Start noticing what’s already there – and then take a step earlier and look for what others don’t see but what you might take advantage of in a good way!

Transit Agencies Face the New Calculus of Broader Backsides

It was called the “First All-American Tush Tally,” an informal test to measure the behinds of two dozen New Yorkers to see if they could fit into the prescribed space in new subway cars made by Kawasaki.The seats were about 17 inches wide; the rears ranged between 13 and 23 inches wide. The organizer of the tush tally was Carol Greitzer, then on the City Council. The year was 1984.The problem of American waists that are too big for seats meant to accommodate them is certainly not new. Today, everything from love seats to toilet seats can be built bigger to accommodate wider profiles, and the seats offered on public transportation are no different.Each time an agency decides to purchase new trains or buses, it must consider whether to make its seats wider, knowing that a decision to do so could come at the expense of passenger capacity

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Video by Brian Stoltz

Have you heard someone say, “Oh, John – he’s so creative! I wish I was creative like that.” It makes it sound as if creativity is a natural skill or talent, like the ability to sing or paint. Other times people say “I’m going to a seminar to learn how to be more creative.” That makes it sound as if creativity is a skill that anyone can learn. So, which is it? Well, kind of both and kind of neither.

Four Types of Creativity – Arne Dietrich (2004) identifies 4 different types of creativity with corresponding different brain activities. Think of it like a matrix:

Creativity can be either emotionally or cognitively based, and it can also be spontaneous or deliberate. That gives you the four quadrants…. [Click here to read more]

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The writer G.K. Chesterton once declared, “Art consists in limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.”

Pop songs have choruses and refrains. Symphonies have four movements. Painters obey the traditions of portraiture.

Chesterton was referring to the importance of constraints in the creative process. Although we tend to think of the imagination as benefiting from total freedom, artists and designers often rely on strict conventions and formal requirements. Pop songs have choruses and refrains; symphonies have four movements; painters obey the traditions of portraiture.

Perhaps the best example of the role of creative constraints is poetry. At first glance, the art seems to be defined by liberation—poets needn’t follow rules of syntax and punctuation. And yet, most poetry depends on forms with exacting specifications, such as haikus and sonnets. Instead of composing free verse, poets torture themselves with constraints. Why?

A new study led by Janina Marguc at the University of Amsterdam provides an interesting and unexpected answer: The frustrations of form come with a mental benefit—letting people think in a more holistic and creative fashion. The researchers began by having subjects work on anagram puzzles while a distracting voice played the role of obstacle. They then gave the subjects sensory tests to measure their ability to reason without becoming enmeshed in detail—in terms of the old adage, being able to see the forest and the trees. Those exposed first to the obstacle showed increased “perceptual scope”; those who hadn’t dealt with the hindrance lagged behind. When searching for creative solutions, we often find the answer in the forest. The trees hold us back…

Read more here

Her first award, the Medal for Lifetime Contribution to Education, was presented to Nancy on Teacher’s Day by Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).  Read more here

Group photo of MoET and professors Nancy K. Napier and Jim McCullough

The second award was given to Nancy by the National Economics University, Ho Chi Minh Order the highest award for a university from the Ministry of Education and Training.

Group shot of University students and Nancy after the award ceremony

Group photo with top university ministry officials, communist party officials and other international foreign professors

 Want to know more?  Here’s another article written by the Idaho Statesman: Click Here

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By: Tony Schwartz

Myth #1: Multitasking is critical in a world of infinite demand.

This myth is based on the assumption that human beings are capable of doing two cognitive tasks at the same time. We’re not. Instead, we learn to move rapidly between tasks. When we’re doing one, we’re actually not even aware of the other.

If you’re on a conference call, for example, and you turn your attention to an incoming email, you’re missing what’s happening on the call as long as you’re checking your email. Equally important, you’re incurring something called “switching time.” That’s the time it takes to shift from one cognitive activity to another.

On average, according to researcher David Meyer, switching time increases the amount of time it takes to finish the primary task you were working on by an average of 25 percent. In short, juggling activities is incredibly inefficient.

Read the rest of the myths here