Новости за 18.06.2016

Angela Lee Duckworth argues in her “blockbuster” self-help book, Grit, that will-power and character are the great drivers of success, more so than innate talent. Her message is inspiring, and comforting — and wrong. “While innate ability is far from the only contributor to success, it is probably the best predictor of it. This is particularly true of cognitive ability. On average, people with higher intelligence earn more money, are healthier, live longer, and are less likely to die in ­traffic... Читать дальше...

West Point psychology professor Lt. Col. Dave Grossman explains how mind and body behave reflexively in combat. “The moment an engagement kicks off, the body initiates a dramatic response, beginning with the circulatory system, which immediately shunts blood away from the body surface.” This redirection of blood reduces bleeding from wounds during battle; it also shuts down the forebrain. “There is no rational thought. The midbrain is in charge, and you’ll do what you’ve been trained to do”

Earplugs reduce noise by about 30 decibels — useful against the background din of an armoured vehicle or a helicopter, essential against the 187-decibel boom of an anti-tank weapon that can bring permanent hearing loss in a single second. The problem is that earplugs also prevent soldiers from understanding orders and noticing signs of danger: “If this were a natural hearing loss, we’d be questioning whether they’re still deployable. If that’s not insanity, I don’t know what is”

The future of work, Amazon edition. Amazon bought the robotics company Kiva in 2012 and began deploying Kiva robots in Amazon warehouses in late 2014. “The click-to-ship cycle used to be around 60-75 minutes when employees had manually to sift through the stacks, pick the product, pack it, and ship it. Now, robots handle the same job in 15 minutes”. The robots also take up less space: A Kiva-equipped warehouse can hold 50% more inventory per square foot