1470157071000

cogdis

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Can You Trust Yourself to Make Healthful Food Choices When You're Ordering on a Touchscreen?

If you've eaten at a Chili's, Uno Pizzeria, or Applebee's in recent years, you might have encountered a touchscreen menu: a tablet from which you can select your order instead of talking to a server. Uno found that installing touchscreen menus in some restaurants pushed their dessert sales up by 30 percent, Planet Money reported last year. “One theory is that customers feel like waiters will judge them if they order dessert right after they've eaten a huge pizza,” said reporter Stacey Vanek Smith, whereas a machine won't judge them.

In a paper soon to be published in the Journal of Marketing Research, a trio of researchers offer an alternate explanation: Using touchscreens to select food makes us feel like we are actually reaching toward that food to grab it, which makes us more likely to select “affect-laden products” (like cheesecake) than “cognitively superior products” (like fruit salad). Hao Shen and Meng Zhang of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Aradhna Krishna of the University of Michigan found that university students in Hong Kong were more likely to choose hypothetical junk food over hypothetical healthier options when they used a touchscreen than when they used a desktop computer with a mouse. Interestingly, the effect also held when the researchers compared touching a touchscreen to using a stylus on a touchscreen. It was the act of touching the screen that apparently triggered hedonistic choices, rather than the convenience or interface of the touchscreen.

A few caveats are necessary: The studies used a small sample size in each phase of the study, between 85 and 228 students. Some of the students participated for extra credit, and the others were paid the equivalent of $1.30, which means they might not have had much of an incentive to take the study seriously. And the effect of touching the touchscreen was not huge: 95 percent of people using a touchpad selected hypothetical cheesecake over hypothetical fruit salad, but so did 73 percent of people using a desktop computer. Yes, the touchscreen apparently lowered people's resistance to the cheesecake, but most people were going to choose cheesecake no matter what.

This isn't the first (or last) study to attempt to tease out how external factors can affect what and how much we eat. Think of all those studies on whether plate size affects consumption, or a recent study showing that people make healthier food choices when they eat under bright lights. These kinds of studies are useful for the food service industry, which can use findings like this to bolster sales of items with a high profit margin. (It's no coincidence that the researchers behind the touchscreen study are professors of marketing.) These studies are also useful for regulators who want to understand how food manufacturers and vendors exploit consumers' unconscious weaknesses. They're also arguably just plain interesting, even if their conclusions ought to be taken with a grain of salt.

But I worry that studies like this play into a larger cultural narrative—one that also gets pushed by the diet industry, often onto women—that people just can't trust themselves around food, that our instincts will lead us astray. A person who is concerned about his or her eating habits or weight might read about this study and conclude, “Oh god, I won't be able to control myself if I follow my gut; my intuition is trying to undermine me.” This is the harmful notion that underpins most eating disorders. It's self-evident that external factors affect what one eats, but that doesn't mean that eating healthfully requires rigidly counting every calorie so that you don't fall prey to touchscreens or big plates or dim lighting. People can trust your gut if they eat when they're hungry, stop eating when they're full, and pay attention to how different foods make them feel. If you're not used to eating intuitively, this is really hard, and even scary, at first—but once you get the hang of it, the possibility that a touchscreen might have a small influence on your order won't freak you out. And neither will the possibility that you might sometimes choose cheesecake over fruit salad.

cogdis

1470157067000

cogdis

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Peter Pan was pioneering work of child psychology, claims new study

JM Barrie's boy who never grew up shows the author understood key aspects of infant cognition decades ahead of academics, argues neuroscientist

JM Barrie might be most famous for his classic story of a flying boy who never grows up, but the author was also far ahead of his time when it came to cognitive psychology, according to a Cambridge academic who argues in a new book that the Peter Pan author's whimsical stories deliberately explore the nature of cognition.

Neuroscientist Rosalind Ridley, of Newnham College in Cambridge, claims in the just-published Peter Pan and the Mind of JM Barrie that the author's work identifies key stages of child development. One scene she spotlights in Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, published in 1906, sees a girl giving a tearful Peter her handkerchief, which he is confused by. “So she showed him, that is to say she wiped her eyes, and then gave it back to him, saying: ‘Now you do it,' but instead of wiping his own eyes he wiped hers, and she thought it would be best to pretend that this is what she had meant,” writes Barrie.

Continue reading...
cogdis

1470155957000

gaia

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http://redirect.viglink.com?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fjeff-biggers%2Fiowa-city-climate-action_b_11303804.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dgreen%26ir%3DGreen&key=ddaed8f51db7bb1330a6f6de768a69b8
Iowa City Climate Action Plan: Creating a Regenerative City in the Heartland
In the face of the "rapid onset" of 1,000-year floods, as reported by Slate meteorologist Eric Holthaus on the recent deluge in Maryland and West Virginia, should flood-prone river towns like Iowa City pursue incremental and piecemeal sustainability efforts or take the lead in setting out a "regenerative city" climate action plan?

For numerous Iowa City advocates, experts and innovators, who have held public Ecopolis Forums over the past two years on regenerative city initiatives, it's time for Iowa City to rethink, re-evaluate and re-imagine the ways it deals with energy, food, transit and biodiversity restoration--and turn its recently passed Regenerative City Proclamation into a climate action plan.

Eight years after the historic Iowa River flood swamped the city and left behind an estimated $1 billion in area damages, the city of Iowa City is investing $60 million in raising a "gateway" transit route only one foot above the 100-year flood level, and planning to hire an outside facilitator for a newly formed Climate Change Task Force, in order to draw up recommendations for 2018 and build on its STAR sustainability rating. Iowa City earned a 40 out of 100 rating on key Climate and Energy STAR benchmarks.

An Iowa City climate action plan based on a regenerative city framework, which seeks to create a restorative relationship between cities, local habitat and natural resources, could include some of the following measures:

Bringing Climate Action to the Public Commons
From public art, such as the proposed solar tree by the 100 Grannies, to educational city showcases, such as solar panels on City Hall, pesticide-free signs posted on public commons, orchards planted on city-owned lots, or a Climate Action and Education Center in the Riverfront Park, Iowa City officials need to actively promote public events, workshops and community discussions on how climate action is "a central priority in strategic planning" and daily life, as declared in the Regenerative City Proclamation.

Urban planning must no longer be the exclusive domain of a handful of city staff and stakeholders, but a process for public participation that brings together policy makers, entrepreneurs and the civil society. Transparency is key to this component; for example, while the city of Iowa City solicited a power purchase agreement proposal for a solar energy installation on City Hall nearly two years ago, which included a zero down and zero incremental cost option over 30 years, the proposal was never discussed in public forums.

Climate Action Partnerships
A true Iowa City climate action plan must be developed with the University of Iowa, the Iowa City Community School District, the adjoining city of Coralville, and Johnson County.

Incubating Green Jobs and Green Business
As the home of the University of Iowa, Iowa City should establish green enterprise zones, provide support and assistance for green job clusters and start-ups, and set benchmarks to significantly expand the number of green jobs in the areas of energy efficiency, green building design and construction, local food and farming, technology and design.

Big Grove: Soil Carbon Sequestration Campaign
While Adelaide, Australia planted 3 million trees as part of its regenerative city initiative, Iowa City should work with its area partners to plant 400,000 trees over the next 4 years, led by the expertise of nationally acclaimed Iowa City farmer and permaculture expert Grant Schultz and Versaland, which recently released this video production on planting 10,000 trees:

Establish Riverfront Crossings District as an EcoDistrict
As a follow up to a recent ordinance mandating inclusionary zoning in the Riverfront Crossings District, which was devastated during 2008 flood, Iowa City should pass a similar series of ordinances for walkability measures, public transit and biking, and requirements for all new buildings to be carbon neutral or include geothermal and photovoltaic solar panels; built-in recycling and composting; integrated edible landscaping; and water infiltration features surrounded by food-bearing plants.

The proposed Riverfront Park, in a city with abundant opportunities for grass and shade trees, should be developed as a showcase for local food, biodiversity and river restoration education.

Net Zero Energy Buildings, Energy Efficiency and Solar Mandates
While Iowa City, like much of Iowa, receives 31% of its electricity from wind energy production, Iowa City should take the lead in promoting Net Zero Energy Building development, and adopt two goals: a requirement for 25 percent of municipal energy use and new building permits to be provided by on-site renewable energy (solar, geothermal) within 2020; and a 2030 Challenge requirement for all new buildings and existing innovation projects to be designed and built to meet energy efficiency standards of 70 percent below the regional average EUI for that building type.

Local Food: 40% by 2020
Given that Iowa City's community gardens can be counted on one hand, compared to Chicago's 800-plus urban farms, and roughly 90% of all food is imported, Iowa City must revamp antiquated zoning policies for urban farming, support the development of a food hub, provide financial assistance for local food business and community garden expenses, and require public and private institutions that receive funding from the City of Iowa City to purchase at a minimum of 40% of their food from local sources.

Similarly, a New Iowans Food and Farm Project could provide city-owned lots and assistance to the growing immigrant community with extensive agricultural backgrounds, such the as Sudanese community, who are actively looking to expand local food markets.

Zero Waste Ordinance
Building on Iowa City's excellent reycling and reuse endeavors, including forthcoming changes in mandatory apartment recycling, Iowa City should pass a Zero Waste Ordinance with the goal of generating new materials and compost from 85 percent of its waste by 2025.

Wheels and Walking: Transit
Iowa City is currently pursuing a goal to achieve a gold-level designation from the League of American Bicyclists. While 20% of commuters in the university town walk or bike, less than 10% opt for mass transit. Iowa City should continue to set walkability and bike-ability benchmarks, like Copenhagen, where 50% of all commute trips are made by bicycle, and bicycles outnumber residents, 560,000 bicycles to 520,000 inhabitants.

As the White House noted this spring, "climate change poses a serious danger to public health -- worse than polio in some respects -- and will strike especially hard at pregnant women, children, low-income people and communities of color."

It's time for cities, like Iowa City, to no longer delay on climate action. It's time for Iowa City to put its resources behind local innovators, overhaul old ordinances, and turn its Regenerative City Proclamation into an action plan.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

gaia

1470148853000

science

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How Do Our Brains Process Another Person's Gaze?
How do we know when someone is looking at us? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answer by Paul King, Computational Neuroscientist, on Quora.

There are several things going on when you see someone looking at you, all of which happen very quickly.

This applies to actually seeing someone looking at you, not "sensing it" from behind or in the periphery.

Primates (including humans) are unique in the degree to which the eyeball can move around in the eye socket. This allows visual attention to be shifted quickly without physically moving the head.

Primates and certain other mammals can tell when another animal is looking at them, but humans are particularly good at doing this from a distance. In fact, humans have the added ability to be able to tell where someone is looking, even when it is not at them.

It is easy to see why this skill confers an evolutionary advantage: By being able to do this, you can essentially "read out" the location of another animal's attention. If you are a social animal, and the one looking at you is a superior, you'd better behave. Or if it is an inferior, you are being challenged and need to respond so you don't lose your place in the status hierarchy. For humans, knowing where another human is looking allows you to read their mind regarding what they are thinking about. This is invaluable when trying to learn language, since it allows you to pair particular words with particular objects in the environment. Pointing is also effective for this.

So, how do we do it?

Detecting the direction of gaze has to do with noticing the relative location of the dark spot of the eye (the pupil and iris) in the context of the whites of the eye. The differential size and location of the white region shows where the eye is pointed. And if the pupil is exactly in the middle with equal white regions on each side, then the eyes are looking at you. We can see this from across the room. Head direction also provides a cue, which is primarily determined by where the region of the two eyes and the nose are relative to oval face region, with hair as another reference marker. When the head is turned, the brain has to do some geometry to determine gaze direction from both head angle and relative eye angle.

Figure: Ratio of dark to light region of eye reveals direction of gaze. Bottom row: Location of facial features relative to head reveals head orientation. The visual system combines head orientation and eye orientation to calculate direction of gaze.

There is an additional effect that happens when "eyes meet". When you look at someone and they look back, you have the feeling that your gaze was met. This can feel uncomfortable, and the person who was "caught" often quickly looks away. This effect is caused by a feedback loop. The second person to make eye contact sees immediately that the first person is looking at them. The first person realizes they were "discovered" and responds often according to perceived relative status or confidence. There is also the mutual knowing that eyes met, which becomes a shared event establishing a transient relationship.

The meeting of gaze helps people recognize each other. You may think you recognize someone, but if they seem to think they recognize you too by not looking away, then the odds are greater that you are both correct. The visual systems of both individuals thus collaborate to establish mutual recognition. This happens quickly and subconsciously, allowing the social exchange to move forward toward acknowledging each other. If one person doesn't acknowledge back, it becomes an awkward case of mistaken identity.

Public speakers use the illusion of eye contact to create emotional intimacy with the audience. When people learn public speaking, they are told to glance around the room as they talk. This creates the illusion of intermittent eye contact with as many people in the room as possible, which allows the audience to feel that the speaker is talking to them personally, creating a feeling of intimacy with the speaker.

When TV newscasters deliver the news, they want the audience to have the impression they are talking to them. To accomplish this, they talk to the camera lens as if it was a person. In movies, actors avoid looking at the camera so that the audience never experiences mutual eye contact with them, preserving the feeling that the viewer is invisible. To look at the camera is called "breaking the fourth wall."

This question originally appeared on Quora. - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

science

1470148130000

design

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https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/1-7-august-2016/robert-welch-campden-toast-rack-reissued-limited-edition-run/
Robert Welch Campden toast rack reissued in limited edition run

Robert Welch Designs has reproduced the six-slice Campden toast rack in a limited edition run to mark the product's 60th anniversary.

The new edition of the Campden toast rack is £40 and is available to buy from the new Design Museum shop in London.

There are only 600 copies of the reissued toast rack available, which are numbered and come with a replicate of its original packaging.

The Campden is a simple, stainless steel toast rack, which was first produced for kitchenware company Old Hall, where Welch was consultant designer.

It was first produced in 1956 in four and six-slice options, and remained in manufacture until 1982, when it was discontinued.

It was one of three award-winning products Welch produced for Old Hall, alongside a range of 22 dishes and the distinctive Alveston range of cutlery, known for its inverted or “hollow” handles, which aim to provide balance.

The toast rack was part of the Campden collection, which included saucepans, candle holders, a coffee set, cutlery and salt and pepper shakers.

It was also exhibited as a single item, seen at Robert's first solo exhibition at Foyle's Art Gallery in 1956, and received a Council of Industrial Design award in 1957, where it was described as having “elegant and ingenious construction”. The toast rack was also included in the council's annual Design of the Year exhibition in 1958.

The Campden range's simple aesthetic made it unique in the 1950s, as Welch's designs conveyed a rawness and realism while other manufacturers adopted ornate styles.

It was named after the designer's design studio based on the top floor of the Old Silk Mill in Chipping Campden, the Cotswolds, which he set up in 1955.

Alongside the Design Museum, the reissued toast rack is also available to buy from the Robert Welch website, or from the Robert Welch shops in Chipping Campden and Bath, and the Compton Verney shop in Warwickshire.

All photos © Robert Welch.

The post Robert Welch Campden toast rack reissued in limited edition run appeared first on Design Week.

design

1470148125000

design

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Design is still one of the fastest growing creative industries in the UK, report shows

The creative industries are growing faster than any other business sector across the majority of the UK, with design outstripping the likes of advertising, architecture and film, according to a new report.

The Geography of Creativity, produced by charities Nesta and Creative England, highlights the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) findings that the Gross Value Added for the creative industries was £81.4 billion in 2014.

Within these industries, the report finds that the design sub-sector alongside software and digital businesses has some of the highest rates of growth.

Number of businesses, turnover and employment rates

Comparing data from 2007 to 2014 from sources including the Office for National Statistics, the report shows that businesses within the design industry have an average growth rate of over 20%, and over 30% when viewed in terms of turnover and employment rates.

While London is shown to be the dominant location in most creative sub-sectors responsible for 40% of jobs and a third of creative businesses the report also highlights smaller hotspots of creative activity thriving across the rest of the UK as well.

One in five clusters in the North of England

In total the report counts a total of 47 “creative clusters” all over the country. It suggests that around one in five of these are in the North of England, with Scotland and Wales also identified as having “thriving creative ecossytems”.

The report differentiates between “creative cities” such as Glasgow, Manchester and Brighton which tend to have highly diversified creative industries, while “creative conurbations” including Slough and High Wycombe are generally more specialised.

“Less hip” creative clusters emerging

“These clusters specialising in a smaller number of creative sub-sectors with a high technology component may be less ‘hip' than creative cities like Brighton, Liverpool and Glasgow, but our research suggests they make significant economic contributions,” according to the report.

“In particular, they are associated with larger-sized creative businesses, and potentially higher levels of business productivity.”

More support needed at local and national levels

Despite the high levels of growth and productivity among creative sectors such as design, the report also suggests that more support ought to be offered to creative businesses on both a local and national level.

“Over half of Local Enterprise Partnerships fail to even mention the creative industries in their strategy plans. We hope that the evidence that we have presented in this report…will persuade some of them to…take action to boost the creative industries growth that is taking place on their doorstep,” says the report.

“We also believe that national and devolved governments can play a more active role to scale up creative clusters outside London and the South East, with well-resourced, locally relevant interventions along the lines of Nesta's previous recommendations.”

“Power of the creative industries to drive jobs and prosperity”

Caroline Norbury, chief executive of Creative England, adds: “This report clearly shows the power of the creative industries to drive jobs and prosperity not only in London and the south east, but in communities across the UK.

“”It is more crucial now than perhaps ever before, that we work together to make sure our creative industries are equipped to play their part in driving a strong economy and maintaining our position as a world leader in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”

The post Design is still one of the fastest growing creative industries in the UK, report shows appeared first on Design Week.

design

1470148123000

design

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https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/1-7-august-2016/beijing-2022-olympic-winter-games-seeks-logo-designer/
Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games seeks logo designer

"Screen — Beijing students celebrate the first anniversary of the 2022 bid at the Beijing Olympic Tower

The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has announced it is looking for expressions of interest for the logo design of both competitions.

The games are set to take place in Beijing and Zhangijakou in 2022. At an event to mark the one-year anniversary of Beijing winning the bid, the organising committee set out broad proposals for the identity competition.

“Demonstrating the Chinese image to the world”

Both Olympic and Paralympic identities will need to reference the Beijing event and broader Chinese culture, according to the committee, which hopes the identity will be “globally accepted” and “demonstrate the Chinese image to the world.”

The identity will need to capture the Olympic and Paralympic spirit and embody the culture and values of the host city and country. Furthermore the logos need to be inspiring and show that they can be recognised by domestic and international communities, according to organisers.

Designs will need to stand up to the requirements of TV broadcasters, visual effects and digital platforms.

Key words and phrases

A series of key words and phrases have been given as broad guidelines for designers. These include running the Games in a “green, open, shared and honest manner”, the idea of “millions of people participating in winter sports,” as well as sustainable development and cues such as “cohesion, sport, strength,” and “world, reunion, festival”.

There are currently no detailed briefing documents available. The organising committee says that the “technical documents” will be “available to the public shortly”.

At the time of publication The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was unable to confirm whether it was looking for professional designers to bid.

The post Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games seeks logo designer appeared first on Design Week.

design

1470148023000

culture

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99U and Behance are Hiring a Creative Events Manager

At 99U, our mission of empowering the creative community community encompasses more than this very site. If it's helpful to you, our readers, we want to be there. It's in that spirit that 99U and our sister site Behance produce industry-leading live events. And for the first time, we are looking for an experienced Creative Events Manager to spearhead these efforts.

We're on the hunt for a Type A personality who loves every part of the event planning process — especially the parts that involve a top-flight attendee experience — and is excited at the prospect of expanding two of our favorite efforts: our yearly 99U Conference and our Behance Portfolio Reviews. Our live events are the crown jewel of the 99U and Behance missions, a chance to serve an amazing creative community with speakers, workshops, organizers, and parties head and shoulders above any other conference on Earth.

Candidly, this role requires lots of experience executing large events. The idea of negotiating a six-figure venue contract while curating and coaching world-renowned speakers while charting the perfect ticket registration experience should feel like a walk in the park. Sound like you? Read our full description below for more.

—

99U is Adobe's Webby-award winning publication whose mission is to provide the “missing curriculum” for building an incredible creative career. Through our daily online articles, best-selling book series, popular quarterly magazine, and yearly sold-out conference, we provide actionable insights that empower the creative community.

The Creative Events Manager will be responsible for managing the current, and developing future, community-facing live events. This is to include the production and curation of Portfolio Review Week and The 99U Conference. This position will also work closely with the Editor and Creative Director of 99U to develop the brand's project roadmap.

99U is a small team, but we punch above our weight class. Each member must be an independent worker, someone who can take end goals and then execute with an extremely high level of autonomy. You must have a passion for organizing flawless events, a love of serving niche communities, a bias towards action, and an ability to work on deadline. We have fun and take a great deal of pride in our work — and you should too.

Responsibilities:

Be the lead on all aspects of organizing our yearly 99U Conference in New York City and our twice-yearly Portfolio Review Weeks.
Curate world-class speakers, workshops, and other editorial programming.
Work with our outside production staff to ensure a flawless execution of all events.
Oversee production of all collateral for 99U and Behance events.
Secure and manage a network of partners, vendors, and sponsors.
Develop and execute new live programming for 99U and Behance.
Manage event budgets and staffing.
Work with 99U Editor in Chief and Creative Director on 99U roadmap.

Requirements:

An obsession with providing unparalleled attendee experiences.
A passion and knowledge of the creative world.
Experience with speaker outreach, preparation, and coaching.
Experience leading or producing large (400 people or more) conferences — bonus points for experience with creative community.
Experience working with professional event producers, technicians, and venue management.
Be located in (or willing to relocate to) New York City.

To apply, send the following to behanceedits@gmail.com:

Your resume.
Links to events you've been involved in.
Any 99U or Behance events you've attended.

culture

Reflect by Jeff Dotson

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” — Mark Twain Model: Claire Dotson

Number of businesses, turnover and employment rates

One in five clusters in the North of England

“Less hip” creative clusters emerging

More support needed at local and national levels

“Power of the creative industries to drive jobs and prosperity”

“Demonstrating the Chinese image to the world”

Key words and phrases

Responsibilities:

Requirements: