The ability to speak a second language isn’t the only thing that distinguishes bilingual people from their monolingual counterparts—their brains work differently, too. Research has shown, for instance, that children who know two languages more easily solve problems that involve misleading cues. A new study published in Psychological Science reveals that knowledge of a second language—even one learned in adolescence—affects how people read in their native tongue. The findings suggest that after learning a second language, people never look at words the same way again.
via The Neural Advantage of Speaking 2 Languages: Scientific American.
Praise::Oscar best picture nominee ‘Up’ is Pinoy made – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
I’m proud of our kababayan!
Oscar best picture nominee ‘Up’ is Pinoy made
First Posted 15:50:00 02/13/2010
AN ANIMATED feature film nominated in the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood next month was made by Filipinos.
The animated comedy adventure “Up” produced by Disney-Pixar has joined the select list of nominees for best animated picture and best film in the prestigious Oscar awards.
Two Filipino talents Ronnie del Carmen, story supervisor and Ricky Nierva, production designer played key roles in the production of “Up.”
via Oscar best picture nominee ‘Up’ is Pinoy made – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.
rePost::The Science of Sport: Exercise and weight loss
Then there is plenty of evidence that shows how physical activity improves health – blood pressure, lung and heart function, cholesterol (lipid) profiles, insulin sensitivity, muscle and bone strength, and so forth. These studies even challenge the notion that weight loss should be a focal point for people who are exercising. They suggest that it is better to be fit, even if you are overweight, than it is to be within normal weight and unfit or inactive. However, this did not feature at all in the article.
via The Science of Sport: Exercise and weight loss.
rePost::» Blog Archive » Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving What You Do » Study Hacks
Working Right
Research reveals that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are the key to loving what you do. So how do you get them? There are different answers to this question, but the strategy that I keep emphasizing on Study Hacks has two clear steps:
1. Master a skill that is rare and valuable.
2. Cash in the career capital this generates for the right rewards.
The world doesn’t owe you happiness. Your boss has no reason to let you choose your own projects, or spend one week out of every four writing a novel at your beach house. These rewards are valuable. To earn them, you must accumulate your own career capital by mastering a skill that’s equally rare and valuable.
It’s important, however, that you cash in this capital, once accumulated, for the right rewards. The word “right,” in this context, is defined by the traits of SDT. In other words, once you have something valuable to offer, use it to gain as much autonomy, competence, and relatedness as you can possibly cram into your life.
via Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving What You Do.
rePost:: Places Not to Be Gay: Malawi Edition ::wronging rights
Places Not to Be Gay: Malawi Edition
Last week, police in Malawi arrested 21 year old Peter Sawali for putting up posters reading “Gay rights are human rights” in response to the public indecency trial of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga. (The two men face up to 14 years in prison for attempting to marry.)
Apparently, the government believed Monjeza and Chimbalanga were Malawi's only gays, so imagine their surprise to be confronted with a well-organized gay rights campaign secretly producing and distributing “expertly and expensively printed” posters and leaflets. The authorities have announced that whoever is doing it had better reveal themselves so that they can be arrested too.
I'm thinking given how poorly Malawi has treated the two gays they've got, it's not likely anyone's going to respond to the request “if there are others, let them come out in the open.” When will governments learn that gays are a privilege, not a right?
via wronging rights: Places Not to Be Gay: Malawi Edition.
rePost::Reddit, I got the best present a girl developer could ever want. : programming
This was a sweet story. Read the whole thing
So, to give you a little background me and this guy went on a few dates and he moved far away. We got along well, things didn’t get very far. He is really nice, however, I wasn’t leaning one way or the other.
He sent me the Post Secret books for xmas. He hinted at another present, but said I had to wait. It’s a little after Christmas, but I got this email yesterday with the title “I wanted to make something for you for Christmas”:
“So I told the computer, and it showed me how to write a poem in byte-form. I can’t tell what you’re thinking these days, but this will either remind you of something that was good, or send you off.”
It included a link to a poem.zip file, which I downloaded. Inside, there was a file called magicfile with no extension and a ReadMe that said:
via Reddit, I got the best present a girl developer could ever want. : programming.
rePost::» What’s Coming Next? » The Simple Dollar
Loved reading this.
What can’t I imagine happening next?
Here’s the truth: an awful lot of lives go through the same progression as my own. Not in the sense of the specific things that change, but in that the specifics of their life change so drastically in even a few years. And we don’t see it coming, either.
At each of those times above, I thought my future would go on more or less the same way that it was going right then. I was repeatedly wrong.
The best thing you can do with your money and with your skills is prepare for change. Why? Because things will change.
via The Simple Dollar » What’s Coming Next?.
rePost:: Announcing Mission Blue: A TED Prize wish :: TED Blog
I Pray some parts of the Philippines become protected areas through this TED Prize.
From the TED Prize session: Mission Blue is the name for an ambitious, overarching project to create marine protected areas.
It’s powered by Sylvia Earle’s 2009 TEDPrize wish: “I wish you would use all means at your disposal — films! expeditions! the web! more! — to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”
via TED Blog: Announcing Mission Blue: A TED Prize wish.
Elink Video:: Derek Siver's Commencement Speech
Derek Sivers speech to Berklee College of Music to first-year students on opening day : September 5, 2008.
Nice short speech, Watch it !
rePost::Zero rupee note that Indians can slip to corrupt officials who demand bribes Boing Boing
Maybe someone could do something like this for us Filipino. I’d definitely buy a reasonably priced note.
An Indian U of Maryland physics prof came up with these zero rupee notes that Indians can slip to officials who demand bribes. They’ve been wildly successful, with a total run over over 1,000,000 notes, and the reports from the field suggest that they shock grafters into honesty. Fifth Pillar is the NGO that produces the notes, and they’re available for download in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
via Zero rupee note that Indians can slip to corrupt officials who demand bribes Boing Boing.