Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Watching kittens on Youtube makes you a better scientist!!

OK, this may be fluff, but it proves that we all need fluff and that it makes us better scientists. I have always wondered why baby animals who need parental support are universally cute...baby snakes look just like adult snakes, but baby birds or mammals often have large eyes, fluffy coats and big paws, which make them adorable even if they'll grow up to become a ruthless killer.
A Japanese research group at Hiroshima university asked whether "cuteness" affects behavior in any other way than making you feel all warm and fuzzy inside (here) and found that looking at pictures of baby animals makes you more focused and able to perform difficult intellectual tasks.

So there you go:

And while you're at it, a second motivational tool to hep you with your grants and papers, Written?Kitten!, every 100 words you write you get a new kitten picture to keep you focused.

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