When by Daniel Pink

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink offers up evidence that the timing of events has significant influence on the outcome. He contrasts the error rates in hospitals comparing the morning to the middle afternoon.  At the same hospital, the patient outcomes are much worse in this low energy time in the afternoon.

There are ways to improve this by taking naps lasting no longer than 20 minutes. People wake up from longer naps feeling groggy. He recommends consuming caffeine, taking a brief nap with a timer set to wake up in 20 minutes.  It takes 20 minutes for the caffeine to enter the blood stream so people wake up refreshed and energized.  This also works to increase retention of information acquired during a study session. Take care not to consume caffeine late in the day as it interrupts sleep patterns.

Daniel Pink - 7 minutes

When discussion by Daniel Pink - 58 minutes 

The Road to Character by David Brooks

David Brook's The Road to Character matches character traits with historical figures. The common feature of these characters is a non-linear 'U' shaped path to success. Most of the people had significant flaws, such as Dwight Eisenhower's legendary temper. Some learned the lessons of self-control early in life for others it took some time.  Many learned the lesson of studied inauthenticity and played a part when it served their purpose.

I most admired George Marshall. He waited 17 years for a promotion in the military after World War I. He was loyal to the institution of the military and to the country.  He could have led the D-Day invasion but chose to let FDR make the decision as FDR was commander-in-chief.  His military assignments in logistics proved to be useful when he was Secretary of State under Truman and was charged with implementing the Marshall Plan for Europe.

Samuel Johnson, the writer of the first English Dictionary, spent his whole life wrestling with his imperfections. As a boy he lost sight in one eye, partial sight in another, and was permanently scared due to the acts of heroic medicine. He grew into his life and was equally comfortable with all members of society.

The Road to Character summary - 2 min. 

PBS News Hour - The Road to Character interview - 7 min. 

Why Him Why Her by Helen Fisher

Helen Fisher's book Why Him? Why Her?: How to Find and Keep Lasting Love describes the results of the Research that Helen Fisher used to develop an upgrade to the current selection criteria used at Match.com. She found that people fell into four basic personality types with a primary and secondary type.

Four basic personality types:

• The Explorer - Seeks adventure and new experiences
• The Negotiator - This philosopher king is interested in feelings
• The Director - This type is very decisive and loaded with testosterone
• The Builder - This person has traditional values and is interested in building community

These personality types have their roots in the varying levels of testosterone, estrogen, dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin in a person.  When these personality types are paired in a relationship they vary in compatibility.  Two builders usually get along well with stable marriages.  Two directors may have a power struggle.  Some pairs complement each other like the Director/Negotiator.

When I listened to the audio book, I found that parts of me were in each personality type. When I took Helen Fisher's Personality Test, my top two scores were only a point a part.  The information was useful for both understanding romantic relationships and the day to day relationships between co-workers and supervisors.

Helen Fisher Audio book selection - 7 minutes

Helen Fisher discusses her book - 5 min. 

Tomorrowland by Steven Kotler

Steven Kotler's Tomorrowland: Our Journey from Science Fiction to Science Fact explores the edges of current technology. Is there a motorcycle airplane in the near future? What are the prospects engineered eyesight for previously blind individuals? Can we design a nuclear power plant that has minimal waste and very safe? Did human growth hormones or steroids get a bad rap because they were helping HIV infected individuals live longer?

This glimpse into the near future challenges some preconceptions about our future reality. If we can mine asteroids, what will that do to the price of precious metals.  It also reduces the need to extract these minerals from earth with a risk of ecological damage.  A segment on DNA printing shows the edge of the technology.

Tomorrowland trailer - 2 min.

Tomorrowland teaser - 1 min. 

Seven Kotler - interview - 69 minutes

Through a Dog's Eyes by Jennifer Arnold

Jennifer Arnold wrote Through a Dog's Eyes: Understanding Our Dogs by Understanding How They See the World to help individuals better relate to their canine friends.  She also describes her work training assistance dogs for individuals with physical limitations or medical issues. This book helped me understand my dog and realize that I am lucky to have him as part of our family.

Jennifer's training methods do not employ any punishments but us the choice teaching method with food as rewards.  The method also allows the  dog to take their time thinking through options and attempt to understand the command.  Random extrinsic rewards convert the activity into something the dog eventually loves to do because they made the choice.

The results for her service dogs are remarkable with some of them able to bring medicines to those with limited disability, alert others about an upcoming seizure, and even restart medical equipment on a ventilator.

I recently noted that our dog, Yukon, was less interested in his food dish lately so I decided to offer it to him in closed or partially closed containers to give him some mental stimulation per Jennifer's recommendation.  Yukon was up for the challenge and did not give up.  He is now challenging me to come up with a container he can't open.

Through a Dog's Eyes - PBS special preview 4 min. 

The choice teaching method - 2 min.

Dog's evaluate the world differently than humans - 2 min. 

Everyday Engineering - Understanding the Marvels of Daily Life by Stephen Ressler

Professor Stephen Ressler's, Everyday Engineering: Understanding the Marvels of Daily Life explains how many everyday products are engineered.  He details the design of a home from the inside out.  Lectures covert electrical distribution, waste water management, drinking water supply, and highway construction. This 36 episode series provides excellent information for anyone who wants to better understand the design and building of modern infrastructure.

I appreciated the clear description of systematic failures in the power grid for the Northeast Blackout of 2003 - Wikipedia.  My daughter and I observed the sagging power lines on a trip to North Dakota on a warm day.  The power lines expand and droop during times when electrical use is high. The details of car construction naturally flow into several sessions on the civil engineering work that goes in the the design of roads, bridges and tunnels.

Everyday Engineering intro - 2 min.

Engineering and Technology in Your World - 29 min.