In a surprising experiment, children tended to copy actions of an adult demonstrator, even irrelevant steps, to get a reward, whereas chimpanzees disregarded useless steps to get to the food. Do we do things just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”?
What is our capacity to envision our possible futures? How do we prepare? Here’s one example—genetically-edited algae that reproduces on wasteland, in salt water, absorbing carbon emissions to produce fuel. Wild algae didn’t produce enough fats to make it economically feasible to extract energy—but scientists discovered how to genetically manipulate a ‘lipid trigger’ that doubled
One Thai translation of empathy, a key soft power skill, is “taking the heart and wearing it,” giving a descriptive picture of stepping into the thoughts and emotions of others. This empathy intelligence quiz is step one in understanding yourself and others. 5 more practices can help you build your empathy powers.
