstice always occurs sometime between June 20 and 22, meteorologists say the exact ","_key":"54ce601df4390","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["e54f9ec506e7"],"text":"moment","_key":"54ce601df4391"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that the season began was the earliest it had been in more than 200 years.","_key":"54ce601df4392"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"db55b7b45d1f"},{"_key":"ee911cc9df23","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Here’s some context","_key":"c5495ab258560"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"684755923e98","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The solstice refers to the precise time at which the north pole reaches its most direct sunward tilt. 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Due to the roughly one-quarter of a day extra in each year — i.e., the reason leap years exist — we’re always on a pendulum in which solstices and equinoxes either get earlier or later every four years.","_key":"b02220af71920","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a81761c8413a","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The current trajectory is the former, and that is going to continue until 2096, when the leap year solstice will arrive","_key":"e9dca3f5df970","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" bright and early at 2:32 a.m.","_key":"25ce454128b4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Eastern Time.","_key":"8f727342e5ff"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ae5c1c85fd07"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As astrophysicist Ethan Seigel explained, that distant year will mark “the only summer solstice that people in the Pacific Time Zone of the Americas will experience on June 19 for several hundreds of years!”","_key":"499ac63191ba0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c8a64b6d58f5"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"More than a moment","_key":"9f23a6ff539c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f70cdb7b1ad9"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We might put a lot of emphasis on the solstice itself, but that’s just a way to gauge the shift between seasons. 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","_id":"2109982d-bc01-447b-8177-fae65b92abb5","body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s among the most common ways we distinguish people in our daily lives, but according to a recent ","_key":"2121d0fb851a0"},{"text":"report","_key":"2121d0fb851a1","_type":"span","marks":["10385d4c9f47"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", it’s not a uniquely human phenomenon.","_key":"2121d0fb851a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0acd890bbed5","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/african-elephants-call-unique-names-new-study-shows-rcna156476","_key":"10385d4c9f47"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"6bbb13e57706","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c8afcfbf93bc0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What’s in a name?"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Just as you are likely accustomed to turning around whenever you hear someone say your name, scientists say African elephants have been conditioned to do the same. A recent study, results of which were published earlier this week, determined that these animals","_key":"42188dfcbdb60"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" use specific sounds to call out individuals","_key":"299e4e123133"},{"marks":[],"text":" from within their herds.","_key":"62e733ece313","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e29594811e5c","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"They might not sound like names as humans would recognize them (elephants emit low rumbles capable of spanning long distances) but they serve the same purpose.","_key":"e3302ae085ca0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b97aa3203d5e"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ecologist Stuart Pimm of Duke University did not work on the study, but explained why it makes sense.","_key":"d551e0c6744d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ecd365f009d2"},{"_key":"6acfd4c84780","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“If you’re ","_key":"ca965f5ae3020","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"looking after a large family","_key":"b94b42429326"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", you’ve got to be able to say, ‘Hey, Virginia, get over here!’” he said.","_key":"2bbef39fcc7d"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"2a0fdc8e7a71","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Researchers used a computer model to predict which elephant was being called using audio recorded in nature. The results were","_key":"373902caf6e00"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" accurate 28% of the time","_key":"77e8e31d8b63"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", compared to just 8% when the program was given a different audio input.","_key":"44849be0fa2a"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"Not just elephants","_key":"18683d3f17c00","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"72abd00a77b5","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While elephants are the subject of this report, researchers say other species known for living in social and familial groups likely exhibit similar behavior. 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","slug":"/story/2024/04/meet-aurora-the-robot-keeping-critters-away-from-an-alaska-airport"},{"visibility":"true","slug":"/story/2024/02/experts-say-we-shouldnt-fear-the-unknown-but-we-probably-will-anyway","id":"7ZplzycF","_type":"story","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You might be familiar with the claim that the greatest fears for most humans are public speaking and death … in that order. 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have","_key":"9d6522acd4ff0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" studied the impact","_key":"739f54f741ac"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of the unknown on our brains.","_key":"fe151d0bed31"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"4fcffb35fbe0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"bde26ad60a760","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As it turns out, an interesting thing happens to the neural connections when a person recognizes that he or she has no more knowledge on a particular subject."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“Your focus broadens and your brain becomes","_key":"c5435a64109a0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" more receptive to new data","_key":"f58a270e8d5f"},{"_key":"c0c8607320d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and your working memory is bolstered,” she 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