Infographic

Merry Christmas! [+ free infographic]

purplexedscienceLeave a comment

I would like to wish all readers and followers a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays!

Photo by picjumbo.com on Pexels.com

Christmas is always a very stressful period! It is easy for things to spiral and end up in disaster, but have no fear! Here are FIFTEEN tips for a less stressful Christmas!

I think the main one for me will be avoiding social media! It might make connecting with people difficult, but there’s always 26th December!

Links:

Stress, depression and the holidays: Tips for coping

Managing the Seemingly Inevitable Holiday Season Stress

5 ways to reduce stress [infographic]

purplexedscienceLeave a comment

1. Make sure you get enough rest. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and like there aren’t enough hours in the day, but ensuring you’re getting a good night’s sleep is vital. 

2. Eat healthy and balanced meals. It’s easy to fall into bad habits when stressed, but overeating junk food can make you feel worse.

3. Don’t pressure yourself. Try to set attainable goals by breaking down more significant goals. This will help you hit your targets more often. 

4. Get those feelings out. Talk to a trusted friend or put pen to paper. Keeping pent-up frustration locked away inside can lead to burnout or embarrassing outbursts. It’s always good to have an outlet. 

5. Do something that makes you happy. This can be picking up a hobby, listening to music, or watching your favourite show. Take time to do something purely for yourself. 

How to spot bad science

purplexedscienceLeave a comment

Here at Purplexed Science, we always try to provide references and sources for any claims or information, but with a wide range of information available thanks to the internet, it can be hard to know what to trust.

For example, our first Did You Know? post was about human stomach being able to dissolve razor blades. We discovered this fact via a basic Google search, and it appeared on several ‘science facts’ posts, but there was no citation to the original paper or any kind of research on the vast majority of these posts.

If you are a student or working in the industry, it can be incredibly frustrating to search for information only to be let down when it doesn’t measure up to an acceptable standard.

Luckily, Compound Interest published this infographic (initially in 2014, updated in 2015) detailing a ‘rough guide’ to spotting bad science that is still very much relevant today.

The most important sign is the first – it’s very easy to spot a headline and not read further. It’s something most of us do every day, but when it comes to science – it’s never just about a headline.