Learn about how debate can be good for brainstorms; a little rodent that can teach humans how to love; and the surprising things you can find in libraries, with special guest Alex Lent. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com — with some help from librarian Alex Lent — to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: For the Best Brainstorms, Think "Yes, But, And..." — https://curiosity.im/31KbBHS This Little Rodent Mates for Life. Can It Teach Humans How to Love? — https://curiosity.im/2KlAHH8 More from Alex Lent: Follow @AlexLent on Twitter — https://twitter.com/alexlent Peabody Institute Library website — https://www.danverslibrary.org/ Alex Lent’s official website — http://www.alexlent.org/ 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 how debate can be good for brainstorms; a little rodent that can teach humans how to love; and the surprising things you can find in libraries, with special guest Alex Lent.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com — with some help from librarian Alex Lent — to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
More from Alex Lent:
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/surprising-things-in-libraries-w-alex-lent-better-brainstorming-tips-and-prairie-vole-love
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 how debate can be good for brainstorms; and, a little rodent that can teach humans how to love. You’ll also learn about the surprising things you can find in libraries, with special guest Alex Lent.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
For the Best Brainstorms, Think "Yes, But, And..." — https://curiosity.im/31KbBHS (Cody)
Research suggests you might be brainstorming wrong. If you’ve ever taken an improv class like I have, then you’ve heard the phrase “yes, and.” It’s the idea that you say YES to whatever idea you just heard, AND then you build on it. Well this idea also shows up in the business world in brainstorming sessions, where you may have learned that “there’s no such thing as a bad idea.” Sound familiar? Well, after years of watching this advice cycle through businesses both big and small, scientists have started to think it could use some revision. For more than 15 years, scientific research has actually shown that dissent, debate, and competing views can spur creativity, not hinder it. Positivity is great, but criticism might be, too. Way back in 2004, researchers from UC Berkeley tested whether debate was good for creativity. The team conducted studies with groups in both the United States and France, and asked groups of five to come up with ideas for how to reduce traffic congestion in San Francisco or Paris. Some groups were told to “yes, and” each other and not criticize any ideas, and the other groups were specifically told to debate and criticize. A control group was just asked to come up with ideas, with no additional instructions. The findings were pretty straightforward: in both countries, debate was better for brainstorming. As the researchers analyzed their findings, they saw that giving permission to debate and criticize had led to significantly more ideas than did problem solving with no extra instructions — not so for the "yes, and..." groups. Both groups came up with roughly the same number of ideas during the session, but they were asked to write down additional ideas after the discussion, and the participants in the debate situation came up with more. Now, this research does NOT mean that willy-nilly arguing and spiteful comments are productive. Instead, critique should be used with care and discipline. Don’t just say “no” — say “yes, BUT, and.” Avoid phrases like “this doesn’t work” or “that’s unclear.” Instead, be specific. If you think an idea won't work, explain the problem clearly and then suggest an improvement. If you don't understand the idea, be precise about what's confusing, and then suggest possible interpretations. And when your own ideas are criticized, tap into a growth mindset. Listen with curiosity to your colleagues' suggestions, and remember that your idea could be even more powerful when combined with someone else's perspective. Critique could end up being the highest form of creativity. [ad lib]
This Little Rodent Mates for Life. Can It Teach Humans How to Love? — https://curiosity.im/2KlAHH8 (Ashley)
If you want a good relationship role model, look no further than the prairie vole. These adorable creatures don't just mate for life; they also have surprisingly egalitarian relationships, splitting parental duties and nest-building tasks equally. It's easy to understand why they're such a popular test subject for scientists studying social behavior. And a 2013 study uncovered a clue as to why these mousy creatures are so faithful: The act of mating actually changes their genes.
Scientists know that the neurotransmitters oxytocin and vasopressin are big drivers of pair-bonding, both in humans and in voles. They also know that partnered prairie voles have higher levels of those chemicals than voles who have yet to mate.
But if mating causes the release of these neurotransmitters, how does this kick into a higher gear for the rest of the animal's life?
This question prompted a 2013 study, published in the journal Nature. Researchers gathered voles who had been together for six hours but hadn't mated, and injected some of the voles' brains with trichostatin A (or TSA). That’s a drug that blocks an enzyme that usually prevents gene expression. They found that, even though they hadn't mated and they’d only been together for a few hours, the voles treated with TSA formed pair bonds — and, tellingly, had higher levels of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors. When they compared the brains of TSA-treated voles with the brains of voles who had mated, they found similar patterns. This told the researchers that mating actually changes the expression of genes that code for those neurotransmitters.
Okay, so what does this mean for humans? It suggests that once you're in love, your brain may be forever changed. If what's true of voles is true of humans, epigenetic changes take that cocktail of chemicals that flooded your brain when you fell in love and keep them going. Your sweetie may have changed your life, but they may have also changed your genes.
[NHTSA]
CODY: Today’s episode is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Everyone knows about the risks of driving drunk. You could get in a crash, or people could get hurt or killed.
ASHLEY: But let’s take a moment to look at some surprising statistics. Almost 29 people in the United States die every day in alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes. That’s one person every 50 minutes. Even though drunk-driving fatalities have fallen by a third in the last three decades,
drunk driving crashes still claim more than 10,000 lives each year.
CODY: Drunk driving can have a big impact your wallet, too. You could get arrested and have to deal with huge legal expenses. You could even lose your job.
ASHLEY: So, what can you do to prevent drunk driving? For starters, you can plan a safe ride home BEFORE you start drinking.
CODY: Or designate a sober driver, or call a taxi. And if someone you know has been drinking, take their keys and arrange for them to get a sober ride home.
ASHLEY: We all know the consequences of driving drunk. But one thing’s for sure… You’re wrong if you think it’s no big deal.
CODY: Drive sober or get pulled over.
Alex Lent - The surprising things you can find in libraries [1:40] (Both)
ASHLEY: If you haven’t been to your local library lately, then you are missing out. And that’s according to a guy who knows a thing or two about libraries. Alex Lent is the Director of the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers in Massachussetts, and Founder and Coordinator of the Library Directors Group. And he’s fighting against the misconception that libraries are just places where you go to check out old books. Here’s what he told us.
[CLIP 1:40]
CODY: Alex told us that here in the U.S., there are more public libraries than there are Starbucks coffee shops. (Starbucks has about 14-thousand locations, but there are about 16-thousand public library buildings.) And libraries are visited about 1.5 billion times each year, which is higher than the annual attendance of all major league baseball, basketball, football, and hockey games combined. If you’re not one of those library visitors, then what are you waiting for? The average American lives just a couple miles away from their nearest library, and definitely worth the price of admission… which is free, by the way. Again, Alex Lent is the Director of the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers in Massachussetts, and you can find more from him in today’s show notes.
ASHLEY: And now, let’s recap what we learned today. Today we learned that you can brainstorm better by using the phrase “yes, BUT, and”
CODY: And that the act of mating can literally change your genes
ASHLEY: And that you can check out a lot of cool things at your local library, from sewing machines to ukeleles
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Stay curious!