Learn about a surprisingly low-tech fix to the problem of sleep-deprived teens; how you can use the Pareto Principle to help you achieve your goals; and three tips for thinking more creatively. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Neuroscientists Identify a Surprising Low-Tech Fix to the Problem of Sleep-Deprived Teens — https://curiosity.im/2s7m1BA The Pareto Principle Can Save You Time And Help You Achieve Your Goals — https://curiosity.im/2LO54VI To Tap Into Your Creativity, Try Diffuse Thinking — https://curiosity.im/2LMO8Px If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Learn about a surprisingly low-tech fix to the problem of sleep-deprived teens; how you can use the Pareto Principle to help you achieve your goals; and three tips for thinking more creatively.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom
Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/achieve-goals-with-the-pareto-principle-how-to-think-creatively-and-a-simple-sleep-fix
CODY: Hi! We’re here from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about a surprisingly low-tech fix to the problem of sleep-deprived teens; how you can use the Pareto Principle to help you achieve your goals; and three tips for thinking more creatively.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity on the award
Neuroscientists Identify a Surprising Low-Tech Fix to the Problem of Sleep-Deprived Teens — https://curiosity.im/2s7m1BA (Cody)
If you’re like me, you did not get enough sleep when you were a teenager. And hey, we’re not alone: recent estimates suggest that roughly half of adolescents in the United States are sleep-deprived. Well here’s some good news: Neuroscientists have found a surprisingly low-tech way to help teens get more sleep. Ready for a quick and easy life hack? [Ashley, would this have helped you in high school, or have you always been super responsible and healthy? / ad lib]
CODY: As reported by The Conversation, sleep is really important while you’re growing up. That’s because adolescence is a time for significant brain changes that affect learning, self-control, and emotional systems. Fortunately, the Galván Laboratory for Developmental Neuroscience at UCLA has found a simple solution to the sleep deprivation problem: Provide teens with a good pillow. Seriously. The researchers figured the most important thing for healthy brain development over time would be how many hours of sleep you got. But when they tested that with a study, they found they were wrong. The problem was inconsistent sleep across the school week. In adolescents whose sleep patterns varied by as much as two and a half hours from one night to the next, the researchers saw less development of white matter connections in their brains a year later, when compared to adolescents who slept a more consistent number of hours per night. White matter connections help you process information efficiently and quickly by connecting different regions of your brain. Kinda like the way a highway connects two cities. Like I’ve mentioned, adolescence is an important time for paving all the brain's highways, and this research suggests sleep may be vital for this construction. So what are the primary sleep ingredients that contribute to healthy brain development? The lab designed a study to investigate. They used wristwatch-like monitors called actigraphs to track the sleep quality of high schoolers across Los Angeles, aged 14 to 18. Higher sleep quality, by the way, is defined by fewer awakenings per night. After two weeks, the researchers scanned their brains to measure the connections in the brain involved in self-control, emotion, and reward processing. Better sleep quality meant better brain connectivity, sure — but WHY did they get better sleep? Adolescents who reported greater satisfaction with their bedding and pillows were the ones who had greater sleep quality. The researchers found there’s no perfect pillow — one size does NOT fit all. But if you haven’t been able to get a better night’s sleep using a sleep app or by making your room darker or by cutting down on noise levels, then find yourself a comfy pillow. You can rest easy knowing it can really make a difference.
The Pareto Principle Can Save You Time And Help You Achieve Your Goals — https://curiosity.im/2LO54VI (we did this as the Extra Credit question in the Bryan Davis episode, but can expound) (Ashley)
ASHLEY: If you want to stop wasting time, then you need to know about the Pareto Principle. Are you having a hard time getting something done, but you don’t know where and when you're spinning your wheels? Whether you’re at work or at home, the Pareto Principle can help you get — and keep — the ball rolling. And I promise, it’s easy to remember. You've probably heard of the 80/20 rule, right? This concept states that, in general, 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the actions. Well, this idea came from a philosopher and economist who was born in Italy in 1848. And his name was Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto. Legend has it, Pareto peeked at his pea plants one day and noticed that only 20 percent of the plants in the garden generated 80 percent of the healthy pea pods. Then he looked at all of Italy, and, what do you know? 20 percent of the population owned 80 percent of the country's land. This magic little ratio kept popping up, and boom, Pareto's namesake principle was born. It’s also known as “law of the vital few,” and here’s the underlying lesson: input does not always equal output. And the total won’t ALWAYS add up to 100, so don’t get hung up on the exact numbers. Maybe 20 percent of your employees do 100 percent of the work, for instance. But here are some everyday examples of the Pareto Principle in action: 20% of your home is where you spend 80% of your time; 20% of your apps account for 80% of your smartphone time; and you wear 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time.
CODY: I can DEFINITELY relate to that one.
ASHLEY: Now here’s how you can actually USE this principle. If you're an executive and you see that 20 percent of your workers contribute 80 percent of results, make a point to reward those employees. If you're a small business owner and see that only 20 percent of your customers contribute 80 percent of revenue, focus on satisfying those customers. If you’re working on a project, then maybe instead of spending an hour drafting a paper you’re not sure about, then instead, spend 10 minutes thinking of ideas and then spend 50 minutes writing about the best one. Do what you’ve gotta do, and you can make the Pareto Principle work for you!
CODY: You’re also free to spend 98 percent of your time listening to this podcast, and 2 percent of your time writing a review for Curiosity Daily!
ASHLEY: Right! On Apple Podcasts, your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing, or your favorite podcast app!
To Tap Into Your Creativity, Try Diffuse Thinking — https://curiosity.im/2LMO8Px (Cody)
CODY: If a work problem has you stumped, or you're struggling with writer's block, you might need to rethink how you're thinking. Seriously. There are two main modes of thinking, and one is better for creative work. So today we’re gonna dive into what’s called diffuse thinking.
ASHLEY: We’ll make sure you walk away with three simple tips for getting past your next challenge.
CODY: Right. Let’s back up and talk about your brain first. If the human brain were a car, it would have two basic gears: focused and diffuse. Focused thinking is pretty self-explanatory. It's sort of like thinking in close-up — you're zoomed in on a specific problem, blocking out the rest of the world. This mode is extremely useful for mastering technical skills, like shooting free throws or reducing fractions. You also switch over to focused thought when you're under a lot of stress. If your house is burning down, you focus on the immediate tasks like escaping or calling 911. You’re not thinking about how the fire relates to public policy issues or disco music. Anyway, that’s focused thinking. Then there’s diffuse thinking. That works in the opposite way. Diffuse thinking zooms OUT instead of focusing on a specific issue. That lets you see the big picture and make loose, general connections. Diffuse thought is key to innovating, reframing intractable problems, and collaborating across departments or disciplines. But you’re dealing with a bit of a Catch-22 when you’re up against certain creative problems. If you’re in school or you’re at work, you usually have to solve creative problems on a deadline. That puts you under stress and triggers focused thought. But there are a few ways you can shift gears.
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