Category: starred

A company called GunBusters, LLC is marketing a scrap metal shredder fitted with a camera to law enforcement organizations around the country. The GunBuster “Alleviates overcrowded property rooms”, “provides safe, simple, & secure method to destroy firearms” and “reduces agency   administration costs” all while being “SAFE, SIMPLE, & SECURE” … the company does not mention the […]
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via The Firearm Blog
The GunBuster: What Nightmares Are Made Of

Do you like to make small talk? Do you prefer one-to-one conversations or group activities? These questions and many others often show up in personality quizzes to reveal how introverted or extroverted you are, but what does that really mean? Here’s what science tells us about extroversion and introversion.

What Are Extroversion and Introversion?

Extroversion and introversion (E/I) are recognized as core aspects of people’s personalities. Today, they are included as part of a number of different personality scales, including the ever-popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Big Five Aspects Scales, but the idea of E/I goes back nearly a century.

In the 1920s, noted psychologist Carl Jung coined the terms "introverted" and "extroverted" in his 1920s work, Psychologische Typen (Psychological Types). In his model, differences between the personalities basically boil down to energy: Extroverted people are energized by social interactions, whereas those same engagements are energetically taxing for introverts. So after attending a party or other social gathering, introverts need time alone to "recharge."

Extroverts are typically thought of as those people who are outspoken, outgoing and predominately concerned with what’s going on with the outer world. Introverts, by contrast, are quiet, reflective and focused on the inner (mental) world. However, E/I is often seen as a kind of continuum, with people exhibiting a mix of introverted and extroverted tendencies — "ambiverts" fall somewhere in the middle of this continuum.

Even Jung didn’t think people could be completely introverted or extroverted. "There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert," he reportedly said. "Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum."

Several decades ago, German psychologist Hans Eysenck came up with a more biologically based model for E/I. According to Eysenck’s theory, the behaviors of introverts and extroverts are due to differences in cortical arousal (the speed and amount of the brain’s activity). Compared with extroverts, introverts have naturally high cortical arousal, and may process more information per second.

This means, essentially, that if you put introverts into an environment with a lot of stimulation, such as a loud restaurant, they will quickly become overwhelmed or overloaded, causing them to sort of shut down to stop the influx of information. Because of this fact, introverts tend to avoid such active environments. Extroverts, on the other hand, are only minimally aroused, so they seek out highly stimulating environments to augment their arousal levels.

Other theories for E/I also exist. One prominent idea stresses the involvement of people’s brain reward systems, suggesting that extroverts’ brains are more sensitive to rewards — such as those inherent in social interactions — than introverts’ brains. This sensitively leads extroverts to gravitate towards certain situations and events.

Different Brains

Given that some theories behind E/I invoke a neurobiological explanation, scientists have long tried to find experimental evidence for these theories. And let’s be clear: There have been tons of neuroscience studies conducted on E/I over the years, many of which show that the brains of introverts and extroverts really are different.

Back in 1999, scientists measured the cerebral blood flow of introverted and extroverted people with positron emission tomography (PET) scans while they thought freely. They found that the introverts had more blood flow in their frontal lobes and anterior thalamus — brain regions involved with recalling events, making plans and solving problems. Extroverts had more blood flow in brain areas involved with interpreting sensory data, including the anterior cingulate gyrus, the temporal lobes and the posterior thalamus. The data suggested —as Jung believed — that the extroverts’ attention focused outwards and the introverts’ attention focused inwards.

Research has also shown that introverts have more neuronal activity than extroverts in brain regions associated with learning, motor control and vigilance control, and that their premotor cortexes process external stimuli more quickly.

Various studies have supported Eysenck’s arousal model of E/I — the research shows that the reticular activating system (RAS), which is responsible for regulating arousal, has higher basal activity for introverts than for extroverts. Interestingly, the "lemon juice experiment" also lends credence to the arousal theory. The RAS responds to all types of stimuli, including food — because introverts have increased RAS activity, they salivate more in response to lemon juice.

At the same time, other research shows that there’s something to the reward theory of E/I. In a study published earlier this year, researchers gave participants Ritalin, a drug that stimulates the release of the chemical dopamine, which is involved in reward and motivation. While on Ritalin, the participants watched videos showing random nature scenes. After three days, the scientists took away the drug, and then had the participants watch videos in the lab again — the extroverts were excited by the videos, while the introverts were not. LiveScience explains:

The results suggest that Ritalin’s effects on the dopamine system didn’t translate into reward or motivation for the introverts. That suggests that introverts have a fundamental difference in how strongly they process rewards from their environment, with the brains of introverts weighing internal cues more strongly than external motivational and reward cues, the researchers write in the paper.

Studies have also suggested that the brains of extroverts pay more attention to human faces than the brains of introverts. In fact, researchers have found that the brains of introverts respond to faces in a similar way that they respond to images of flowers, whereas the extroverts’ brains show a stronger response to faces — this suggests that human faces, or people in general, hold more significance to extroverts (which, perhaps, partially explains why they seek out other people’s company).

Abstraction and Risk-Taking

Our personality is part of what makes us who we are, so it’s not so surprising that our levels of introversion and extroversion have wide ranging effects on our lives, including on everything from our language to our risk-taking behaviors to our mental health and happiness.

In terms of language, research has suggested that extroverts and introverts speak differently. Specifically, extroverts talk more abstractly, while introverts talk more concretely, at least when it comes to describing things. Researchers had participants describe (out loud) what was going on in different photos, and found that introverts were more precise in their descriptions.

But when it comes to learning a second language, extroverts may have the upper hand because they are more likely to "take their existing language system to the limit." Unlike their quiet counterparts, extroverts more readily use what they learn and engage in conversations both inside and outside the classroom — they have more risk-taking behavior.

That risk-taking behavior extends to other areas of life. For example, researchers have found that risky sexual behavior, such as having unprotected sex, is associated with "sensation seeking," a trait that is related to high extroversion. People with personalities that are low in conscientiousness but high in extroversion or neuroticism are also more likely to be the ones getting involved with high-risk sports, including paragliding and skydiving. Additionally, research has linked high extroversion (and high self-esteem, which may be influenced by extroversion) with adolescent smoking.

Scientists have found numerous other behavioral traits that are influenced by E/I. In 1990, a study suggested that extroverts wear more decorative clothing, whereas introverts are more practical in their clothing choice. More recently, researchers found that unlike introverts, extroverts tend to go for immediate gratification and pass up on potential future opportunities.

Perhaps one of the most important (and consistent) findings in E/I research is that extroverts are overall happier than introverts, and this increased happiness lasts for decades. Scientists have struggled to pinpoint the cause of extroverts’ happiness, though they are certainly not without ideas.

Researchers have proposed that extroverts may feel greater happiness than introverts because they are more sensitive to rewarding social situations (as seen above). On the other hand, others have suggested that extroverts are happier because they engage in more social activities. Some scientists think that extroverts’ perpetual happiness stems from their greater mood regulation abilities. Or maybe they’re happy because they hold on tightly to all of those good memories.

At the same time, however, scientists have questioned whether extroverts really are happier, or if they’re just more declarative with their feelings. There’s also the issue of how, exactly, you define and measure "happiness." Whatever the case, extroverts and introverts likely benefit from different happiness increasing strategies, given the inherent differences in the personality types.

In a recent book on introversion, author Susan Cain explains that although introverts make up a third to a half of the population, Western society — the United States, in particular — is extroversion-centric. She notes that schools and workplaces are designed for extroverts, under the belief that collaboration is key to creativity and productivity (the opposite of which is true for introverts). What’s more, extroverted traits, such as being a gregarious "people person," are highly valued in today’s society, and this can make introverts feel like something is wrong with them (and perhaps, make the unhappy). She calls for a new system that gives introverts the solitude they need to thrive.

Check out her inspiring TED Talk below.

Top image via AbbyD11/Flickr. Inset image via RCraig09/Wikimedia Commons, wales_gibbons/Flickr.

via Lifehacker
The Science of What Makes an Introvert and an Extrovert

via kottke.org
The night light

Whether you plan on upgrading to one of the new iPhones or iPods announced tomorrow or you already have a device with a lightning cable, you don’t have to buy a new dock if you’ve got an old one. Flybridge created a little adapter that turns your old iPod 30-pin dock into a lightning-compatible one.

Simply take your existing 30-pin dock and lightning adapter, connect them, then slide on the Flybridge adapter. This will make your dock actually hold your iPhone up rather than connect it with a lot of potential wobbling. While this solution could be a bit cheaper, the Flybridge adapter saves you from buying an entirely new dock.

Flybridge Dock Adapter ($15) | Flybridge
via Lifehacker
Flybridge Dock Adapter Makes Old Apple Docks Lightning-Compatible

The real estate listing for 3970 Spencer St. shows a foreclosed two-bedroom on a suburban street east of the Las Vegas Strip. That’s nothing remarkable in Vegas, which has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country, but this house is special: It’s 25 feet underground. A high-end fallout shelter built in secret, it’s a small monument to the Cold War—as well as the dream of post-War suburbia in the American west.

Read more…

via Gizmodo
The Cold War Bunker That Offered Subterranean Suburbia Below Las Vegas

Some of us keep absolutely nothing in our car trunks, while others have enough packed to live in their cars for weeks. Somewhere in between is this list of thirty things we think every car owner should always have on hand.

You can buy packaged emergency safety kits, like this $35 one from AAA, which includes a booster cable, flashlight, first aid kit, and many other items, but the DIY approach is more satisfying and you probably already have many of these items lying around. It’s not just about emergencies or safety, either. Below I’ve separated the checklists by category.

Car Repair and Maintenance

There’s nothing like breaking down at the side of the road and realizing the spare tire in your trunk has a flat from the last time it happened. (True story.) To keep you up and running, keep these in your trunk:

• Spare tire (in good condition), along with a tire jack and tire iron, because without them or someone else to help you, the spare tire is useless. Here’s how to change a tire, in case you need a refresher. Also, if your wheels require a special security key, make sure that’s always in your car too.

• Tire inflater and sealer, like the Fix-a-Flat, which can plug a leak (and help you avoid using the above tools) just enough to get you to the auto shop.

• Jumper cables, because dead batteries happen to the best of us. We’ve got a crash course on how to jump-start a car, but you should familiarize yourself with your engine just in case things are a little different. Alternatively, you can pack an emergency battery booster so you don’t have to rely on a Good Samaritan coming along.

• Your car’s manual, which should be in the glove compartment already.

• Tire pressure gauge: As our sister site Jalopnik points out: “checking tire pressure on a regular basis can improve handling, increase fuel economy, promote tire longevity, and even save lives.”

• Duct tape and WD-40. Seriously, check out these 10 heroic duct tape car repairs.

• Car repair information. A business card for your auto repair shop, the number for AAA (if you’re a member), and car insurance claim forms should also be stored in your glove compartment.

Safety and Survival

You might already have an emergency go bag or kit set up. If you spend a lot of time in your car and it’s always nearby when you’re home, you could just keep that kit in your trunk—or create a second, perhaps lighter version.

In any case, your safety supplies should include:

• First aid kit

• Flashlight

• Multi-tool (here are your five favorites)

• Matches or other fire starter (Bonus: a candle in a can for winter emergencies)

• Energy bars or MREs (the instant food that heat up with just water)

• Water bottles

• Weather radio (You can make a $3 solar-powered one in an altoid tin!)

A few car-specific items:

• Seat belt cutter and window breaker. This one’s $7 on Amazon. Keep this in your glove compartment, not in your trunk, obviously.

• Flares or reflective triangle, so you don’t get hit at the side of the road in the dark.

• Maps. Yes, the paper kind.

For winter/snow emergencies:

• Ice scraper

• Mylar space blanket to keep you warm during a blizzard.

• Cardboard or carpet remnant you can place under tires for traction in the snow.

Convenience and Comfort

In addition to the basics above, you might want to keep these things around also:

• Paper towels or a hand towel

• Tissues or a roll of toilet paper

• Pencil and paper

• Umbrella

• Spare change/emergency money

• Recycled shopping bags for those impromptu shopping trips.

• Blanket, which comes in handy not just for keeping warm in emergencies, but also at the park, baseball stadium, etc.

• Change of clothes: also an emergency item, because if you get drenched in rain or snow, it’s no good to sit around like that.

• USB mobile device charger

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and your needs might vary. While it might sound like a lot, all this stuff doesn’t take up too much space. Jalopnik’s OppositeLock Kinja blog shows us your car might have good hiding places to stash all of your just-in-case items.

Photos by Scott & Elaine van der Chijs, State Farm, and bradleygee.
via Lifehacker
30 Essential Things You Should Keep in Your Car

Ohio State University said Thursday that Brian Cummings is leaving as vice president for technology commercialization, after two years on the job charged with greatly increasing the flow of licensing income from university research.
The surprise move came a week after the OSU Office of Technology Commercialization released its annual report for the year ended June 30 showing that activity such as patents, licensing deals and startup companies have leaped over the past two years. But revenue from…

via Columbus Business News – Local Columbus News | Business First of Columbus
Ohio State commercialization chief Brian Cummings out after 2 years, along with top deputy

You have 5 seconds to comply and watch this trailer for the reboot. Stars Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel and Samuel L. Jackson as the head of OmniCorp.
via The Awesomer
Robocop (Trailer)

via ThisIsWhyImBroke.com
LEGO Ghostbusters

Ever need to guess someone’s email address so that you pitch them a sale or contact them about an idea? This new tool from→
via Business Opportunities Weblog
How to Find Someone’s Email Address