kerkko.fi

 

The Power Trip
Contrary to the Machiavellian cliché, nice people are more likely to rise to power. Then something strange happens: Authority atrophies the very talents that got them there. Surveys of organizations find that the vast majority of rude and inappropriate behaviors, such as the shouting of profanities, come from the offices of those with the most authority. Headlines are filled with the latest misstep of someone in a position of power.

Psychologists refer to this as the paradox of power. The very traits that helped leaders accumulate control in the first place all but disappear once they rise to power. Instead of being polite, honest and outgoing, they become impulsive, reckless and rude. People with lots of authority tend to behave like neurological patients with a damaged orbito-frontal lobe, a brain area that is crucial for empathy and decision-making.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704407804575425561952689390.html

Filed under: Business Politics Power Psychology
 

World's first air-fuelled battery

 The world's first battery fuelled by air -- with ten times the storage capacity of conventional cells -- has been unveiled. Scientists say the revolutionary STAIR (St Andrews Air) battery could pave the way for a new generation of electric cars, laptops, and mobile phones. The cell is much lighter than current batteries.

The cells are charged in a traditional way but as power is used or "discharged" an open mesh section of battery draws in oxygen from the surrounding air. As the cycle of air helps recharge the battery as it is used, it has a greater storage capacity than other similar-sized cells and can emit power up to ten times longer.

http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_articles/airfuelled_battery_lasts_ten_times_long_yes_please

Filed under: Air Battery Environment Innovation Power STAIR
11
To Posterous, Love Metalab
statistics for vBulletin