Sugar more addictive than cocaine Background Refined sugars (e.g., sucrose, fructose) were absent in the diet of most people until very recently in human history. Today overconsumption of diets rich in sugars contributes together with other factors to drive the current obesity epidemic. Overconsumption of sugar-dense foods or beverages is initially motivated by the pleasure of sweet taste and is often compared to drug addiction. Methodology/Principal findings Here we report that when rats were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between water sweetened with saccharin–an intense calorie-free sweetener–and intravenous cocaine–a highly addictive and harmful substance–the large majority of animals (94%) preferred the sweet taste of saccharin. Conclusions Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals. Figures Citation: Lenoir M, Serre F, Cantin L, Ahmed SH (2007) Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward. Copyright: © 2007 Lenoir et al.
Speed Test Why do I get a “socket error” message? An error may result from having the speed test open in more than one browser tab or window. The test may fail to complete and display the following message: “A socket error occurred during the Upload test. To prevent this error, and get the most accurate test results, close all other browser tabs and windows before running. If you continue to get a socket error message, or another type of error message, please provide feedback by emailing us at speedtestfeedback@fusionconnect.com. Why is the location I usually pick missing from the City list? A slow response can be caused by latency or packet-loss between the client and server, or particularly high Internet usage (during peak hours). In which browsers does the Speed Test work best? Why am I receiving “Could not connect to the Internet” errors when I am connected? Why didn’t the test choose the server location nearest me? Why is my speed lower than expected? To remove this notice:
Team in Training Some time ago, when I became interested in running longer distances, I ran across an article that gave me a great process for building stamina. The idea being, run/walk in cycles. So, run 5 minutes and walk 1 minute over and over again. Then I came across another article that discusses using iTunes to do this for you. So now, I took it one step further and created a script that does this for you. Here's how to use it: Download the file.Unzip to your desktop.Add the "Ding.mp3" to iTunes.Create a playlist that you want to use.Inside the "iTunes Runners Playlist" double click the "CreateRunnersPlayList.vbs"Give it the name of the playlist you just created.Give it the pattern you desire (ex 5,1:30 = Five minute run and 90 second walk). If you want to reset all the songs back to their original end time, double click the "UndoCreateRunnersPlaylist.vbs" and give it the name of the original playlist. Questions? jeff welch
The 12 Kinds of Ads In 1978, Donald Gunn was a creative director for the advertising agency Leo Burnett. Though his position implied expertise, Gunn felt he was often just throwing darts—relying on inspiration and luck (instead of proven formulas) to make great ads. So, he decided to inject some analytical rigor into the process: He took a yearlong sabbatical, studied the best TV ads he could find, and looked for elemental patterns. After much research, Gunn determined that nearly all good ads fall into one of 12 categories—or "master formats," in his words. At last year's Clio Awards, I saw Gunn give a lecture about these formats (using ads mostly from the '70s and '80s as examples), and I was fascinated by his theory. This slide show presents some recent ads exemplifying each of Gunn's 12 basic categories. Click here for a slide show on Gunn's 12 master formats.
PsyBlog: Why We do Dumb or Irrational Things: 10 Brilliant Social Psychology Studies Ten of the most influential social psychology experiments explain why we sometimes do dumb or irrational things. “I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures.Why do good people sometimes act evil?Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?” –Philip Zimbardo Like famous social psychologist Professor Philip Zimbardo (author of The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil), I’m also obsessed with why we do dumb or irrational things. The answer quite often is because of other people — something social psychologists have comprehensively shown. Each of the 10 brilliant social psychology experiments below tells a unique, insightful story relevant to all our lives, every day. Click the link in each social psychology experiment to get the full description and explanation of each phenomenon. 1. The halo effect is a finding from a famous social psychology experiment. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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