April 9, 2015
Peter Singhatey
Uncategorized
People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Research, Science, sexiness
The science of sexiness: why some people are just more attractive – Telegraph.
A new study suggests that long-distance runners are more attractive because they have greater levels of testosterone which makes them more manly and fertile.
But there are other biological and evolutionary triggers which are constantly drawing us to certain individuals, even if we don’t realise it is happening. Scientists in Geneva discovered that determining whether we are attracted to someone is one of the most complex tasks that the brain undertakes. Here are the scientific secrets of attraction:
Symmetry
Charles Darwin once wrote: “It is certainly not true that there is in the mind of man any universal standards of beauty with respect to the human body.”
Probably the most important is facial symmetry….
March 20, 2015
Peter Singhatey
Education
Early Education, peter singhateh, Research, Self-Esteem
Why overpraising may be responsible for a generation of narcissistic children – Independent.ie.
A new study – carried out by Eddie Brummelman and colleagues at the University of Amsterdam – suggests that the constant praising of our children’s smallest accomplishments may have the unintended side effect of creating over-inflated egos.
The study evaluated more than 560 children between the ages of seven and 11 over 18 months. It found that parental overvaluation was the largest cause of narcissism in a child, but did not necessarily provide them with good self-esteem.
So, while we think that telling our children they’re fantastic all the time is building up their confidence, it doesn’t necessarily have that effect.
“People with high self-esteem think they’re as good as others, whereas narcissists think they’re better than others,” said Brad Bushman, the co-author of the study.
“Children believe it when their parents tell them that they are more special than others. That may not be good for them or for society.”
Parents need to be careful. Raising a child who thinks they are superior to others and believes they deserve special treatment can have serious consequences, both in childhood and later on in life…
March 18, 2015
Peter Singhatey
International Security
Conflict, International Security, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Research, Terrorism
Where Terrorism Research Goes Wrong – NYTimes.com.
“TERRORISM is increasing. According to the Global Terrorism Database at the University of Maryland, groups connected with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State committed close to 200 attacks per year between 2007 and 2010, a number that grew by more than 200 percent, to about 600 attacks, in 2013.
Since 9/11, the study of terrorism has also increased. Now, you might think that more study would lead to more effective antiterrorism policies and thus to less terrorism. But on the face of it, this does not seem to be happening. What has gone wrong?
The answer is that we have not been conducting the right kind of studies. According to a 2008 review of terrorism literature in the journal Psicothema, only 3 percent of articles from peer-reviewed sources appeared to be rooted in empirical analysis, and in general there was an “almost complete absence of evaluation research” concerning antiterrorism strategies…”
February 2, 2015
Peter Singhatey
Uncategorized
Addiction, Compulsive Disorders, Facebook, Peter Singhatey, Research, Smartphone addition
Smartphone addiction time-bomb ‘ready to explode’ – Independent.ie.
A third of internet users now access online content on mobile phones – up from just 10pc two years ago – and internet users are expected to surpass PC users by next year, according to the latest research by Dublin-based Statcounter.
Counsellors now fear internet addiction, fuelled by 24/7 access via mobile phones, will be the next wave of compulsive disorders that they will be treating.
Gerry Cooney, an addiction counsellor at the Rutland Centre, said they are already seeing a massive surge in the number of people – typically young men under the age of 30 – who are seeking treatment for online gambling and pornography addiction, which is exacerbated by 24-hour access through smartphones and other mobile devices.
And while the people he is currently treating at the centre’s residential treatment programme have sought help for gambling and other impulse control disorders, he believes smartphone addiction will be the next wave of illness due to the “mood-altering and compulsive” nature of social media, gaming and other forms of online entertainment.
“It’s not necessarily a young person’s issue,” Mr Cooney told the Sunday Independent.
“Facebook is something that a lot of people are now struggling with, the constant need to stay in touch.”…
December 22, 2014
Peter Singhatey
African Center for Strategic Studies
Africa, Conflict, Development, Gambia, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Research
ISS Africa | Africa in 2014: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Africa is not a country. What might have been an excellent year for some was a disaster for others. For protesters in Burkina Faso who have known only one ruler for the last 27 years, 2014 was a very good year. The peaceful overthrow of Blaise Compaoré at the end of October was a victory for democracy. Whether the strong positioning of military officials in the transitional government will undermine the democratic gains remains to be seen.
Compaoré’s ouster inspired those rejecting their own leaders’ bids to stay on beyond their legal term limits, like in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo or Burundi – and sent a clear warning to leaders in countries like Zimbabwe, Uganda and Angola. The African Union (AU), which should give itself some credit for ensuring that Compaoré was replaced by a civilian-led government in Burkina Faso, also had quite a good year.
AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma got the private sector to contribute to AU programmes, notably the AU Support Mission to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa. Following a fundraising meeting on 8 November, South African cellphone giant MTN came out tops with a sponsorship of $10 million for the fight against Ebola and Masiyiwa’s Econet donated $2,5 million…
December 18, 2014
Peter Singhatey
African Center for Strategic Studies
Africa, corruption, Dirty money, Gambia, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Research
Poor nations ‘lose $1 tn in dirty money’ – Americas – Al Jazeera English.
Developing countries are losing nearly a trillion dollars to crime and corruption, with the disappearance of dirty money hitting some of the world’s poorest regions hardest, a new report has found.
A record $991bn in unrecorded funds left 151 developing and emerging economies in 2012, up nearly five percent from a year earlier, a US-based watchdog that exposes financial corruption said on Monday.
Global Financial Integrity (GFI) found that, between 2003 and 2012, the estimated amount of illicit funds shifted from developing countries totalled $6.6tn and rose at an inflation-adjusted 9.4 percent a year – roughly double global GDP growth…
November 20, 2014
Peter Singhatey
Reports, Research
Domestic Abuse, Ireland, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Research
More than 2,000 men suffer domestic abuse, says Amen.
Almost 8,000 incidents of domestic abuse were reported from more than 2,000 men last year, the support service for male
sufferers of domestic violence Amen, has said.
According to Amen’s 2013 report, the number of domestic attacks on men is roughly the same as 2012.
But the charity said it is seeing a large increase in the number of men coming for face-to-face counselling.
The number of face-to-face meetings with men complaining of abuse has risen by about 64 per cent on 2011, says Amen service manager Niamh Farrell…
November 1, 2014
Peter Singhatey
Articles on Africa
Africa, Gambia, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey, Proverty, Research
War on Poverty Turns 50: Are We Winning Yet? | Cato Institute.
War on Poverty is 50 years old. Over that time, federal and state governments have spent more than $19 trillion fighting poverty. But what have we really accomplished?
Although far from conclusive, the evidence suggests that we have successfully reduced many of the deprivations of material poverty, especially in the early years of the War on Poverty. However, these efforts were more successful among socioeconomically stable groups such as the elderly than low-income groups facing other social problems. Moreover, other factors like the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the expansion of economic opportunities to African Americans and women, increased private charity, and general economic growth may all have played a role in whatever poverty reduction occurred.
However, even if the War on Poverty achieved some initial success, the programs it spawned have long since reached a point of diminishing returns. In recent years we have spent more and more money on more and more programs, while realizing few, if any, additional gains. More important, the War on Poverty has failed to make those living in poverty independent or increase economic mobility among the poor and children. We may have made the lives of the poor less uncomfortable, but we have failed to truly lift people out of poverty.
The failures of the War on Poverty should serve as an object lesson for policymakers today. Good intentions are not enough. We should not continue to throw money at failed programs in the name of compassion…
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