Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Mint-lounge / Features/  Reading on smartphone will change the way you think
BackBack

Reading on smartphone will change the way you think

Most instinctive friendships are often one-sided and silk can help preserve the freshness of fruits without refrigeration studies and research tips for a healthier you

People who use tablets and laptops for reading are more likely to focus on concrete details rather than interpreting information more abstractly. Photo: iStockphotoPremium
People who use tablets and laptops for reading are more likely to focus on concrete details rather than interpreting information more abstractly. Photo: iStockphoto

Silk can keep fruits fresh without refrigeration

Wrapping fruits in silk fibre can prolong the freshness of the fruits by slowing fruit respiration and preventing decay, without the need for refrigeration, a US study suggests. Researchers from Tufts University dipped freshly picked strawberries in a solution of 1% silk fibroin protein four times. After the coating was crystallised, the strawberries were stored at room temperature. After seven days, the berries coated with the silk sheet were still juicy and firm while the uncoated berries had dried up and lost colour. Silk contains an insoluble protein called fibroin, which can stabilize and protect other materials. The study was published in journal Scientific Reports. Read more here.

A few minutes of light exercise can help diabetes patients

People suffering from diabetes and leading a sedentary lifestyle can benefit by doing light exercises for a few minutes every half an hour, an Australian study claims. Researchers from Diabetes Institute in Melbourne enlisted 24 overweight and obese adults with diabetes and conducted a series of tests after putting them through three minutes of walking or resistance exercises like squats and raising leg every 30 minutes. Brief walking and resistance exercises led to considerable reduction in blood sugar, insulin and c-peptide. Resistance exercise was to be quite effective in controlling elevated triglycerides levels. The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care. Read more here.

Reading on smartphones can change how you think

People who use tablets and laptops for reading are more likely to focus on concrete details rather than interpreting information more abstractly, a US study suggests. Researchers from Dartmouth College hired 300 individuals in the age group of 20 to 24 years. Participants were asked to read a short story on paper or on a laptop, and were asked to take a pop-quiz and comprehension test. Participants reading on PC scored better than the other group. But when the participants were asked to read a table of information about four Japanese car models on either a laptop or paper and select which car model is superior, 66% of those using paper gave the correct answer compared to 43% of those using the digital platform. Read more here.

Most instinctive friendships are often one-sided

When it comes to deciding who your real friends are, thinking objectively can be more reliable than going with one’s instincts, an Israeli study suggest. Researchers from Tel Aviv University in collaboration with researchers Massachusetts Institute of Technology examined six surveys involving 600 students from Israel, Europe and the US. They developed an algorithm to examine several objective features of a perceived friendship and were able to differentiate between unidirectional or reciprocal friendship. About 95% of participants thought that their relationships were reciprocal. But when they were matched up in the bidirectional friendship category, only 50% reciprocated the friendship.

The study was published in the journal PLoS One. Read more here.

Children prefer fries to apple even if apple is the default side dish

The notion that offering healthy food as an alternative can encourage children to choose them over fries is not true, a US study shows. Researchers from Cornell Food and Brand Lab served chicken nuggets from a fast food restaurant to 15 children in the age group of 6-8 years. Half of the children were given fries with their meal and told they could exchange them for apples. The other half were given apples and told they could exchange them for fries. Even when the default side was apples, 86.7% of the children opted to swap them for fries. The study was published in BMC Research Notes. Read more here.

Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 09 May 2016, 03:23 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App