This is what made up our minds:
DA VINCI’S DEMONS: Definitely Gonna Watch This
Neil deGrasse Tyson has His Finger on Pop Culture’s Pulse
Captain Ubiquitous strikes again! Is there anything NdGT can’t do?
NYER is ‘super’ smart, ‘Finds’ Krypton – by Dareh Gregorian
Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s . . . Superman’s home planet!
Been Rejected Lately? Awesome! You’re Even More Creative Now
For some reason we find this very disturbing:
News: How Getting Rejected Fuels Creativity by Laura Newcome
The Study
Researchers conducted a series of three studies in which students at a university were made to believe they’d been either “accepted” or “rejected” by a group. Participants were then told in person that they’d complete additional creative tasks as individuals (if they’d been “rejected”) or would join their group after completing some tasks (if they’d been “accepted”).
In Study 1, participants were given seven minutes to complete word problems designed to assess creativity. In Studies 2 and 3, the researchers repeated the same procedures but accounted for variables like positive feelings and verbal reasoning. They found that these variables weren’t responsible for individual differences in creativity (meaning rejection likely was the cause). In the third study, participants were asked to draw fantastical creatures. These drawings were used as a barometer of creativity if they looked unlike pre-existing animals on Earth.
Ultimately, social rejection didn’t always return negative results, it all depended if the person identified more as independent or interdependent. Researchers speculate that because more independent people already feel “different,” they’re more willing to explore unusual ideas and abandon traditional ways of thinking post-rejection.
In contrast, interdependent people are more motivated to fit in and maintain harmony within a group, making them more likely to respond to rejection with efforts to repair and strengthen friendships. For these folks, rejection can have some pretty pronounced negative consequences. But for individuals whose need to be independent is stronger than the need to belong, being rejected might end up boosting creativity.
Direct from South Africa: ROOM 9
For years, South African producers have wanted to break into the international market, but budget problems have always gotten in the way. Now, though, it looks like they’ve got their best chance so far:
Creator, Star Talk New South African Paranormal Detective Series ROOM 9 – Team TVWriter Press Service
Welcome to the playground of the Devil, where Satanic cults, Muti murders, the Tokoloshe, Demons, Poltergeists, Zombies, Werewolves, Aliens, Vampires, and even a Mermaid, are all on the menu.
Behind the Scenes w/Creators of H+ Interweb Series (on Google+ Today!)
This just in from Bob Tinsley:
Today at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET there will be a hangout on Google+ with the creators of the web series H+, a Bryan Singer property (don’t think HE will be there!). They will have the director and both principal writers “and others”. I was invited, along with almost 1300 of my closest friends, but I don’t know if you have to be invited to attend.