Monthly Archives: January 2012

Narratives of Conversion

A landmark project which seeks to map out the different routes through which women convert to Islam, and describe their experiences on entering the faith, has reached its conclusion. “Narratives of Conversion to Islam in Britain”, which is being run at the Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge in association with the […] … learn more→

Above all else, your personal brand is a story

People love stories. Humans learn most effectively through stories. Friends are made by sharing stories. Sales are closed through stories. You are missing out on the value of your personal brand if it isn’t a story. Stories are one of the most effective forms of social currency. They build powerful connections between ideas, people and […] … learn more→

Study unravels \’worm speak\’ that uses chemicals to communicate

A species of small, transparent roundworms have a highly evolved language in which they combine chemical fragments to create precise molecular messages that control social behavior, reports a new study from the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) at Cornell and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The research, published in the January issue of PLoS Biology […] … learn more→

A small bill in the US, a giant impact for research worldwide

Over the Christmas period, a short Bill was introduced into the US House of Representatives. The Research Works Act aims to make it illegal to require researchers to make their work publicly available. If passed, Australian researchers and the public will lose access to a considerable amount of US research. This Bill is a direct […] … learn more→

Big trees face ‘dire future’

Already on the decline worldwide, big trees face a dire future according to James Cook University’s Distinguished Professor William Laurance. Writing in New Scientist magazine, Professor Laurance said that the world’s \”biggest and most magnificent\” trees face a range of threats. Reviewing research from forests around the world, he said that there was evidence of […] … learn more→

For the electric car, a slow road to success

For the electric car, a slow road to success

The big electric car launches of 2011 failed to generate the consumer excitement that some had predicted. But as new battery technologies emerge and tougher mileage standards kick in, automakers and analysts still believe that electric vehicles have a bright future. … learn more→

Cash can\’t buy creativity

An open, supportive and stimulating workplace is more important than pay or bonuses in driving the success of fast-growth small-to-medium enterprises, an RMIT University study has shown. The survey of 253 owners, founders and CEOs of Australia\’s fastest-growing SMEs found workplaces that encouraged open communication, experimentation and risk-taking among employees were more learning oriented – […] … learn more→

The mathematics of taste

The design of aromas — the flavors of packaged food and drink and the scents of cleaning products, toiletries and other household items — is a multibillion-dollar business. The big flavor companies spend tens of millions of dollars every year on research and development, including a lot of consumer testing. But making sense of taste-test […] … learn more→

Women report feeling pain more intensely than men, says study of electronic records

Women report more-intense pain than men in virtually every disease category, according to Stanford University School of Medicine investigators who mined a huge collection of electronic medical records to establish the broad gender difference to a high level of statistical significance. Their study, published online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Pain, suggests that stronger […] … learn more→

Status within groups can affect IQ

Our cognitive abilities and decision-making skills can be dramatically hindered in social settings where we feel that we are being ranked or assigned a status level, such as classrooms and work environments, according to new findings from a team of researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and four other institutions. The finding flies […] … learn more→