Every week or so Cog Daily surveys their readers on one topic or another and then analyses the results. A couple weeks ago they did a study that I actually participated in. It was their most popular survey to date. They took about 10 curse words and asked people to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being neutral and 10 being extremely offensive. So far they've written two results posts with the possibility of more to come:
(Warning: they use the bad words in the results analyses. So don't link through if you don't want to read them.)
Results post 1
Results post 2
Some of the more interesting results are the inter generational reactions to certain words as well as the gender specific reactions to gender specific bad words.

The other neat thing on Cog daily was this post with a link to this youtube video which has guys in a workshop playing some song from Carmen on table saws, hand saws and power drills. What sets this video apart from other videos of guys in a workshop playing some classic song on table saws, hand saws and power drills, is that at one point they set up several different types of wood with different densities (therefore different pitches when cut) in a row and play a part of the melody that way. I, like the guy from Cog Daily, thought it was pretty neat.

Labels: cognitive daily, curse words, links, scientific study, toolbox classics

Yet another link from Cognitive Daily. If a goal keeper in soccer stands just slightly to one side of the goal there is a good chance that the kicker will aim towards the other corner. Makes sense right? Unfortunately, the keepers tend to not know which side they're on so it doesn't help them decide which way to dive when the ball is shot. What neither cog daily nor the person they're linking to for this study realize is that all the keepers teammates are often in a position to see which side the keeper is standing on just like the kicker. It shouldn't be hard to develop some sort of signal where the coach or teammates let the keeper know which side the kicker is likely to go to, thereby giving the keeper an advantage. Though perhaps the distances involved are so small and the teammates are significantly far enough away so that they too are unable to tell which side the keeper is on. Perhaps they need a tv screen on the bench to watch the zoomed live footage.

Labels: scientific study, soccer

(From Cognitive Daily) Here's a study that confirms what many have been saying for a while. The best way to diet is to put less food on your plate in the first place (also, exercise - but that's not covered here).

Now, if only I could stop myself from ordering dishes based solely on whether or not they come with french fries.

Labels: diet, scientific study