| Dwarf galaxies gobbled by giants Astronomers spot the tell-tale signs of so-called "dwarf galaxies" being digested by much bigger spiral galaxies. bbc.co.uk |
Better coordination needed in US tsunami warnings By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID 2010-09-17T19:00:22ZWASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. system to warn about giant waves has improved since the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, but more work lies ahead, according to an analysis that noted at least one instance when alerts from centers in Hawaii and Alaska appeared to contradict each other.... 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 |
Rescuers rubbish native pet push Animal rescue organisation Wildcare has dismissed suggestions native animals could be kept as pets. abc.net.au |
I hope contraceptive gel will replace the imperfect pill | Mary Fitzgerald A seeming lack of side effects could make a new gel revolutionary. Perhaps one day contraception will even be sexyHang on a minute. Don't the fairer sex already have countless contraceptive options at their disposal – pills, patches, injections and coils – while men remain stuck with the centuries-old, deeply unpopular "French letter"; "coitus interruptus"; or a vasectomy? Shouldn't the bulk of research now be focused on remedying this, rather than developing yet another contraceptive for women – this time a gel?Yes, men need more options. But this gel may be a revolutionary step forward for both sexes. The emergence of the pill in the 1960s promised to transform women's lives – allowing them to sleep with whom they wished, and decide when and if they had children. (The attendant benefits for men are equally obvious.) Yet with the new drugs came side effects such as weight gain, hormone imbalance, nausea and, for those with a family history of the problem, an increased chance of high blood pressure. Much progress has been made on reducing these side effects over the decades, but the fact is they still exist, and in Britain alone 2 million women are thought to be unhappy with their contraceptive method. Meanwhile unwanted pregnancies, as we know only too well, are hardly a thing of the past.The pill, as most clinicians accept, is an unsatisfactory solution for many who may forget to take it regularly – and often it's the people whose lives are most chaotic (and who are likely to forget to take their pill) who are also least well-equipped to deal with an unplanned pregnancy (see the controversy raging at the moment about a new project to address this).Of course, women no longer have to remember to take something once a day: they can opt for an injection which protects them for up to 12 weeks, or for a patch or implant which lasts considerably longer. As with the pill, though, these are hormone-based treatments that can have unpredictable consequences – many of which, to date, have been under-researched. One friend who had the implant was told by several specialists that her loss of sex drive could have nothing to do with the treatment. After many months of worry, soul-searching and strain on her relationship, she had it removed and her appetite for sex returned almost immediately. Given the high number of women who, like her, report not enjoying sex, or having difficulty with it, and the negative impact this can have on their relationships, self-esteem and general wellbeing, problems like this should not be ignored.But how might the gel work any better? Like the pill or the implant, it is a hormone-based treatment, bringing in a steady stream of progesterone and oestrogen through the skin to stop the ovaries releasing an egg each month. The difference, though, is that it is applied in small doses, on an as-needed basis, and can be discontinued at any time – making it less risky than an injection (which, once in your bloodstream, you're pretty much stuck with), and much less invasive than an implant or a coil. Neither is it visible or liable to fall off, as the patch is. And, as yet, none of the side effects associated with other hormone treatments have been observed with users of the gel.More promisingly still, it can be used while breastfeeding – unlike the pill, which can frequently interfere with milk supply. (This is no small advantage. As my mother once put it to me: "Probably the worst time you can get pregnant – apart from when you're a teenager – is when you've just had a baby.")One further thought. News of this contraceptive gel comes just weeks after reports of an anti-retroviral gel that could help women protect against Aids. At the moment, only condoms – infamous passion killers – offer this. It's early days of course, but imagine a sex aid that protects you from both pregnancy and STDs – and enhances, rather than detracts, from sex itself. Gel and lubricants are, after all, widely used by men and women to enhance sexual pleasure.Imagine an era where "she said she was on this pill"; or "he told me he couldn't do it with one of them" just didn't cut it anymore. It won't happen tomorrow, but a tube of gel might just revolutionise sex – and sexual politics – as dramatically a packet of pills once did.SexWomenHealth & wellbeingMedical researchHealthMary Fitzgeraldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |