Saturday, August 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Windows 8 news
@Windows: Announcing new Windows 8 ready hardware from Microsoft.? http://t.co/y00QGqbm
Chemistry News
@ChemistryWorld: Seperating cancerous cells from healthy cells by taking advantage of their adhesion properties http://t.co/K6xPio1W
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Importance of Education in Islam
To seek knowledge is a sacred duty, it is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female. The first word revealed of the Qur'an was "Iqra" READ! Seek knowledge! Educate yourselves! Be educated.
The Muslims today are the most humiliated community in the world. And should they persist in following the same educational program as given by their colonial masters, they will not be able to recover themselves from moral and spiritual decadence.
Ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: The position of only two persons is enviable; the person whom Allah bestowed wealth empowering him to spend it in the way of righteousness, and the person whom Allah gave wisdom with which he adjudges and which he teaches to others.
According to Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: A single scholar of religion is more formidable against shaytaan than a thousand devout persons.
Islam is our greatest gift. We have to be thankful for this gift. We have to render to Allah His due. Allah has given us so much by making us a part of the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (S) so we must totally commit ourselves as followers of the Prophet (S). We must become true Muslims.
Now how can we become Muslims in the true sense of the word? First let?s define what a Muslim is. A Muslim is not a Muslim simply because he's born one.A Muslim is a Muslim because he is a follower of Islam, a submitter to the Will of Allah. We're Muslim if we consciously and deliberately accept what has been taught by the Prophet Muhammad (S) and act accordingly. Otherwise we're not true Muslims.
The first and most crucial obligation on us is to acquire knowledge and secondly to practice and preach this knowledge. No man becomes truly a Muslim without knowing the meaning of Islam, because he becomes a Muslim not through birth but through knowledge. Unless we come to know the basic and necessary teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (S) how can we believe in him, have faith in him, act according to what he taught. It is impossible for us to be a Muslim, and at the same time live in a state of ignorance.
Every one of us, young or old, man or woman, should at least acquire sufficient knowledge to enable ourselves to understand the essence of the teachings of the Qur'an and the purpose for which it has been sent down. We should also be able to understand clearly the mission, which our beloved Prophet (S) came into this world to fulfil. We should also recognize the corrupt order and system, which he came to destroy. We should acquaint ourselves, too, with the way of life which Allah has ordained for us.
No great amount of time is required to acquire this simple knowledge. If we truly value Iman, it cannot be too difficult to find one hour every day to devote for our Iman.
Knowledge is identified in Islam as worship. The acquiring of knowledge is worship, reading the Qur'an and pondering upon it is worship, travelling to gain knowledge is worship. The practice of knowledge is connected with ethics and morality with promoting virtue and combating vice, enjoining right and forbidding wrong. This is called in the Qur'an: amr bil-l ma'ruuf wa nah-y 'ani-l munkar.
The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to God. It is not simply for the gratification of the mind or the senses. It is not knowledge for the sake of knowledge or science for the value of sake. Knowledge accordingly must be linked with values and goals.
Another purpose of knowledge is to spread freedom and dignity, truth and justice. It is not to gain power and dominance for its own sake.
The following ahadith shows how important and how rewarding knowledge is.
"He who acquires knowledge acquires a vast portion." AND "If anyone going on his way in search of knowledge, God will, thereby make easy for him the way to Paradise."
May Allah (SWT) give us strength to behave and act just as He likes us to do and be pleased with us, and that should be the purpose of our lives. Rabbi zidnee ilma (O Lord, increase us in knowledge). Aameen.
Friday, February 17, 2012
How Much Are the Elements in Your Body Worth?
Have you ever wondered how much the
elements in your body are worth? First, let's take a look at the elements from
which you are made. Your body is approximately:
·
65% Oxygen
·
18% Carbon
·
10% Hydrogen
·
3% Nitrogen
·
1.5% Calcium
·
1% Phosphorous
·
0.35% Potassium
·
0.25% Sulfur
·
0.15% Sodium
·
0.15% Chlorine
·
0.05% Magnesium
·
0.0004% Iron
·
0.00004% Iodine
Your body contains trace amounts of
other elements, such as silicon, manganese, fluorine, copper, zinc, arsenic and
aluminum. What is the going rate for a body's worth of these elements? One US
dollar! Are you surprised?
Let's see if we can bump the price up a bit. If
you're looking to make a buck with your bod, your best bet would be to sell
individual organs, but since that's illegal, an alternative might be to tan
your hide for use as leather. Your skin would be worth about $3.50 if it were
sold at the price of a cowhide, which runs around $0.25 per square foot. So, if
you take a dollar's worth of elements plus the value of your skin, you might be
able to get $4.50, which we'll round up to $5, so you'll feel better about your
chemical value.
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Elements in the Human Body
Question: What Are the Elements in the Human Body?
Answer: Most of the human body is made up of water, H2O, with cells consisting of 65-90% water by weight. Therefore, it isn't surprising that most of a human body's mass is oxygen. Carbon, the basic unit for organic molecules, comes in second. 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of just six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus.
- Oxygen (65%)
- Carbon (18%)
- Hydrogen (10%)
- Nitrogen (3%)
- Calcium (1.5%)
- Phosphorus (1.0%)
- Potassium (0.35%)
- Sulfur (0.25%)
- Sodium (0.15%)
- Magnesium (0.05%)
- Copper, Zinc, Selenium, Molybdenum, Fluorine, Chlorine, Iodine, Manganese, Cobalt, Iron (0.70%)
- Lithium, Strontium, Aluminum, Silicon, Lead, Vanadium, Arsenic, Bromine (trace amounts)
Reference: H. A. Harper, V. W. Rodwell, P. A. Mayes, Review of Physiological Chemistry, 16th ed., Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, California 1977.
Quote
Chemistry can be a good and bad thing. Chemistry is good when you make love with it. Chemistry is bad when you make crack with it.
Adam Sandler
Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/chemistry.html#ixzz1mZTMc2X6
Adam Sandler
Read more:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/chemistry.html#ixzz1mZTMc2X6
Chemistry fairy tale
- If you look closely (at this chart) you can see
- the electrons whirring around the nucleus... (?)
- If you look hard, you can see fairies...(!)
- I have seen miracles,
- I have seen ghosts,
- I have seen angels,
- but atoms remain ((hidden)).
- I think I have heard fairies gliding by me,
- So have others;
- But I have never heard someone say
- they felt or saw an atom.
- Which is the fairy tale?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Biomimicry
Biomimicry
Biomimicry
or biomimetics is
the examination of nature, its models, systems, processes, and elements to
emulate or take inspiration from in order to solve human problems. The term biomimicry
and biomimetics come
from the Greek words bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate. Other
terms often used are bionics, bio-inspiration,
and biognosis.
Through
the course of 3.8 billion years, nature has gone through a process of trial and
error to refine the living organisms, processes, and materials on planet Earth.
The emerging field of biomimetics has given rises to new technologies created
from biologically inspired engineering in both the macro scale and nanoscale
levels.
Biomimetics
is not a new idea. Humans have been looking at nature for answers to both
complex and simples problems since our existence. Nature has solved many of
todays engineering problems such as hydrophobicity, wind resistance,
self-assembly, and harnessing solar energy through the evolutionary mechanics of
selective advantages.
History
One
of the early examples of biomimicry was
the study of birds to enable human flight. Although never successful in creating
a "flying machine", Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was a keen observer
of the anatomy and flight of birds, and made numerous notes and sketches on his
observations as well as sketches of various "flying machines".[1]
The Wright Brothers, who finally did succeed in creating and flying
the first airplane in 1903, also derived inspiration for their airplane from
observations of pigeons in flight.[2]
Otto
Schmitt, an American academic and inventor, coined the term biomimetics
to describe the transfer of ideas from biology to technology. The
term biomimetics only
entered the Websters Dictionary in 1974 and is defined as "the study of
the formation, structure, or function of biologically produced substances and
materials (as enzymes or silk) and biological mechanisms and processes (as
protein synthesis or photosynthesis) especially for the purpose of synthesizing
similar products by artificial mechanisms which mimic natural ones".
In
1960, the term bionics was
coined by psychiatrist and engineer Jack Steele to mean "the science of
systems which have some function copied from nature".[3]
Bionics entered the Webster dictionary in
1960 as "a science concerned with the application of data about the
functioning of biological systems to the solution of engineering
problems". The term bionic took
on a different connotation when Martin Caidin referenced Jack Steele and his
work in the novel "Cyborg" which later resulted in the 1974
television series "The Six Million Dollar Man" and its spin-offs. The
term bionic then became
associated with 'the use of electronically operated artificial body parts' and
'having ordinary human powers increased by or as if by the aid of such
devices'.[4] Because the term bionic
took on the implication of super natural strength, the scientific
community in English speaking countries shied away from using it in subsequent
years.[5]
The
term biomimicry appeared
as early as 1982.[6] The term biomimicry
was popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus in her 1997
book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.
Biomimicry is defined in her book as
a "new science that studies nature's models and then imitates or takes
inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems".
Benyus suggests looking to Nature as a "Model, Measure, and Mentor"
and emphasizes sustainability as an objective of biomimicry.[7]
The
San Diego Zoo [8] started its biomimicry
programs in 2007, and recently commissioned an Economic Impact Study [9]
to determine the economic potential of biomimicry. The report was
titled Biomimicry: An Economic
Game
Changer [9] and estimated that
biomimicry would have a $300 billion annual impact on the US economy, plus add
an additional $50 billion in environmental remediation.
Nanobiomimicry
Biological
imitation of nano and macro scale structures and processes is called
nanobiomimicry. Nature provides a great variety of nano-sized materials that
offer as potential templates for the creation of new materials eg. bacteria, viruses,
diatoms, and biomolecules. Through the study of nanobiomimicry, key components
of nanodevices like nanowires, quantum dots, and nanotubes have been produced
in an efficient and simple manner when compared to more conventional
lithographic techniques. Many of these biologically derived structures are then
developed into applications for photovoltaics, sensors, filtration, insulation,
and medical uses. The field of nanobiomimetics is highly multidisciplinary, and
requires collaboration between biologists, engineers, physicists, material
scientists, nanotechnologists and other related fields. In the past century,
the growing field of nanotechnology has produced several novel materials and
enabled scientists to produce nanoscale biological replicas.
Fabrication
SEM
of rod shaped TMV particles .
Biomorphic
mineralization is a technique that produces materials with morphologies and
structures resembling those of natural living organisms by using bio-structures
as templates for mineralization.
Compared
to other methods of material production, biomorphic mineralization is facile,
environmentally benign and economic[10] Biomorphic
mineralization makes efficient use of natural and abundant materials such as
calcium, iron, carbon, phosphorus, and silicon with the capability of turning
biomass wastes into useful materials.
Templates
derived from biological nanoparticles such as DNA, viruses, bacteria, and
peptides can transform unordered inorganic nanoparticles into complex inorganic
nanostructures. Biologically derived nanostructures are typically fabricated
using either chemical or physical techniques. Typical chemical fabrication
techniques are plasma spraying, plasma immersion ion implantation &
deposition
(PIII&D),
sol–gel,
chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapour deposition (PVD), cold
spraying, self-assembly, and so on, whereas in physical modification techniques
include laser etching, shot blasting, physical plating, and physical
evaporation and deposition etc. Methods of fabrication with high throughput,
minimal environmental damage, and low costs are highly sought after.
Biologically
Inspired Engineering
The
use of biomineralized structures is vast and derived from the abundance of
nature. From studying the nano-scale morphology of living organisms many
applications have been developed through multidisciplinary collaboration between
biologists, chemists, bioengineers, nanotechnologists, and material scientists.
Nanowires,
Nanotubes, and Quantum Dots
A
virus is a nonliving subatomic particle ranging from the size of 20 to 300 nm
capsules containing genetic material used to infect its host. The outer layer
of viruses have been designed to be remarkably robust and capable of withstanding
temperatures as high as 60 ̊C and stay stable
in a wide range of pH range of 2-10[10] (Tong-Xiang).
Viral capsids can use to create several nano device components such as
nanowires, nanotubes, and quantum dots. Tubular virus particles such as the
tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)can be used as templates to create nanofibers and nanotubes
since both the inner and outer layers of the virus are charged surfaces and can
induce nucleation of crystal growth. This was demonstrated by Dujardin et al.
though the production of Pt and Au nanotubes using TMV as a template[11].
Shenton Douglas, a researcher from Montana State University, demonstrated the
mineralized virus particles could withstand various pH values by mineralizing
the viruses with different materials suc- silicon, PbS, and CdS and could
therefore serve as a useful carriers of material[12].
A spherical plant virus called cowpea chloric mottle virus (CCMV) has
interesting expanding properties when exposed to environments of pH higher than
6.5. Above this ph, 60 independent pores with diameters about 2nm begin to
exchange substance with the environment. The structural transition of the viral
capsid can be utilized in Biomorphic mineralization for selective uptake and deposition
of minerals by controlling the solution pH. Applications include using the
viral cage to produce uniformly shaped and sized quantum dot semiconductor
nanoparticles through a series of pH washes. This is an alternative to the
apoferritin cage technique currently used to synthesize uniform CdSe
nanoparticles[13]. Such materials could
also be used for targeted drug delivery since particles release contents upon
exposure to certain pH.
Display
Technology
Vibrant
blue color of Morpho butterfly due to structural
color.
Morpho
butterfly wings contain microstructures that create its coloring effect through
structural color rather than pigmentation. Incident light waves are reflected
at specific wavelengths to create vibrant colors due to multilayer
interference, diffraction, thin film interference, and scattering properties.
The scales of the butterflies consist of microstructures like ridges,
cross-ribs, ridge-lamellae, and microribs
that
have been shown to be responsible for coloration. The structural color has been
simply explained as the interference due to alternating layers of cuticle and
air using a model of multilayer interference. The same principles behind the
coloration of soap bubbles apply to butterfly wings. The color of butterfly
wings is due to the multiple instances of constructive interference from this
structure. The photonic microstructure of the butterfly wings can be replicated
through biomorphic mineralization to yield similar properties. The photonic
microstructures can be replicated using metal oxides or metal alkoxides such as
TiSO4, ZrO2, and Al2O3. An alternative method of vapor-phase oxidation of SiH4
on the template surface was found to preserve delicate structural features of
the microstructure[14] Now, companies like
Qualcomm are specializing in creating color displays with low power consumption
based on these principles. Other organisms with similar iridescence properties
include mother of pearl seashells, fish, and peafowl.
Additional
Examples
Velcro
was inspired by the tiny hooks found on the surface of burs. Researchers,
for example, studied the termite's ability to maintain virtually constant
temperature and humidity in their termite mounds in Africa despite outside
temperatures that vary from 1.5 °C to 40 °C (35 °F to 104 °F). Researchers
initially scanned a termite mound and created 3-D images of the mound
structure, which revealed construction that can influence human building
design. The Eastgate Centre, a mid-rise office complex in Harare, Zimbabwe,
(highlighted in this Biomimicry Institute case-study [15])
stays cool without air conditioning and uses only 10% of the energy of a
conventional building its size. Modeling echolocation in bats in darkness has
led to a cane for the visually impaired. Research at the University of Leeds,
in the United Kingdom, led to the UltraCane, a product formerly manufactured,
marketed and sold by Sound Foresight Ltd. Janine Benyus refers in her books to
spiders that create web silk as strong as the Kevlar used in bulletproof vests.
Engineers could use such a material—if it had a long enough rate of decay—for parachute lines,
suspension bridge cables, artificial ligaments for medicine, and many other
purposes.[7] Other research has proposed adhesive glue from
mussels, solar cells made like leaves, fabric that emulates shark skin,
harvesting water from fog like a beetle, and more. Nature’s 100 Best is a
compilation of the top hundred different innovations of animals, plants, and
other organisms that have been researched and studied by the Biomimicry
Institute. A display technology based on the reflective properties of certain
morpho butterflies was commercialized by Qualcomm in 2007. The technology uses
Interferometric Modulation to reflect light so only the desired color is visible
to the eye in each individual pixel of the display. Biomimicry may also provide
design methodologies and techniques to optimize engineering products and
systems. An example is the re-derivation of Murray's law, which in conventional
form determined the optimum diameter of blood vessels, to provide simple
equations for the pipe or tube diameter which gives a minimum mass engineering system.[16]
A
novel engineering application of biomimetics is in the field of structural
engineering. Recently, researchers from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
(EPFL) have been incorporating biomimetic characteristics in an adaptive deployable
tensegrity bridge . The bridge can carry out self-diagnosis and self-repair.[17]
References
[1]
Romei, Francesca (2008). Leonardo Da Vinci.
The Oliver Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1934545003.
[2]
Howard, Fred (1998). Wilbur and Orville: A Biography of the
Wright Brothers. Dober Publications. p. 33. ISBN
978-0486402970.
[3]
.
[4]
Compact Oxford English Dictionary.
2008. ISBN 978-0-19-953296-4.
[5]
Vincent, JFV (2009). "Biomimicry-a review". Proc.
I. Mech. E. 223: p919-939.
[6]
Merrill, Connie Lange (1982). Biomimicry of
the Dioxygen Active Site in the Copper Proteins Hemocyanin and Cytochrome
Oxidase. Rice
University.
[7]
Benyus, Janine (1997). Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.
New York, NY, USA: William Morrow & Company, Inc..
ISBN
978-0688160999.
[8]
http:/ / www. sandiegozoo. org/ conservation/ biomimicry/
[9]
http:/ / www. sandiegozoo. org/ conservation/ biomimicry/ resources/
suggested_reading
[10]
Tong-Xiang, Suk-Kwun, Di Zhang. "Biomorphic Mineralization: From biology
to materials ." State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites .
Shanghai:
Shanghai Jiaotong University , n.d. 545-1000.
[11]
Dujardin E., Peet C. "Nano Lett." 2003. 3:413.
[12]
Shenton W. Douglas, Young M. "Adv. Materials." 1999. 11:253.
[13]
Ischiro Yamashita, Junko Hayashi, Mashahiko Hara. "Bio-template Synthesis
of Uniform CdSe Nanoparticles Using Cage-shaped Protein,
Apoferritin."
Chemistry Letters (2004). Volume: 33, Issue: 9. 1158-1159.
[14]
Cook G., Timms PL, Goltner-Spickermann C. Angew. "Chem Int Ed." 2003.
42:557.
[15]
http:/ / biomimicryinstitute. org/ case-studies/ case-studies/
termite-inspired-air-conditioning. html
[16]
Williams, Hugo R.; Trask, Richard S., Weaver, Paul M. and Bond, Ian P. (2008).
"Minimum mass vascular networks in multifunctional
materials"
(http:/ / rsif. royalsocietypublishing. org/ content/ 5/ 18/ 55. full). Journal
of the Royal Society Interface 5 (18):
55–65.
doi:10.1098/rsif.2007.1022.
PMC 2605499. PMID 17426011. .
[17]
Korkmaz, Sinan; Bel Hadj Ali, Nizar, Smith, Ian F.C. (2011). "Determining
Control Strategies for Damage Tolerance of an Active
Tensegrity
Structure" (http:/ / infoscience. epfl. ch/ record/ 164609/ files/ Korkmaz
et al, Determining Control Strategies for Damage
Tolerance
of an Active Tensegrity Structure, Engineering Structures (2011)_2. pdf). Engineering
Structures 33 (6): 1930–1939. doi:http:/ / dx.
doi.
org/ 10. 1016/ j. engstruct. 2011. 02. 031. .
Videos
•
Michael Pawlyn: Using nature's genius in architecture (http:/ / www. ted. com/
talks/
michael_pawlyn_using_nature_s_genius_in_architecture.
html) from TED 2010
•
Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in Action (http:/ / www. ted. com/ talks/
janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action. html)
from
TED 2009
•
Janine Benyus: 12 sustainable design ideas from nature (http:/ / www. ted. com/
index. php/ talks/ view/ id/ 18)
from
TED 2005
•
Robert Full shows how human engineers can learn from animals' tricks (http:/ /
www. ted. com/ talks/
robert_full_on_engineering_and_evolution.
html) from TED 2002
•
Sex, Velcro and Biomimicry with Janine Benyus (http:/ / www. scribemedia. org/
2008/ 10/ 22/
float-like-a-butterfly-with-janine-benyus)
•
The Fast Draw: Biomimicry (http:/ / www. eveningnews. com/ blogs/ 2009/ 11/ 08/
fastdraw/ entry5577007.
shtml)
from CBS News
External
links
•
Biomimicry Institute (http:/ / www. biomimicryinstitute. org/ ) website
•
Termite Mounds Inspire Zimbabwe Office Complex (http:/ / www. gdrc. org/ uem/
anthill. html)
•
Biomimetic Architecture - Biomimicry applied to building and construction
(http:/ / www.
biomimetic-architecture.
com)
•
Ask Nature - the Biomimicry Design Portal: biomimetics, architecture, biology,
innovation inspired by nature,
industrial
design (http:/ / www. asknature. org/ )
Further
reading
•
Thompson, D W., On Growth and Form. Dover 1992 reprint of 1942 2nd ed. (1st
ed., 1917).
•
Vogel, S., Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People.
Norton & co. 2000.
•
Benyus, J. M. (2001). Along Came a Spider. Sierra, 86(4), 46-47.
•
Hargroves, K. D. & Smith, M. H. (2006). Innovation inspired by nature
Biomimicry. Ecos, (129), 27-28.
•
Pyper, W. (2006). Emulating nature: The rise of industrial ecology. Ecos,
(129), 22-26.
•
Smith, J. (2007). It’s
only natural. The Ecologist, 37(8), 52-55.
•
Passino, Kevin M. (2004). Biomimicry for Optimization, Control, and Automation.
Springer
•
Rinaldi, Andrea (2007). "Naturally better. Science and technology are
looking to nature's successful designs for
inspiration".
European Molecular Biology Organization 8
(11): 995–999.
doi:10.1038/sj.embor.7401107.
PMC
2247388. PMID 17972898.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Green Chemistry
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND GOAL: The object of Green Chemistry is the reduction of chemical pollutants flowing to the environment. The Chemistry and the Environment Division of EuCheMS has assumed Green Chemistry as one of its areas of interest, but one question to solve is where Green Chemistry should be placed within the context of Chemistry and the Environment. The concept of Green Chemistry, as primarily conceived by Paul Anastas and John Warner, is commonly presented through the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry. However, these Twelve Principles, though fruit of a great intuition and common sense, do not provide a clear connection between aims, concepts, and related research areas of Green Chemistry. These two unsolved questions are the object of the present article.
DISCUSSION: Green Chemistry is here placed as a part of Chemistry for the Environment, concerning the still non-existent pollutants. Indeed, the object of Green Chemistry is the reduction of pollution and risks by chemicals by avoiding their generation or their introduction into the biosphere. The distinction between pollutant chemicals and dangerous chemicals, along with the consideration of the exhaustion of fossil resources and the acknowledgement of the harmful effects of the chemicals employed in a great variety of activities, leads to the recognition of four general objectives for Green Chemistry. In order to accomplish these general objectives, a number of strategies, or secondary objectives and some fundamental concepts, namely, atomic economy, selectivity, potential harm or historical harm can be visualized. A connection is finally established between the strategies and current and future research areas of Green Chemistry.
CONCLUSION: The ultimate aim of green chemistry is to entirely cut down the stream of chemicals pouring into the environment. This aim seems unattainable at present, but progress in the green chemical research areas and their application through successive approaches will certainly provide safer specialty chemicals and much more satisfactory processes for the chemical industry.
Applying Psychology in Everyday Life - 10 ways psychology can improve your life
I have wrote this article for my college magazine and its a good article. Hope it will be useful to everyone.
Do you think that psychology is just for students, academics and therapists? Then think again. Because psychology is both an applied and a theoretical subject, it can be utilized in a number of ways. While research studies aren't exactly light reading material for the average person, the results of these experiments and studies can have important applications in daily life. The following are some of the top 10 practical uses for psychology in everyday life.
1. Get Motivated
Whether your goal is to quit smoking, lose weight or learn a new language, some lessons from psychology offer tips for getting motivated. In order to increase your motivational levels when approaching a task, utilize some of the following tips derived from research in cognitive and educational psychology:
· Introduce new or novel elements to keep your interest high.
· Vary the sequence to help stave off boredom.
· Learn new things that build on your existing knowledge.
· Set clear goals that are directly related to the task.
· Reward yourself for a job well done.
2. Improve Your Leadership Skills
It doesn’t matter if you’re an office manager or a volunteer at a local youth group, having good leadership skills will probably be essential at some point in your life. Not everyone is a born leader, but a few simple tips gleaned from psychological research can help your improve your leadership skills. One of the most famous studies on this topic looked at three distinct leadership styles. Based on the findings of this study and subsequent research, practice some of the following when you are in a leadership position:
· Offer clear guidance, but allow group members to voice opinions.
· Talk about possible solutions to probelms with members of the group.
· Focus on stimulating ideas and be willing to reward creativity.
3. Become a Better Communicator
Communication involves much more than how you speak or write. Research suggests that nonverbal signals make up a huge portion of our interpersonal communications. In order to communicate your message effectively, you need to learn how to express yourself nonverbally and to read the nonverbal cues of those around you. A few key strategies include the following:
· Use good eye contact.
· Start noticing nonverbal signals in others.
· Learn to use your tone of voice to reinforce your message.
4. Learn to Better Understand Others
Much like nonverbal communication, your ability to understand your emotions and the emotions of those around you plays an important role in your relationships and professional life. The term emotional intelligence refers to your ability to understand both your own emotions as well as those of other people. Your emotional intelligence quotient is a measure of this ability. According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, your EQ may actually be more important than your IQ (1995).
What can you do to become more emotionally intelligent? Consider some of the following strategies:
What can you do to become more emotionally intelligent? Consider some of the following strategies:
· Carefully assess your own emotional reactions.
· Record your experience and emotions in a journal.
· Try to see situations from the perspective of another person.
5. Make More Accurate Decisions
Research in cognitive psychology has provided a wealth of information about decision making. By applying these strategies to your own life, you can learn to make wiser choices. The next time you need to make a big decision, try using some of the following techniques:
· Try using the “six thinking hats” approach by looking at the situation from multiple points of view, including rational, emotional, intuitive, creative, positive and negative perspectives.
· Consider the potential costs and benefits of a decision.
· Employ a grid analysis technique that gives a score for how a particular decision will satisfy specific requirements you may have.
6. Improve Your Memory
Have you ever wondered why you can remember exact details from childhood events yet forget the name of the new client you met yesterday? Research on how we form new memories as well as how and why we forget has led to a number of findings that can be applied directly in your daily life. What are some ways you can increase your memory power?
· Focus on the information.
· Rehearse what you have learned.
· Eliminate distractions.
7. Make Wiser Financial Decisions
Nobel Prize winning psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky conducted a series of studies that looked at how people manage uncertainty and risk when making decisions. Subsequent research in this area known as behavior economics has yielded some key findings that you can use to make wiser money management choices. One study (2004) found that workers could more than triple their savings by utilizing some of the following strategies:
· Don’t procrastinate! Start investing in savings now.
· Commit in advance to devote portions of your future earnings to your retirement savings.
· Try to be aware of personal biases that may lead to poor money choices.
8. Get Better Grades
The next time you're tempted to complain about pop quizzes, midterms or final exams, consider this - research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you better remember what you've learned, even if it wasn't covered on the test (Chan et al., 2006).
Another study found that repeated test-taking may be a better memory aid than studying (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). Students who were tested repeatedly were able to recall 61 percent of the material while those in the study group recalled only 40 percent. How can you apply these findings to your own life? When trying to learn new information, self-test frequently in order to cement what you have learned into your memory.
Another study found that repeated test-taking may be a better memory aid than studying (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). Students who were tested repeatedly were able to recall 61 percent of the material while those in the study group recalled only 40 percent. How can you apply these findings to your own life? When trying to learn new information, self-test frequently in order to cement what you have learned into your memory.
9. Become More Productive
Sometimes it seems like there are thousands of books, blogs and magazine articles telling us how to get more done in a day, but how much of this advice is founded on actual research? For example, think about the number of times have you heard that multitasking can help you become more productive. In reality, research has found that trying to perform more than one task at the same time seriously impairs speed, accuracy and productivity. So what lessons from psychology can you use to increase your productivity? Consider some of the following:
· Avoid multitasking when working on complex or dangerous tasks.
· Focus on the task at hand.
· Eliminate distractions.
10. Be Healthier
Psychology can also be a useful tool for improving your overall health. From ways to encourage exercise and better nutrition to new treatments for depression, the field of health psychology offers a wealth of beneficial strategies that can help you to be healthier and happier. Some examples that you can apply directly to your own life:
· Studies have shown that both sunlight and artificial light can reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
· Research has demonstrated that exercise can be an effective treatment for depression as well as other mental disorders.
· Studies have found that helping people understand the risks of unhealthy behaviors can lead to healthier choices.
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