Productivity

Procrastinating studying for exams by going on Facebook made anxiety worse for undergraduate students.

More dependence on GPS was associated with using spatial memory strategies less often and less effectively when navigating. Habitual use of GPS might impair spatial memory.

Scientific Reports

In a small sample of men aged 19-35, 12 weeks of interval training on a bike improved cardiovascular health similarly to endurance training, but required much less time per workout.

Re-reading or highlighting textbooks to study is a less effective learning strategy than frequent practice and testing over periods of days, weeks, or months.

Ten minutes of moderate exercise (stair walking) increased feelings of alertness more than caffeine in chronically sleep-deprived women.

One night of sleep loss impaired working memory in women, but not men, although neither men nor women felt as though they had worse memory the next day.

Even short breaks of less than a minute help people stay focused and attentive during demanding tasks. Watching dog videos during breaks can also make such tasks feel less stressful.

Consciousness and Cognition

The 2B-Alert app can tell you how to optimize caffeine intake for alertness based on your sleep schedule and average caffeine consumption.

Early success in winning research funding encourages scientists to apply more often for funding later. Scientists who won funding early in their career were more likely to apply for and win additional funding over the next eight years than similarly ranked peers who didn't win early funding.

Drawing improves the ability to remember words compared with writing them down. This effect is greater for older adults and people with dementia than for younger participants.