| Burrowing crayfish in hot water It is known as an environmental engineer with an important ecological role but the tiny burrowing crayfish is under threat. abc.net.au |
Natural gas may have jump-started oil eating bugs By 2010-09-16T18:03:39ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- Those oil-eating bacteria that suddenly flourished in the Gulf of Mexico following the oil spill may have gotten a jump start from natural gas, scientists say.... hosted.ap.org |
How to complete psychometric tests 70% of firms use psychometric tests to choose job applicants. We give you some tips on how to preparePsychometric tests, which examine all aspects of your inner being from your opinion of Las Vegas to your dexterity with decimals, are used by up to 70% of the largest companies in the UK. The conclusions drawn by the psychologists that mark them will determine whether you make it past application stage."They try to capture the long-term personality, rather than the short-term charm that turns up at interview," says psychologist John Bowland. "Attitude is far more important than aptitude – an unsuitable personality is the biggest reason why people fail in a job."Shifts in corporate hierarchies over the last 20 years mean that personality and all-round skills are key. The move towards more knowledge-based and customer-focused jobs means that even relatively lowly employees have more autonomy. Moreover, companies have to reinvent themselves to remain competitive, so staff must be adaptable.Don't assume that, because you plan a career in the City, it's irrelevant that you can't spell "diahorrea". Financial giants may be just as inquisitive about your verbal aptitude and secret food cravings as your numeracy levels to prove you're equipped for future promotion. Although psychologists reckon you're stuck with your flawed personality once you're past 25, you can prepare yourself for the ordeal so that you emerge literate, numerate and morally aglow – at least on paper.• Know yourself, be yourself. "If you lie on a personality questionnaire you'll only be caught out at interview," says psychologist Mark Parkinson, author of How to Master Psychometric Tests. Worse, you could end up in the wrong job. "This matching process is a two-way thing," says psychologist Wendy Lord of the psychometric test publisher Hogrefe. "It isn't just about whether the candidate is right for the role. It is also about whether the role is right for the candidate."• Beware the lie scale. Scattered among personality questionnaires are trap questions such as "Have you ever blamed someone for something that was really your fault?" or "If you say you'll do something do you always keep your promise?". Bowland says that any question starting with "Have you ever …?" or "Do you always …?" is probably a control item. "If you claim to be too perfect, and score too high on these, it will raise doubts about the rest of your answers."• Don't sit on the fence. When taking a personality questionnaire don't tick the "don't know" option more than five times, advises Bowland. "It makes you look indecisive and turns your profile into a Miss Average or Mr Mediocre."• Demand feedback. "Your results belong to you," says Wendy Lord. "It is incredible how few people ask for feedback (particularly when they don't get selected) because it's such a rich opportunity to gain insight about the sorts of roles to which you are suited."• Do your homework. The arithmetic required by numeracy tests is around GCSE level, but don't be complacent. If it's 10 years since you were in the classroom, you've probably forgotten how to manipulate fractions and percentages.Download one of the numerous free sample tests on the internet and hone your skills. The same goes for abstract reasoning tests, which ask you to identify patterns in shapes, and verbal reasoning tests which, says Parkinson, "require a Sherlock Holmes-like logic to deduce the underlying principle of a text". He suggests you bed down with a book on critical reasoning beforehand.Work & careersPsychologyAnna Timsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Jump in whale deaths blamed on krill, ship traffic By 2010-10-11T01:06:16ZSAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- An increase in the population of a tiny crustacean and busy shipping lanes are being blamed for a jump in the number of whale deaths in Northern California waters this year.... hosted.ap.org |
Tough truths about plastic pollution Artist Dianna Cohen shares some tough truths about plastic pollution in the ocean and in our lives -- and some thoughts on how to free ourselves from the plastic gyre.Artist Dianna Cohen shares some tough truths about plastic pollution in the ocean and in our lives -- and some thoughts on how to free ourselves from the plastic gyre.From Dianna Cohen's Artist's statement:The plastic bag has one of the shortest intended life spans.Plastic which is cleanRecycling you can seeHaving worked with the plastic bag as my primary material for the past fifteen years, all of the obvious references to recycling, first world culture, class, high and low art give way to an almost formal process which reflects the unique flexibility of the medium.[...]The somewhat dirty, hands on approach involved in working with what has already become trash and the labor involved in the sewing process directly belie the promise and mythology of convenience that the plastic bag represents. In this juxtaposition lives the alchemy of my work, like the alchemy of plastic itself. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |