We already knew that Starbucks new “Trenta” size was slightly larger than the capacity of the average human stomach (and how this was not really a big idea when you think about what 7-11 and Dunkin Donuts have been doing for years), but now, just for a little dose of extra perspective, Cockeyed demonstrates how the Trenta holds an entire bottle of wine, with 5 oz left over. I think I just figured out my new way to get drunk in the park: wineaccinos! [More]
science
Men Pay More Attention To "Sexier" News Anchors, But Remember Less
By 1.25.11
TV networks try to boost ratings by hiring comely female anchors and dressing them and shooting them in ways to accentuate their visual assets, but a study finds it actually reduces the amount of information recalled by male viewers. The “sexier” the female anchors, the more attention men pay, but the less they remember of what the news was about. [More]
Prof: IKEAs Are Designed Like Pac-Man Mazes To Trick You Into Spending More
By 1.24.11
If you’ve ever strolled through IKEA, you’ve probably gotten the sense that you were in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory — enjoying yourself well enough and fascinated by the sights, but clueless as to how to get the hell out of there. [More]
Learn Better By Studying Less And Taking More Tests
By 1.21.11
If you really want to learn something, stop cracking those books as much and take more tests. That’s the upshot of new research published in the journal Science. In it they had students read a chunk of text and then take a test which required them to recall what they read. A week later, they showed a 50% higher retention rate on the information from the passage than students using other techniques. So if you’re paying for your kids to get tutored, make sure they’re having your child do a healthy mix of practice tests and not just studying. [More]
Starbucks Trenta Slightly Larger Than Average Human Stomach Capacity
By 1.18.11
A graphic is making the rounds comparing the volume of the new Big-Gulp sized Starbucks Trenta and the average capacity of the human stomach. Seems that the Trenta’s 30.9 fluid ounces are slightly more than that of the average adult human’s, 30.4. I don’t really see what the big deal is. Obviously people will just take a break from chugging ice coffee and go to the bathroom and then go back and drink more ice coffee. [More]
Brain Cells In Fear And Rage Sector Change When You Shop
By 1.10.11
Single brain cells become altered in unison when you’re shopping, a new study finds. [More]
Drinking More Makes You Exercise More
By 1.7.11
Scientists aren’t sure why but research shows that people who drink more are more likely to exercise longer and more intensely. [More]
Study Linking Vaccine To Autism Was Fraud, British Medical Journal Reports
By 1.6.11
Blasted almost as soon as it was published, a 1998 study linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism has still managed to scare off hordes of anxious parents from fully vaccinating their children. Now a new investigative report published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) goes further, saying that the study was not only rife with error, but outright fraud, committed for financial gain. [More]
What Is The Most Efficient Checkout Line?
By 12.22.10
This quick video shows how the research by a 19th century German telephone engineer gave us the best checkout line system. As popularized by banks and Whole Foods, that’s the one where one line feeds all the checkout counters instead of people queuing for individual registers. It also goes into why the other lane always seems to be moving faster. It’s not just your perception; in a strange paradox, it is just mathematically more likely that the line you are in is more likely to be moving slower than the others. [More]
Co-workers Give The Worst Christmas Gifts
By 12.16.10
If you think your boss or colleagues have deliberately gone out of their way to bestow the worst possible holiday gifts on you year after year, you’re in good company. According to a new survey from our scientific siblings at Consumer Reports, about 30% of employed adults single out co-workers or bosses as the worst gift-givers. [More]
Eat Less By Imagining You're Eating More
By 12.13.10
If you’re trying to cut back on how much you chow down, before you dig in, try imagining yourself eating much more than is in front of you. A new study found that people who practiced visualizing in this way wind up eating about 2/3 less. [More]
Virus Could Make Batteries Last 10 Times Longer
By 12.9.10
“Virus” and “tobacco” are not two words you usually think of in a positive light, but they could be the secret to making batteries last ten times as long. [More]
Flame Retardants Found In Butter
By 12.9.10
I can’t believe it’s not butter! Well, it’s not. It’s flame retardant, and food researchers found it inside butter they bought from the supermarket. [More]
Jet Lag Can Make You Stupid
By 11.19.10
That fuzzy feeling you get when you cross several timezones? That’s you getting dumber. [More]
Know What Else Doesn't Rot? A Homemade Burger.
By 11.15.10
There’s a bunch of different iterations of people photographing how their McDonald’s burger left out for a long time doesn’t get moldy, and they’ve gotten lots of internet attention. But they all forgot to do something very simple: make a homemade burger and document it alongside. [More]
Study: If You Like Your Sperm, Don't Put Your Laptop On Your Lap
By 11.8.10
Just because they call it a laptop computer doesn’t mean you should put it on your lap — especially if you’re a male who is hoping to reproduce, says a new study. [More]
Junk Food Binges Acts Like Crack On Brain
By 10.19.10
Overdosing on junk food acts like heroin or crack on the brain, a new study finds. [More]
