Merv Mandelbaum 
Problem You sleep kinda poorly—what’s the worst that can happen? Reality You might be more susceptible to diabetes if you sleep poorly, according to a study in Diabetologia. Method Researchers know that higher levels of circulating non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations are associated with insulin resistance, which plays a key … Read More
Problem Rudeness screws with workplace productivity, so it’d be good to stop. Reality Rudeness spreads like a disease, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Method In one experiment, researchers had ninety graduate students practice negotiations with each other. They did a whole series of exercises and … Read More
Problem Chances are, you’ve taken some acetaminophen in the past week or so, though you may not have realised it. It’s in Tylenol, Sudafed, Nyquil, and scores of other drugs. Something else you may not realise: it’s really, really easy to take too much acetaminophen. Reality In fact, Health Canada … Read More
Problem Problem? You’ve got tonnes of problems! And they all need solutions! Reality Take sleep more seriously—it’ll make you a better problem solver, according to a study in Cognition. Method Researchers gave their participants a problem set to work on. After the problem set, some were allowed sleep, and others … Read More
Problem Every political opinion piece you post on Facebook seems doomed to sea of shrieking partisans and blustering uncles. Why can’t we just have a civilized discussion? Reality Our brains aren’t good at seeing politics in philosophical terms, but, according to a study in Cognition, “. . . political affiliation … Read More
