The Certainty Bias: A Potentially Dangerous Mental Flaw

Robert Burton is the former chief of neurology at the University of California at San Francisco-Mt. Zion hospital. He recently wrote a book, On Being Certain, that explored the neuroscience behind the feeling of certainty, or why we are so convinced we’re right even when we’re wrong.
The Certainty Bias: A Potentially Dangerous Mental Flaw

The Only Two Secrets to Motivating Yourself You’ll Ever Need | Zen Habits

Motivation isn’t that complicated. Sure, there are numerous tips that can help, numerous tactics and strategies.
The Only Two Secrets to Motivating Yourself You’ll Ever Need | Zen Habits

Google Maps: Now Officially Gorgeous

Remember when we told you about Google’s new satellite, GeoEye-1, which should bring highest resolution commercial imagery available to Google Maps? Below, you can see the first image that the satellite captured. GeoEye-1 captures images at .41 meters in black and white and 1.65 meters in color; for real life reference, that means crisp enough to read license plates.
Google Maps: Now Officially Gorgeous

Understand the Financial Crisis

Freddie and Fannie, Bernanke, Bush, mortgages, loans, foreclosure, $700 billion bailout, recession, crisis. These are the words filling the headlines and being tossed around in Washington and on Wall Street in worry and, yes, panic. What does it all mean?
Understand the Financial Crisis

The Things You Don’t Need (But They Say You Do) For a New Baby

Expecting parents know the gauntlet of baby gear pushed and prodded their way through the store’s aisles. Modern-day culture all but convinces the average parent-to-be that they may very well fail at their upcoming task without the shiny new products begging for purchase. Never mind that men and women have parented children for eons without most of these things.
The Things You Don’t Need (But They Say You Do) For a New Baby

8 tips for finding the right thing to say in a difficult situation

I often feel like I don’t know the right thing to say. I’ll be desperate to find the right words, but in a tough situation, I just don’t know what to say to make a person feel better. I often find myself switching the topic of the conversation -- so quickly that I've changed it before I realize what I've done.
8 tips for finding the right thing to say in a difficult situation

A Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Romantic and Highly Frugal Date Night

I’ve been collecting ideas and tips for a while and I’ve come up with some fairly modular options for coming up with a frugal romantic date. Choose one option from the “Dinner” section and the “Entertainment” section and then top it off with one item from the “Follow-Up” section.
A Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Romantic and Highly Frugal Date Night

The 10 Things I Won’t Give Up Just To Save Money

Times are tough and they may be getting tougher as inflation and unemployment rates rise. There are 10 things that I could cut out of my expenses to save money right now but these measures will likely cause my earning power to shrink and my cost of living to rise in the long term.
The 10 Things I Won’t Give Up Just To Save Money

New in Labs: Stop sending mail you later regret

Sometimes I send messages I shouldn't send. Like the time I told that girl I had a crush on her over text message. Or the time I sent that late night email to my ex-girlfriend that we should get back together. Gmail can't always prevent you from sending messages you might later regret, but today we're launching a new Labs feature I wrote called Mail Goggles which may help.
New in Labs: Stop sending mail you later regret

Critic’s Notebook - Old Gender Roles With Your Dinner?

To Jenny Moon, the whole business of giving menus to women before men, taking orders from women before men and clearing women’s plates first just didn’t make sense, not in the East Village in 2008.
Critic’s Notebook - Old Gender Roles With Your Dinner?

How to Save Money on Your Wedding: ASK!

Eight people from the wedding industry had gathered to swap hints, tips, and stories. They talked about networking, about wedding expos, and about dealing with problem customers. They also talked about some of the financial aspects of their business.
How to Save Money on Your Wedding: ASK!

Airport shoe-scanner device could prevent stupid shoe-removal ritual

Could this be what we've all been waiting for? Israel's Ben-Gurion International has added a gizmo called MagShoe to its security checkpoints in Terminal 3, meaning some passengers will be able to leave their shoes on.
Airport shoe-scanner device could prevent stupid shoe-removal ritual

UK to install clusters of cameras to catch speeders

The UK is going to install camera clusters on hundreds of roads next year to "monitor drivers’ average speed on all routes across a wide area."
UK to install clusters of cameras to catch speeders

Hosting Overnight Guests: 10 Easy Tips To Help Your Visitors Feel Welcome

As you’re reading this, we are hosting out-of-town guests in our home for a few days. Some people where we live kindly refer to us as a “bed and breakfast” because we have so many guests pass through our hallways - and we love it.
Hosting Overnight Guests: 10 Easy Tips To Help Your Visitors Feel Welcome

24 Words the CED Want to Exuviate (Shed)

Here are a list of words the Collins English Dictionary want to discard to make room for up to 2,000 new entries.
24 Words the CED Want to Exuviate (Shed)

9 Signs You Need to Fire Your Financial Planner

In tough economic times, financial planners are on the front lines. They are the gateway to investment returns when the markets are good, and are the buffer against financial disaster when the markets are bad.
9 Signs You Need to Fire Your Financial Planner

Forged Elvis Passport Accepted By Airport Security

A group of hackers has released a video showing a forged Elvis Presley passport - the RFID-protected kind that can be scanned by computers - being run through and accepted by a Dutch airport security machine.
Forged Elvis Passport Accepted By Airport Security

Retirement Plans in a Down Stock Market

Stocks are inherently a risky investment. If you look at the long term history of the stock market, there are a lot of years where the stock market goes up 15 to 20% in a year. There are also a lot of years where the stock market drops 20% in a year. Over the very long haul, these average out - that’s why holding a broad range of stocks (like in an index fund) is a good idea if you’re investing for the far future.
Retirement Plans in a Down Stock Market

To improve your marriage -- be quiet

Forget everything you've heard about frankness, sharing your feelings, getting him to express his. New research into the male mind makes it clear that discussion may be the fastest way to shut down communication. (Oh, you noticed that, have you?)
To improve your marriage -- be quiet

OUP UK’s Word of the Year is…

Drum roll please! Today sees the announcement of OUP UK’s Word of the Year, as chosen by Countdown’s Susie Dent. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given what is going on in the world’s economy at the moment, that word is....
OUP UK’s Word of the Year is…