A dose of female intelligence

Harvard Business Review interviews a research team who have found that increasing the number of women in a team raises group intelligence.

Of course, the findings could also be as accurately described as showing that men make groups more stupid, although the researchers are far too tactful to mention this particular interpretation.

Woolley: We’ve replicated the findings twice now. Many of the factors you might think would be predictive of group performance were not. Things like group satisfaction, group cohesion, group motivation—none were correlated with collective intelligence. And, of course, individual intelligence wasn’t highly correlated, either.

Malone: Before we did the research, we were afraid that collective intelligence would be just the average of all the individual IQs in a group. So we were surprised but intrigued to find that group intelligence had relatively little to do with individual intelligence.

HBR: But gender does play a role?

Malone: It’s a preliminary finding—and not a conventional one. The standard argument is that diversity is good and you should have both men and women in a group. But so far, the data show, the more women, the better.

As a male clinical psychologist, I am now completely accustomed to being intellectually out-gunned by my female colleagues, but it’s important to realise that there’s more to group work than intelligence.

Do we really want a world of better decisions but with fewer dick jokes? Just the thought of it keeps me up at night.

(See?)

Link to article in Harvard Business Review (and don’t miss the podcast).

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New stats! Sebastian Wernicke’s TEDTalk analysis updated

In his legendary presentation “Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics (About TEDTalks),” stats head Sebastian Wernicke breaks down the phrases that make up the highest- and lowest-rated TEDTalks — offering a foolproof blueprint for creating a can’t-possibly-fail TED moment of your own.

To celebrate TED video’s 5th birthday, he’s updated his research to include the first 970 TEDTalks published. Above: note the new optimal duration for your TEDTalk, sorted by keyword. Below: The list of top 10 “good” and “bad” words, based on the highest- and lowest-rated 50 talks in the 970-talk archive. Next, the previous version of this analysis, containing the best and worst possible sentences to say onstage based on the first 525 talks posted to the site. And at bottom, the optimized sentences now.

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“Is this happening? I guess it’s happening”: Our quick Q&A with Joshua Walters

Performer Joshua Walters is based in San Francisco; he capped a several-week road trip this spring by playing the TED Full Spectrum Auditions in New York. His wiry, thought-provoking comedy bit about mental illness earned him today’s spot on TED.com. TED’s Will True spoke to Walters just after he jumped offstage that night in Manhattan.

What did you think of your first TED experience?

Wow, it was like being in a dream, like I was living my dream — I could see it happening, but it didn’t seem real. Here I am in this place with red lanterns, it’s a club, it’s glowing, and the sound is so low I can’t really hear anything. I can’t feel anything. I’m really detached from the whole experience, I’ve kind of got a headache, maybe I could drink some more water, I’m a little tired. You know, this is my third week of being on the road. It’s so much stimulus, being up there, I’m like: Is this happening? Is this going? I guess it’s happening, and then I get off and it’s over and people are ‘wow, let me get your contacts — let’s book you.’ And now, I’m just kind of aloof about the whole thing, like I don’t have any focus or charge about it.

What did you think of the preparation for it? Did you prepare differently?

You know, I almost overprepared for this. The last two weeks I’ve been writing, re-writing, scripting, practicing, listening to the audio, doing it at small venues, doing it in front of dinner parties, doing it in front of other people, and there came a point in the last 2 or 3 days where my people really close to me went ‘Yo, don’t over-rehearse, because you’re going to get up there, you’re going to have 4 or 5 main bullet points and you’re just going to let them flow.’ The best moments for me as a comedic performer are the stuff that’s in the moment, stuff that I didn’t write down. So I was just letting it flow and I wasn’t really worried about it. I had a few other theater and club shows in New York this week, and the whole time I would get up and I’d be like. I got this TED thing on Tuesday so this other thing is just practice, just warming up. This is just getting my sillies out! And then, when I was here I had built up to it, and it’s happening, but it doesn’t feel real! I’m just here; I’m just in it. It’s hard to see it.

How did you put your audition together?

I did my talk, but mainly saying the headings, the sub-points. I didn’t go into any depth, but I did it with a lot of charm, and a lot of smiling. I had my roommate record it, and we did a bunch of takes, maybe 20 or 30 takes. And the first take was just so serious; I didn’t really have it down. And by the 10th or 15th take I had the knowledge down, but I was just so over what I was saying that we had to come back a second day to just do it fun. I had to learn to have fun, which I do all the time, you know? I make people laugh like punching their stomach, that’s what I do, and I needed to get back to where it was fun and it wasn’t work, and it wasn’t so serious. And the last take we did I was smiling, I was relaxed, and I knew: This is what it is. It’s got to be enjoyable for you and it translates to the audience.

Tell me about your trip.

It’s been a wild ride man; almost all of May has been on the road. New York, Texas, and I came back to New York … and it’s been really mind-expanding. This is the first time I’ve come to New York with career on the mind, I’ve been to New York a lot of times, but I’ve never had it so focused. And there is just a lot that someone in my field can do here. It’s made me appreciate that I’m at this breaking point in my development and take a step back and celebrate the moment.

Did you enjoy the experience overall?

I did! It was a great way to end my trip here. It was surreal.

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My Standing Desk Experiment

For the past three weeks I’ve been standing while I work, instead of my usual sitting. I have some interesting results to share with you in a moment, but first let me tell you why I’ve been doing all this standing.

It all started after a couple of tweets came across my radar in the same day about the negative health effects of sitting. It turns out that sitting all day every day for work might not be good for your health and wellness. Who would have thought?

The studies and experiments I found really caught my attention, partly because I’ve been sitting through 40- to 60-hour work weeks every week for the better part of 15 years. Now that I’m in my mid-30s, I’m starting to really consider my current health and habits and trying to do a better job of giving myself the best shot at living a long and active life.

Here’s the evidence about what sitting can do to you:

It turns out that some of these studies of how sitting down can negatively affect your health have been around for a while. I seem to remember hearing about them a couple of years ago, but brushed it all off, thinking that my modest exercise regimen was counteracting all the sitting.

These studies seem to show the opposite. No matter if you exercise, sitting too much is dangerous to your health.

Of course, there are two sides to every story. Too much sitting may kill you, but what about too much standing?

A review of 43 studies by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found only a weak correlation between sitting and mortality.

In a Time Magazine report, a researcher on Ergonomics from Cornell noted that “Standing to work has long known to be problematic, it is more tiring, it dramatically increases the risks of carotid atherosclerosis (ninefold) because of the additional load on the circulatory system, and it also increases the risks of varicose veins, so standing all day is unhealthy.”

OK, so it may be a little more complicated than just sitting vs. standing. As always, personally I’m going to assume that too much of either is probably a bad thing.

Given that I was sitting through 100% of my work day, and probably 85% of my total day, after reading all these studies I decided to try doing a lot more standing.

About three weeks ago I rustled up some boxes from around the house, put the boxes on my desk, perched my laptop on top of the boxes and pushed my chair out of the way. I’ve since been standing up for the majority of my work day for the past few weeks.

There are also purpose-built desks you can buy to set up a standing (or even treadmill arrangement), but I’m happy now with my boxes at a height where my arms bend at about 90 degrees while typing.

At first the standing was rather uncomfortable. During the first few days I could only get through a couple of hours at a time before taking a sitting break. Now I can stand most of the day if I decide to, with little breaks to walk around every hour or two.

There’s no question, standing takes more energy and tends to make you sore compared to sitting. For a little foot cushion I’ve folded up a yoga mat and have been standing on that, which is more comfortable for me than just standing on the hard wood floors.

So far, my standing desk experiment has had several positive outcomes, with just a few slight negatives. Here are my results:

This is the most exciting and useful benefit so far: I have more energy during the work day. I haven’t experienced the same mid-afternoon lulls that I used to while sitting. I’m also more energized during phone calls, Skype sessions and while recording video and audio. This is a huge benefit and adds to the energy gains I found after quitting my coffee habit last year. I have lost three pounds over the past three weeks, despite exercising less than usual (due to a cold) and making no changes to my diet. I’m not sure if this is directly related to standing, but keep in mind that an average person will burn 60 more calories an hour when standing versus sitting. That’s 2,400 extra calories a week if you add 8 hours of standing, 5 days a week. A pound of body fat equals about 3,500 calories, so the weight loss actually makes sense. I’m more likely to be working while in front of my laptop as opposed to the occasional stretches of sitting like a zombie I used to fall prey to. It’s harder to nod off or lose focus when standing. On the slightly negative side, I definitely feel fatigued in the legs and back after a long day of standing. On the other hand, it feels great when I do sit down, I don’t have that numb in the rear end and legs feeling anymore, and I can stand without fatigue much longer when at concerts and other standing events.

In all, I’m really happy to have made the change and recommend that people try standing at least a little bit throughout the day. The increased energy and focus is worth the effort, even if the long-term health benefits don’t turn out to be so major.

If you give standing a try, remember that you’ll need to ease into it for about a week before standing becomes more comfortable. Reach out on Twitter and tell me (@CorbettBarr) or Leo (@zen_habits) about your results.

Read more about sitting (and standing) and the associated health implications:

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Corbett Barr writes about lifestyle businesses at CorbettBarr.com and about how to get more visitors for your website or blog at Think Traffic. Follow him on Twitter.

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Lunch Hack: How to Utilize Your Work Kitchenette

We all know the benefits of brown bagging your lunch.

They tend to be healthier, cheaper and more delicious than buying your lunch.

But it can feel like hard work at times. With all that extra planning, it’s easy to see why most of us don’t do it as much as we’d like.

There is a solution, however and it doesn’t involve being more disciplined or getting up 10 minutes earlier.

That way you can still save money and do your health a favor.

And it’s a great chance to de-stress a little while you focus on making yourself something delicious.

Most offices have some sort of kitchenette with at least a sink and a microwave.

So why not make the most of them and get creative with soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps.

1. Stock a work ‘pantry’.
Dedicate a small shelf or a drawer to lunch things and kit it out with the basics. At the very least some salt and maybe a little disposable pepper grinder. Although I’d also include some olive oil and vinegar so you’re always prepared for an impromptu salad. A packet of dried chilli seasoning and your favorite spice are also great to have on hand.

A little bag of nuts can also double as a snack. You could even get super organized with cans of tuna, chickpeas, beans or other good shelf-stable essentials.

2. Equip yourself with some basic tools.
Depending on your work set-up, you might like to include a little chopping board and a pocket knife in your work lunch arsenal. If cutlery and crockery are scarce it might be a good idea to get a little lunch bowl and fork or spoon.

3. Find the best storage solution.
Most workplaces provide a fridge you can store your lunch. But if not, consider investing in a little chiller bag. Or if you have access to a good food shop nearby, maybe allow time to pick up whatever you need in your lunch hour.

4. Allocate the time you need.
Cooking or preparing food is a great way to unwind. So schedule your lunch break for a little cooking relaxation, even if you’re only doing it once a week.

5. Engage your co workers.
Take it to the next level and organise your co workers to take turns in ‘cooking’ lunch for each other. Who knows, lunch at work might actually become fun!

Jules Clancy is a qualified Food Scientist and the creator of The Stonesoup Virtual Cookery School. She blogs about simple 5 ingredients recipes that can mostly be prepared in 10 minutes over at Stonesoup.

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The 20 most-watched TEDTalks (so far)

Today, on the fifth birthday of TEDTalks video, we’re releasing a new list of the 20 most-watched TEDTalks over the past five years — as watched on all the platforms we track: TED.com, YouTube, iTunes, embed and download, Hulu and more …

What a great, mixed-up group this is! Talks about education and creativity, sex and fish, whizzy tech demos and big questions about the universe … it’s a cool snapshot of what we find interesting.

Sir Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity (2006): 8,660,010 views
Jill Bolte Taylor‘s stroke of insight (2008): 8,087,935
Pranav Mistry on the thrilling potential of SixthSense (2009): 6,747,410
Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demo SixthSense (2009): 6,731,153
David Gallo‘s underwater astonishments (2007): 6,411,705
Tony Robbins asks Why we do what we do (2006): 4,909,505
Hans Rosling shows the best stats you’ve ever seen (2006): 3,954,776
Arthur Benjamin does mathemagic (2005): 3,664,705
Jeff Han demos his breakthrough multi-touchscreen (2006): 3,592,795
Johnny Lee shows Wii Remote hacks for educators (2008): 3,225,864
Blaise Aguera y Arcas runs through the Photosynth demo (2007): 3,007,440
Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing your genius (2009): 2,978,288
Dan Gilbert asks: Why are we happy? (2004): 2,903,993
Stephen Hawking asks big questions about the universe (2008): 2,629,230
Daniel Pink on the surprising science of motivation (2009): 2,616,363
Barry Schwartz on the paradox of choice (2005): 2,263,065
Richard St. John shares 8 secrets of success (2005): 2,252,911
Mary Roach 10 things you didn’t know about orgasm (2009): 2,223,822
Simon Sinek on how great leaders inspire action (2010): 2,187,868
Chimamanda Adichie shares the danger of a single story (2009): 2,143,763

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Free $1,000 Travelocity Voucher and $10,000 Spots to Kimono

(Photo: Royce Bair)

Hello lads and lasses. This post is intended as a morsel, a sugar high and respite. Life is serious enough, so this post will require zero calories of brain power.

Not to worry, of course, as we’ll be back to our regular content with the next how-to post.

In the meantime, some goodies: the “Kimono” winners and a $1,000 travel voucher giveaway.

KIMONO SPOTS

Congratulations, after much tallying and consideration, to the winners of the $10,000 spots to the “Opening the Kimono” event! Please keep an eye on your inbox for follow-up details:

- Sheila McCarthy (votes)
- Jacqueline Biggs (“wild card” views)

First, sincere thanks to all who submitted video case studies, even those who re-submitted old videos and therefore weren’t eligible. Second, HUGE thanks to Dustin “America’s Trainer to the Moms” Maher for making the “wild card” scholarship possible — you rock!

Three honorable mentions for the “wild card” seat are below (out of dozens of great videos), and one includes a pic of me drunk at my London book launch. Oh, Internet, you hurt so good T_T

Two of them highlight post-4-Hour Workweek (now 2,172 reviews!) travel adventures:

$1,000 TRAVELOCITY TRAVEL VOUCHER — GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Alright, moving on…

I wanted to have some fun and get people traveling. “But I can’t travel… it costs too much!” is a common refrain. Partnering with a new start-up called PunchTab, I wanted to remove this barrier.

Here’s how it will work, as PunchTab explains:

Entering the giveaway is simple and takes only 30 seconds. Register by connecting to the giveaway widget below using Facebook. For each step you complete, you’ll earn a giveaway entry:

1. Like this blog post by clicking on the Facebook Like button (+1 entry).
2. Become a fan of Tim Ferriss on Facebook (+1 entry).
3. Leave a comment telling me where you’ll go and what you’ll do there (+1 entry).
4. Tweet about the giveaway (+1 entry).
5. Unlimited bonus entries by pasting your invite link everywhere you can. For example:

- For every friend who clicks the invite link you Tweeted in step 4, you’ll earn +1 entries.
- For every friend who then joins the giveaway, you’ll earn +5 entries.

Giveaway ends June 30, 2011 at midnight PST. Open to residents of North America.

Enjoy! Attack! Discuss!

Posted on June 23rd, 2011

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