What a Messy Desk Says About You – NYTimes.com

In the study by Dr. Vohs, disordered offices encouraged originality and a search for novelty. In the final portion of the study, adults were given the choice of adding a health “boost” to their lunchtime smoothie that was labeled either “new” or “classic.” The volunteers in the messy space were far more likely to choose the new one; those in the tidy office generally opted for the classic version.

“Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition,” Dr. Vohs and her co-authors conclude in the study, “which can produce fresh insights.”

My office is fine the way it is.  I know what is in every pile.  Now I have some evidence that the way I work is more creative.  STFU!

via What a Messy Desk Says About You – NYTimes.com.

Cows Vs Great Whites: Which Are More Likely to Kill You? – Physician’s Weekly

You rarely hear about a cow killing a human, but it happens about 20 times every year. Between 2003 and 2008, 108 people in the United States died from injuries caused by cattle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 27 times the whopping 4 people killed in shark attacks in the United States during the same time period, according to the International Shark Attack File.

via Cows Vs Great Whites: Which Are More Likely to Kill You? | Physician’s Weekly.

Metformin and Cognitive Impairment

In a retrospective study, diabetic patients who were taking metformin had worse cognitive performance than those not taking the drug (odds ratio 2.23, 95% CI 1.05-4.75), Eileen Moore, PhD, of the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues reported online in Diabetes Care.

Additionally, patients with diabetes who had vitamin B12 levels less than 250 pmol/L also had worse cognitive performance (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.12-4.66), and the association between metformin and cognitive impairment was weakened after adjusting for vitamin B12 levels, they stated.

via In Some Patients Metformin Impairs Thinking.

Aviva Confirms Additional 326 Planned Layoffs – Des Moines Register Staff Blogs

The planned job eliminations mean that about 780 of the 1,800 people employed at Aviva USA on May 1 have either left or been told their jobs are being eliminated. That’s 43 percent of the workforce at a time when states are spending millions to battle one another for jobs.

via Aviva confirms additional 326 planned layoffs | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs.

Athene Letter