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For any given behavior, Our motivations can have two radically different natures.: extrinsic and intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is the drive that comes from within, without any ostensible external reward. The activity is done because it is inherently enjoyable and not because of an anticipated reward, deadline, or external pressure.

Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, depends on external inputs, on rewards that come from outside. The new Year's resolutions They are usually more extrinsic than intrinsic, and that is why we can barely complete 20 % of them, on average.

Passenger VS stable

Extrinsic rewards are temporary. They are very effective in the short term, but tend to dissipate in the long term. However, the disadvantages of extrinsic rewards do not end there: They can also have a negative impact on our intrinsic drive.

This can be seen, for example, in children's art. Most children love to draw. Give a child a stack of blank papers and a coloring game, and everything will be smooth sailing. Some will draw for hours on end, without interruption and without the need for extrinsic motivation.

But How to get a child to stop drawing? Simply telling them that they will be given a reward for each drawing they complete. Because the most effective way to stop this behavior is to give them an extrinsic reward. There is a slight uptick when the reward is first given, but it's all downhill from there. As the rewards start to pile up, your momentum steadily decreases. And in a short time, the child completely loses interest in the activity. And this is something that also happens with adults.

With extrinsic motivation we will find that:

• it is more difficult to concentrate;
• one is tempted to delay the task;
• You want to complete the task with a degree of quality sufficient to obtain the reward, but it does not matter whether it is perfect or achieves excellence;
• You will be much more reluctant to do it if there is no reward.

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In contrast, intrinsic motivation is like an inexhaustible source. Drive behavior from within. We engage in the behavior out of a love for its own sake, regardless of its instrumental value. In that sense, behavior is integrated with our identity. We do not depend on rewards: the reward is doing it, simply, because it makes us happy or because it completes us in some way.

Keep this in mind when designing your new resolutions for 2021:

There is currently no 'masterly unified theory' to explain the origin or elements of intrinsic motivation. Most explanations combine elements of the work of Bernard Weiner on 'attribution theory', Bandura's work on 'self-efficacy' and other studies concerning 'locus of control' and 'goal theory'.

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Intrinsic motivation is much more powerful than extrinsic motivation, but also more difficult to achieve

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Xataka Science

by
Sergio Parra

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Beyond one's own convictions, being vegetarian is a sign of virtue signaling, therefore, as demonstrated Benoit Monin, psychologist at Stanford University, the simple presence of a vegetarian, as a kind of moral beacon, can influence an omnivorous person.

Monin thus demonstrated that people who eat meat can feel morally inferior in the presence of vegetarians, since they anticipate that they will end up making some kind of moral reproach to them.

They don't need to say anything

The most surprising thing is that the simple fear of reproach affects the carnivore: it is not necessary for the vegetarian to make the comment or reproach effective: its simple existence, from the point of view of a person who eats meat, It's already morally irritating..

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A vegetarian diet is associated with poorer health, according to an analysis

Therefore, mutatis mutandis, a meat eater also feels special pleasure when a vegetarian is caught violating his moral code and eats a good plate of chops, for example. As abounds in it Richard H. Smith in Schadenfreude:

The discovery of this type of deceptive and hypocritical behavior is a gratifying event. We are not as inferior as they tried to make us believe; now we can assume the opposite stance of moral superiority. Naturally, this turnaround in the situation makes us feel good.

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The simple presence of a vegetarian can inhibit an omnivore

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Xataka Science

by
Sergio Parra

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The difficulties that COVID-19 has caused in our lives have led many to seek psychological counseling, which has put mental health services to the test.

But classical philosophy can also help us. Specifically, the stoicism defended by the Greek philosopher Epicurus.

Epicurus and negative visualization

Epicurus, influenced by Democritus, Aristotle and the Cynics, turned against Platonism and established his own school, known as "The Garden", in Athens, where he allowed women, prostitutes and slaves to enter the school.

Using rationality to understand human nature, the Stoics devised numerous brain tricks that can be used to cope with stress, misfortune, and pain. The Stoics recognized that a peaceful life is a happy life and that it can be obtained for everyone through the cultivation of reason, virtue, and self-control.

A useful tool in the Stoics' toolkit is the negative visualization, which involves imagining worse things that could happen. If you feel lonely, imagine what life would be like without virtual communication. Imagine if COVID-19 disrupted infrastructure so that goods and services could no longer be delivered.

If you're tired of working from home, be thankful that you still have a job and that this arrangement is temporary.

Instead of complaining that you can't go to a concert, bar, or sporting event, be grateful that you don't have to go to the hospital. If you are bothered that COVID-19 exists, take solace in the fact that talented scientists have developed vaccines.

No matter what happens to you, there is almost always something worse that could have happened. Visualizing more negative scenarios allows you to better appreciate the good fortune you have..

Furthermore, the Stoics would advocate that we 'grant' our circumstances. This is a useful trick that involves stepping outside of yourself to examine your lot in life more objectively. When you feel like you are the victim of a disturbing situation, pause and take a deep breath. Then talk to yourself as if you were talking to a friend who was the victim. When we talk to a friend about a complaint, we usually remind them to calm down and help them see that things are not so bad. Sometimes we help them see the positive side. We should advise ourselves as we would advise a friend..

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Are the rich happy?

Importantly, the Stoics realized that we need very little in life to be happy. In fact, coveting money or fame is a mistake. There is always more money and fame to chase, and our insatiable nature will prevent us from enjoying what we already have. A surer path to happiness and well-being is to obtain virtue by living a life of value.

Several studies have shown that there is also a strong correlation between the happiness, health and longevity of people who help others. With the rise of COVID-19, there are many ways to make a positive impact, from donating to food banks and charities to volunteering as a crisis counselor. Especially if we remember that poverty is, at a systemic level, worse than viruses like coronavirus:

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How to use stoicism to face the uncertainty of the pandemic

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Sergio Parra

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In our body we can find different types of fats, one of them is brown fat or brown fat: a type of adipose tissue that is metabolically very active and consumes energy to generate heat. In general, we have brown fat when we are children and we lose it with age.

A new study with 52,000 people points out that this type of fat can protect us from diseases: those who had detectable brown fat were less likely than their peers to suffer from heart and metabolic conditions ranging from type 2 diabetes to coronary artery disease, which develops when the main blood vessels that supply the heart become damaged or damaged.

The largest studio

In collaboration with Heiko Schoder and Andreas Wibmer At Memorial Sloan Kettering, researchers reviewed 130,000 PET scans from more than 52,000 patients and found the presence of brown fat in nearly 10 percent of people.

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Several common and chronic diseases were less common among people with detectable brown fat. For example, only 4.6 percent had type 2 diabetes, compared to 9.5 percent of people who had no detectable brown fat. Similarly, 18.9 percent had abnormal cholesterol, compared to 22.2 percent in those without brown fat.

Additionally, the study revealed three more conditions for which people with brown fat have a lower risk: hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease—links that had not been seen in previous studies.

In Xataka Science

Fat throughout history

The study, by far the largest of its kind in humans, confirms and expands the health benefits of brown fat suggested by previous studies.

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Brown fat may protect against numerous chronic diseases, according to the largest study on the subject

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Xataka Science

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Sergio Parra

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Prediabetes means you have a higher than normal blood glucose level. It's still not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, but without lifestyle changes, Adults and children with prediabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

A new classification may help in the future to prevent the manifestation of diabetes or the development of diabetes complications through targeted prevention.

six types

Not all prediabetes are the same: there would be six clearly distinguishable subtypes, which differ in the development of the disease, the risk of diabetes and the development of secondary diseases, as suggested A study from the Research Institute of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) at Helmholtz Zentrum München; at the University of Tübingen, University Hospital Tübingen; and the German Diabetes Research Center (DZD).

The people who participated in the study come from the Tübingen Family Study and the Tübingen Lifestyle Program study. They have repeatedly undergone intensive clinical, laboratory chemical, MRI and genetic examinations in Tübingen for the last 25 years.

Based on key metabolic parameters such as blood glucose levels, liver fat, body fat distribution, blood lipid levels and genetic risk, the researchers were able to identify six subtypes of prediabetes.

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The placebo also influences how you process what you eat: glucose rises if you think you ate more sugar

A differentiated classification of prediabetes and diabetes allows for individual and early prevention and therapy of diabetes and its secondary diseases in a way adapted to the development of the disease.

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A new classification is suggested for the types of prediabetics and there are up to six different ones

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Xataka Science

by
Sergio Parra

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The current pandemic, together with confinements, produces anxiety. And many people combat anxiety by eating, especially high-fat or sugary foods.

Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, they wanted to check if college-age people also overeat in these times of uncertainty. Women were more likely to engage in these behaviors.

Greater frustrated social affiliation

Young adults may be particularly susceptible to mental health issues related to the pandemic, partly due to a higher level of interest in social affiliations.

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These are the calories you burn running and this is how quickly you recover them

The scientists used data from an ongoing study that included participants' weight in October 2018 and 2019, and then again in May and July 2020. The researchers found that almost half of the 1,820 students who were surveyed used foods for confront the pandemic.

Approximately 48% of study participants reported one or more unhealthy eating behaviors. Using food to cope with the pandemic was also associated with weight gain, especially for young adults with a higher starting weight.

In Xataka Science

If you are looking to lose weight, focus your efforts on diet and not on physical exercise.

Not only were women more likely to engage in these behaviors, people who had previously had higher depression were more likely to engage in these behaviors.

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Pandemic and food: calories are the relief for many people from the anxiety caused by the pandemic, especially in women

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Xataka Science

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Sergio Parra

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We left behind this troubled 2020, and as has been tradition (in addition to set new goals for the new year), it is advisable to look back, recapitulate and organize achievements and mistakes. At Xataka Ciencia we are going to present you some of the achievements.

Specifically, at the democratic level: the entries that have had the most audience, more readings, more massive success (which naturally does not mean that they are the most elaborate, interesting or original entries, but we still do not have a way to objectively measure these parameters). Below you have the Top 10 entries published during 2020.

Top 10

1. This is the oldest known living vertebrate: It is a shark that has been swimming for almost four centuries. This is a 393-year-old Greenland shark that was found in the Arctic Ocean. It has been roaming the ocean since 1627. It is the oldest known living vertebrate on the planet.

2. People who have tattoos are psychologically different from people who do not have them.. Until recently, wearing tattoos in countries like Spain was more associated with a licentious, even quarrelsome, life; In fact, in countries like Japan this continues to be the case. Nowadays, having tattoos is so mainstream that not wearing them could even seem slightly rebellious. However, according to a study published in 2019, there are relevant psychological differences among people who on average have tattoos.

3. The iMASC system is proposed as a reusable alternative to N95 masks. Given the shortage of N95 masks, a team of bioengineers and clinical experts from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing, still in prototype form, a new sustainable solution for healthcare workers to provide protection during the pandemic.

4. Losing weight while walking: what science tells us about losing weight without diet and walking. When it comes to losing weight, not only our appearance and losing weight are at stake, but also our health: overweight and obesity are risk factors for many serious diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems or cancer, among others.

5. According to this model there are up to six levels of critical thinking: from thoughtless thinkers to master thinkers.. We all like to be right. Reduce complex issues until they are simple and, if possible, Manichean. We're also happy to slip superficial thoughts into typical bar conversation, more cathartic than reflective. We even like to debate, but not so much to confront ideas and enrich our own, but as a social act, an interaction similar to a dance.

6. It's not a spider or a dog, even though it looks like one: it's a murgaño. Although it looks like a grotesque spider holding a kind of dog or wolf head, we are dealing with pareidolia (a psychological phenomenon where a vague and random stimulus is mistakenly perceived as a recognizable shape). In reality, this strange creature is a murgaño or reaper (Metagryne bicolumnata), one of the many species that live in the Amazon.

7. These photorealistic portraits of Roman emperors have been created from historical references using a neural network. The main technology behind Artbreeder is a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), a class of artificial intelligence algorithms used in unsupervised learning. Thanks to GAN, Photoshop and a good handful of historical references, photorealistic portraits of the main Roman emperors have been created: a total of 54 ranging from 27 BC to 285 AD. C.).

8. Electron microscopes have reached the resolution to see atoms and offer us images this impressive. They are beginning to rival X-ray crystallography, because electron microscopes have reached the resolution necessary to see atoms. Specifically, they already move in dimensions of 1.2 angstrom (Å), a unit of measurement equivalent to one ten billionth of a meter: 0.000 000 000 1 meters. There are 100 million angstroms in one centimeter. That is, 120 picometers (pm), twice that of an oxygen atom (50 picometers). The atomic diameters are between 50 pm to 600 pm.

9. The ugliest people tend to be progressive, the most beautiful people tend to be conservative.. People who identify as more attractive are more likely to also identify as conservative. On the contrary, those who are perceived as less attractive tend to be on the other side of the political spectrum. This is at least what the following study by researchers at the University of Illinois suggests.

10. A new black hole is discovered and it is the most massive that has been seen so far: the equivalent of 34 billion suns. The giant black hole studied, known as 'J2157', was discovered by the same research team in 2018. New research led by the Australian National University (ANU) has revealed how massive it really is.

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The most read entries in Xataka Ciencia throughout 2020

was originally published in

Xataka Science

by
Sergio Parra

.

Reading code activates a general-purpose brain network, but not language processing centers, which shows that the programming language is not assimilated as if it were an ordinary language that we use to communicate.

Thus, although computer code has the characteristics of a language, reading it activates a distributed network called multiple demand network, which is also used for complex cognitive tasks such as solving math problems or crossword puzzles.

Neither language nor mathematics

A programming language It is a formal language (or artificial, that is, a language with well-defined grammatical rules) that provides a person, in this case the programmer, the ability to write (or program) a series of instructions or sequences of commands in form. of algorithms in order to control the physical or logical behavior of a computer. But it activates different regions in our brain when we read.

However, although reading code activates the multiple demand network, it seems to depend more on different parts of the network than mathematical or logical problems, suggesting that coding also does not accurately replicate the cognitive demands of mathematics. That is, the code is not processed as language, nor as mathematics.

There are two schools of thought regarding how the brain learns to write code.. One maintains that to be good at programming, you must be good at math. The other suggests that, due to parallels between coding and language, linguistic skills might be more relevant. Therefore, to shed light on this issue, the researchers set out to study whether the patterns of brain activity when reading code would overlap with brain activity related to language.

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Move forward Turtle, Move back Turtle: what was the LOGO

The researchers say that while they did not identify any regions that appear to be dedicated exclusively to programming, such specialized brain activity could develop in people who have much more experience in coding. The findings suggest that there is no definitive answer to whether coding should be taught as a math-based skill or a language-based skill.

The two programming languages that the researchers focused on in this study are known for their readability: Python and ScratchJr, a visual programming language designed for children ages 5 and up.

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11 figures from Moore's law that will make your head explode

Evelina Fedorenko, Frederick A. and Carole J. Middleton Career Development Associate Professor of Neuroscience and member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, is senior author of This studio, which has been published in eLife. Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Tufts University also participated in the study.

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The news

When reading a programming language, the same regions of the brain are not activated as when reading a normal language.

was originally published in

Xataka Science

by
Sergio Parra

.