Researchers at Vanderbuilt University have conducted experiments which explore ways of filtering information.

Image credit: Getty Images, Craig P. Jewell/Flickr
Turns out there might be a biological imperative to explain our addiction to information that leads us to obsessively check our Facebook profiles for updates and inexplicably lose hours at a time searching for obscure bits of information on Google. Scientists refer to this desire as seeking or wanting, a practice that affects the dopamine centers of our brains and causes us to chase the potential reward just around the corner rather than settle for the tangible one right in front of us. This quest for what might be, creates a seemingly infinite feedback loop where [...]

Journalist Michael Blastand has written an interesting, simple but eye opening article that explains the correct way to think about all the scary “statistics” thrown around haphazardly in the news so often. He explains just how percentages mean nothing unless put into proper context.
Revolutions Explains:
We see risk statistics in news articles every day. “One extra unit of alcohol a day increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 12%.” “Bacon increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 20%.” But what do those numbers really mean? (Beyond wide-eyed alarmism from the news media, I mean.) Michael Blastland (BBC) suggests converting these [...]

As if we hadn’t already heard that print is dead and digital is the future, Reuters reports that Google has bought a paper mill in southeastern Finland, in which it plans to build a massive data center. Not only is this purchase an ironic sign of the times, it’s another step Google is making toward staying ahead of its competitors Microsoft and Yahoo. As the NY Times reports, Google is turning barren and once industrial spaces into sprawling data centers to hold their growing wealth of information. They describe one such large-scale initiative currently underway in rural Oregon:
Behind the curtain [...]

PSFK got the chance to visit the new Google Maps powered New York City information center this weekend, and overall it’s a very cool experience. The space has a clean, minimalist feel. It’s a kind of spaceship-modern, mostly white interior interspersed with neat rows of brochures and colorful glowing screens, which come to life with when touched.
The big attraction here are the huge gesture recognition touch screen tables, designed by Local Projects. Guests can use the kiosks to navigate New York City, and create a custom itinerary for their visit. To start the process, users place a disk, (which has [...]