Another great week of comments, thank you all. Just a reminder, if your comment does not show up, please make sure you have allowed your username to show up on the blog.
- Early risers vs night owls. Knowing your chronotype can be very useful in terms of planning when to accomplish tasks. It is not quite as simple as morning or night people. There are at least 4; I have found a few online tests to determine your type, but most of them are sponsored by mattress companies, so I am not sure how accurate they are. Best bet is probably to find descriptions of each and think about which you fit into.
- Protein structure prediction closer to a possibility. Protein structure determination is one of the areas of biology that must be done by hand, rather than AI-based predictive methods. This database is a big step towards predictive protein structure determination, which would mark a huge shift in biological research.
50 comments:
Today, I read Sara Novak’s article about embracing awkward silences. The article paraphrases Dr. Albers-Bowling’s words, asserting that, “When you wait to respond instead of jumping back into the conversation, it makes people feel like they’re truly being heard.” Reading this quote made me remember the following proverb: speech is silver, silence is golden. Of course, it is crucial to participate in conversations and offer your thoughts. However, at the same time, it is equally impactful to reflect. Reflection can only occur in silence because one must isolate themselves from outside distractions to understand themselves and the topic at hand. This year, my English teacher has us read "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse. One of the most important quotes from that book is, “I can think. I can wait. I can fast.” Purposefully thinking, waiting, and “fasting" from taking up an entire conversation can enrich the experience for everyone involved. In addition, I thought Novak’s statement that “Americans' cultural idea of silence is different from that of other parts of the world,” is interesting. I have had the opportunity to participate in multiple UN conferences and converse with students and political leaders across the globe. Cultural behaviors are the most prominent differences that I noticed. And, of course, “silence” was a notable factor. With globalization, I think these cultural differences are growing smaller; however, I talked a lot more than my friends from Asia and Africa. Silence and mindfulness, as the article states, are skills to be learned. Of course, it takes time and practice, but it is worth it to provide your full heart and attention to the conversation and the other person.
The article, "DeepMind releases most complete database of predicted human protein structures", by Tammy Lovell was very impactful and insightful. With the information released by DeepMind, an Alphabet subsidiary, further breakthroughs in biology can be achieved due to scientists not having to spend time on trying to predict a protein's shape. The use of AI to predict protein structures is a starting point for more uses of AI in biological sciences. AlphaFold's presence in DNDi and CEI is very important and should continue to expand to help more people around the world. This opportunity shouldn't be wasted and should be taken to it's full potential. To conclude it is very exciting to see progress in AI developed solutions for biology and AlphaFold's importance in this field can cause accelerated progress in areas such as disease, waste management, and many, many more.
The first article, "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest" stood out to me on the difference between larks and owls. Their studies showed numerous things such as happiness, depression or productiveness levels but I personally disagree with changing to become a lark or night owl because of this. Many people are raised differently depending on their preferences, schedule and work throughout the day. This can change the opinion or familiarity with sleeping schedules and the efficiency of getting your work done. Like stated in the article, some people are more productive with staying up late and finishing work while others wake up earlier in the morning and do it throughout the day. I also was never sure when someone would ask me if I’m a lark or night owl. This is because there can be a mix of both depending on that day or when you sleep. At the end of the day, it depends on what is easy and comfortable for you going along with your sleep schedule and there is no need to change it to become more "productive" or healthier. Some people are even comfortable with taking naps since they require more sleep while others need a minimum of five hours to work efficiently throughout the day. Some may fall asleep in seconds while others take a longer time to. All in all, it depends on that person's lifestyle that determines whether they are a lark, owl or a mix in between.
The second article, "Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them" can be considered somewhat controversial. Some people are more on the timid side and may try to avoid a conversation in the first place. When they do start talking, there may be awkward tension present which results in the awkward silence. Especially if it is the first time meeting or talking to someone, it could be hard to pick up the conversation aside from the basic questions. The more familiar or attached you get with another, the easier a conversation would flow. Also some bond and talk over a common topic or subject of interest which makes them more likely to engage in a conversation. It is ok and normal if you don't fully connect with someone else making it less likely to have an entertaining and full-on discussion but again, it depends on who you are talking to. Some, hesitant to talk, interact with people they are less interested in and may end up in many stages of awkward silence if you don't like them or aren't familiar with them. It's only human nature, not everyone can make friendships easy and fast and you may be picky with choosing friends. Body language is also an important factor in this and how the person interacts with you. This can say a lot about their interest in speaking with you or how the conversation is going. Thus, it depends on your personality and how socially interactive you are to avoid awkward silences. And if this does happen, we shouldn't try to stretch it and make it more awkward. Instead we should try to pick up the conversation again and if that doesn't work, respectfully dismiss yourself from the discussion.
In the article, “Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding them and Start Embracing Them” Sara Novak highlights the importance of listening, rather than talking. The cultural norm favors extroversion instead of introversion. This is exemplified through people’s behaviors and thoughts in a conversation or in society. When speaking with someone new, awkward silences may lead one to think that they have said something wrong or that the person they are speaking with does not enjoy their company. The author of the article was very clear when she stated that throughout our society, we are encouraged to speak our mind. Those who do not speak up, are stereotypically called the ‘quiet ones’, who hold a stigma that they have nothing of importance to say. The American culture is that people who speak more are independent, which leads to being a leader. This is much like the author’s insight on America’s value of independence or interdependence, where interdependence relies and depends on others while independence does not. However, people who listen to others more during conversations are skillful and absorb more information. The act of listening stems from curiosity about others. They end up telling you experiences, advice, and tips - while you listen and absorb their knowledge. This relates to the awkward silences, and how embracing them may make the conversation more valuable. I believe this is true because each person is reflecting upon what the other person said in its full effect. A silence is not awkward, but is a way to debrief on the conversation as a whole.
After reading the article, “Early Risers and Nigh owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”, I have developed multiple opinions on my own. Highlighted in the text, ‘the early bird gets the worm’ analogy has been preached for many decades. It goes to show how society and the culture encourages productivity in the morning for a better day, and ultimately a better and more productive life. In the study demonstrated in the text, I was fascinated, yet not entirely surprised that people who are early-risers tend to be “happier” and in a better state of mind. Time is precious. Early-birds wake up to seize the opportunity and privilege of time in order to workout, study, create, etc. Ultimately, they spend less time sleeping and more time doing. This results in the alleviation of stress about having a specific and crunched time to finish a certain task. As stated in the text, people who go to bed earlier and wake up earlier have a “reduced vulnerability to mental health problems”. This statement struck me because I questioned whether the less mental health problems were due to more hours of sleep or the “more time” they had in a day. Hence, they would be less worried about the future and uncompleted tasks or projects. Therefore, I am a strong believer in waking up early while the mind is fresh to start working and being productive. I have also noticed that when I wake up earlier, I feel more energized and jovial throughout the day. This article was extremely intriguing.
Early Risers vs Night Owls: As someone who tends to be a night owl that stays up at extremely late hours of the night and regret it the next morning, this article grabbed my interest purely by the title. As I read this article, I was hoping for the saying, ‘early bird catches the worm’ to be proven wrong however I did learn about the factors that play into being one of the two chronotypes, larks or owls. When I read that women tend to be the group of people who get up early and get more done in the morning, I was really surprised because being a woman, I tend to stay up later and get more done in the later times of the night. Until I read that age has a large part to do with it, I started reconsidering if I was doing my routine entirely wrong. As I read further through, I also learned that your mood is affected from the time you sleep and wake up. This also resonated with me as it made me rethink certain aspects of my daily mood and that even though I stay up late at night, I am still a conventionally happy person throughout the day rather than being annoyed at petty things, as the study said it would impact our moods. This entirely article sparked many interests with me as it made me rethink many aspects about how I feel in the morning, throughout sleeping, and my general productivity in the day. Based off the various factors presented in this article, I was confused, at first, as I did not fit the particular “categories” of being a night owl, such as having a lower score on happiness or not being productive in my day. This was until I read about the family factors that are involved such as your genetics or the environment you live in. Once I read the final aspects of the study, I was fully able to determine that my specific chronotype was not ‘set in stone' as per the average characteristics the study had determined about each chronotype and that my genetics and environment played a significant role in my sleep routine. Being that my parents also are night owls and complete more work at night rather than being larks, it makes a lot of sense that I inherited that part of my work ethic from them.
Since I am a person who constantly gets caught in awkward silence, "Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them," was a very educational article. I had no idea that there was so much depth and science to silence. I always thought that it was just a random occurrence. Cultural norms are so entrenched in our daily lives that it feels weird when there is a shift in that norm. Learning that silence is different from culture to culture was also very interesting. There are numerous health and social benefits from being silent. I definitely agree that people don't always need to fill the silence with words or always that silence is negative.
The first article I read was “Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them,”. The article explained how silence during a conversation can be beneficial for the people involved in said conversation. The automatic response in people’s brain when there is too long of a break in conversation, as said in the article, is that they have said something inappropriate and awkward. It shines a light on the significance of listening rather than speaking. Taking time to take in information and being alone with your thoughts is important in order for reflection. Novak, the author of this article, mentioned how different cultures can influence how much one speaks during a conversation. Many Americans have the desire to rise above and be a leader, even conversationally, making them seem stronger or more educationally advanced. Rather, listening allows us to digest different perspectives and new information. I have a few family friends in Canada who are typically less conversational. Even though a flight just across the border is only about 2 hours, the difference in environment is vast.
The second article I read was “DeepMind releases most complete database of predicted human protein structures” written by Tammy Lovell. DeepMind is primarily a British laboratory which focuses on artificial intelligence. Researchers have found a way to prevent wasting time on predicting protein structures by releasing 350,000 structure predictions. Before reading this article, I had not realized how tedious the task of deciphering protein structures was. Thinking that the process would take no longer than a few weeks, I was taken aback to realize that this database reduces the time from years to months. I think that this is a really good advancement for scientists as it significantly fastens the time for scientific discovery.
The first article titled "Awkward Silences: Maybe It's TIme To Stop Avoiding Them And Start Embracing Them" there are many valid arguements. As they said each person has a different social normal and it changes over time. Due to covid there were many new social aspects that had to be taken into consideration due to social distancing and quarantine. The amount that the average person communicated with the outside world and other people was limited. This new situation has also brought to light the art of listening rather than talking. In light of recent circumstances it is important to reflect and talk about the situations that have occured. Additionally there is an added aspect of the culture that you were raised in. In today's population a majority of the population uses technology and social media to communicate. This limits the measure of real life encounters that we have to have because everything is online. This also makes us more socially awkward because the more you avoid speaking to people, the harder it will be when you actually have to speak to people. This is also the reason that most people prefer texting or emailing rather than actually speaking to someone over the phone.
The second article I chose to read was "Early RIsers vs. Night Owls". Personally I am an early bird and tend to wake up early becuase it makes me feel more productive throughout the day. Based on the facts shown this may be becuase I am a female or becuase I am an adolescent. Although there is research to prove the benefits of both lifestyles, I believe that each lifestyle suits a different person. Depending on your personal schedule and your career/school schedule, a different lifestyle could suit you better. For example, if you work a night shift you do not have a choice than to be a late night person and your body adapts to the lifestyle you chose. Another scenario could be if your parents went to work early when you were a child, you would also have adapted to become a morning person due to the way you were raised. Chronotypes are interchangable and not fixed.
Today I read “DeepMind releases most complete database of predicted human protein structures’ by Tammy Lowell. This article showcased a major accomplishment in the scientific community. Deep Mind released a database with the structures of many proteins. This database doubled the amount of protein structures available to researchers. I never thought about how important it is to know the exact structure of proteins, and how it effects many different fields of study. The data base (AlphaFold) is already being used to find life-saving cures for diseases, and it is also being used to engineer faster enzymes for recycling single-use plastics. I am amazed that Alphafold is not only being used for medical research, but to help with other world wide issues such as the overuse of plastic. Alphafold is definitely a great achievement in the scientific community, and I think that it should receive a lot of recognition.
The second article that I read today was “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”. I chose this article since I wanted to know more about the effects of staying up, since I am more of a night owl than a lark. As I was reading, I thought about if I function the best at night or morning. I believe that function and get the most work done during the night. In the mornings, all I do is procrastinate. I found it interesting that there is a shift from being a night owl to lark after adolescence. The article then talked about how early birds are more likely to perform well, and be happier. Even though the studies proved early birds to be happier, I still think that I am at the same level of happiness, being a night owl. This proves that there are a lot of other factors (such as family environments, professional roles, and responsibilities) that affect your personality and chronotype.
Early Risers vs Night Owls: As someone who is a night owl that stays up late at night, this article caught my eye. As I read this article, I was surprised to learn about the factors that play into being one of the two chronotypes, larks or owls. A neuroscientist explains who is the happiest, which stood out to me when comparing the difference between larks and owls. Their studies showed numerous things such as happiness, depression or productiveness levels but I disagree with the idea of changing to become a lark or night owl due to those factors. Many people have different lifestyles and routines based on different situations and their preferences. As I read further through, I also learned that your mood is affected from the time you sleep and wake up. This made me think of my moods throughout the day. I am usually a happy person and don’t usually get annoyed over small things. This article sparked many interests with me as it made me rethink many different things about how I feel throughout the day and how productive I am. Looking at the different factors presented in this article, I was puzzled in the beginning because I didn’t fall under the category of either lark or night owl. I thought I was a night owl because I have a habit of staying up late and getting more work done at that time. However, I read about the family factors that are involved such as your genetics or the environment you live in, which then made me think that I could fall under the category of a night owl. Looking into the study, I realized there are several other different factors that play into this and should be considered. I know a lot of people from my family that are also night owls, so I can see how I got my work ethic and other skills from.
Article 1-Awkward Silences: This article was very relatable because, in everyday conversations, there always tends to be that strange moment where both people stop talking and silence fills the room. The emphasis on listening rather than talking and bringing cultural aspects into it was very intriguing. As natural as it has become, the realization is that in American culture, extroverts are higher praised and that silence is seen as underconfidence or disinterest. I very much agree with Dr. Susan Albers-Bowling's opinion that silence should be valued more and conversations should be like passing a ball back and forth, with one person not holding it for too long. Training the brain to become more comfortable with silence rather than finding it annoying is a very useful skill in daily conversations and can help a person notice the smaller details like body language and tone.
Article 2-Early risers and night owls: I used to see myself as more of a night owl and someone who tends to function better after the sun goes down. But as I've gotten older and had the opportunity to explore which time of day is better suited for me, I've found that the morning actually makes me more productive and does contribute to my mood for the day. This article supported my personal discovery and actually provided more evidence as to why I feel this way. With all the factors listed in the article (age, gender, mood), the general schedule of my day has much more to do with the time of getting up than I thought. What surprised me was that your chronotype/personality is influenced by your family environment as well. Seeing how both my parents are larks, made me more comfortable in the fact that I enjoy getting up earlier. Although being a lark isn't the easiest feat for most, this article did explain why most people fall into the catagories that they do.
Awkward silence article:
I have never actually thought about why awkward silence is so awkward. I just have always known that awful feeling when a conversation suddenly stops. It makes sense that silence could be a good thing in conversations, though it has never occurred to me that I could retrain my brain to make silence not feel so awkward. I have always just assumed that that’s the way it is: silence in conversations is awkward. It excites me that it doesn’t have to be this way. Silence can show the other person that you are really trying to understand and deepy comprehend what they said. Usually when silence occurs in a conversation, both people try to come up with something to say as quickly as possibly to make that awkward feeling go away. Maybe we should start embracing this silence.
Early risers and night owls:
Reading this article made me think about which category I fall into, be it larks or owls. I don’t think I really fall into either category, which seems like I am similar to the majority of people in that regard. Though many studies can be done about the most advantageous chronotype, I think that a lot of these studies could be flawed. For example, some studies suggest larks have reduced mental health problems, while others say larks have more mental health problems. I think the biggest problems with these studies is that those who are classified as larks may not prefer to be awake earlier, but have an obligation in the morning such as school or work. These studies would be more conclusive if people woke up and went to bed when their bodies told them to, rather than having a strict bedtime or morning alarm. People may get used to going to bed and waking up at certain times, so may consider themselves a lark or owl based on that, rather than their bodies prefered times.
Nishan Nayak: After reading the article titled “Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them,” I have a few thoughts. This article made me realize how much value we place on extroversion. I think the main reason extroversion is so valued is because we believe that talking more makes us look more confident and active. For this reason, the stereotypical leader is seen as an extrovert as opposed to an introvert. Being an introvert myself, I have definitely heard lines such as “you should speak up more” a lot throughout my life. Another piece of the article that caught my attention was the importance placed on silence. Especially in a conversation, proper amounts of silence shows genuine care for the other person's words. I know that this care is so important because people don’t necessarily want to talk, they just want to be heard. People would prefer awkward silence over getting ignored. However, I think it’s really easy for people to mistake silence and listening for apathy. Since it’s so easy, I think just waiting for your turn to speak isn’t enough. What’s even more important is what you say when it’s your turn. If your words show that you are paying attention and want to hear more, then your silence will be seen as listening. In conclusion, this article brought more insight on how society’s expectations influence our behaviors.
The second article I read was “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest.” After reading this article, I realized that I align much more with the chronotype of a night owl than a morning bird. This is probably because I am an adolescent. If I go to sleep too early, it feels like I’m losing a lot of the day. However, this results in the problem of me losing sleep from time to time from staying up. In that sense, being a night owl can be detrimental to me from time to time. I think adolescents staying up later might be a result of procrastination at work and the idealization of staying up until odd hours. I’ve found that a lot of my friends like to say that they went to sleep really late, almost like it's a brag. For that reason, children might be much more motivated to stay up and hurt their sleep schedules. In addition, I agree with the article's stance that morning birds tend to be more productive. It definitely feels like when I wake up earlier, that I have more control over the day and can get more things done. If I wake up too late, I feel like I end up dragging my feet to start anything meaningful. For that reason, although I am a night owl chronotype, I have to force myself to go to sleep at the time that is right for me. This will help me have a better day the next day, and lead to more positivity in general (without feeling like I’m losing time in the day).
The article “Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them” surprised me, as I never knew how much science went into the 5 second awkward silences occurring in many conversations. For me, I always saw these silences as coincidental, as I believed that it meant that me and the person I was talking to both didn’t know what to say at the same time. While I’ve never noticed how awkward silences have a negative connotation, it makes sense because silent events such as a moment of silence and taking a test in a silent classroom are also seen as negative or upsetting. It’s amazing how people gather so much information from a few seconds of silence; for example, police officers may believe that a suspect pausing to speak means that they could be creating a lie. I do believe we should start embracing awkward silences, as they can only be considered negative if we allow them to be seen in that way. An awkward silence can teach us a lot about other people. When two people laugh after an awkward silence, it can mean that they are easy-going and positive. Creating that silence to pay attention to someone’s body language can also illustrate how someone is observant and truly cares about what the other person is saying. I also think that silences during conversations are necessary, as it can be challenging to talk for several minutes with no break.
The article, "Should we be embracing the awkward silences in conversations", is one that peaked my interest, as I wouldn't consider myself to be the best conversationalist. The article essentially discusses how silence is perceived in a typical conversation, and raises the question of whether silence is a good thing to have in a discussion. The article mentions social scientist Ty Tashiro, who says that different cultures perceive silence in varying manners. While certain cultures (such as American culture) prefer a more extroverted personality in a conversations, other cultures tend to appreciate introversion. Conversations should have a sort of flow to them, and silence helps maintain that flow. Social Cognition researcher Adam Wang builds off of Tashiro's points, remarking about how some people may see silence as a bad thing. For example, a police officer might raise their suspicion if their suspect is silent. However, in cultures where silence is valued, people find comfort in the absence of noise. Psychiatrist Susan Albers-Bowling says that people tend to favor those who talk less than themselves. To summarize, the article explains how silence can aid in the general flow of a conversation if used effectively.
I never knew that being an early riser could lead to having a happy life. Looking at everyone around me I thought that for the most part it didn't affect happiness dependent on what time you woke up. Also I never knew that there were steps to changing from an owl to a lark I always thought that you would just have to do so uncomfortably and push through the early mornings if you're an owl. I've always woken up early and never had a problem with it but some people can't wake up before noon hits and I find it fascinating. Unlike many species it's an relatively close 60-40 split of people who stay up or wake up early. I think it's very interesting that waking up an hour early actually can help many people although it makes sense. I think that unless you have a night job it would be more beneficial to wake up early although that's a bias view from me since I prefer it that way. I just feel better when I wake up early and feel more driven to accomplish more, the more I do in the morning the higher and more productive of a tempo I feel through the day.
I read the article, "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest" by Christian Jarret. Based on their studies, people who wake up earlier rather than later tend to be happier. The text states that larks have a “more positive attitude toward time” which shows that they feel they can accomplish more in the day by waking up earlier and having more time to do things. Honestly, this did not surprise me because I have always heard that early risers are more productive and feel more cheerful throughout the day. Something that stood out to me while reading was that gender and age are factors relating to how much sleep you get. I would consider myself more of a night owl, and research shows that adolescents are more likely to be the owl chronotype, but women are usually early risers. Even though I am not an early riser, whenever I wake up early I notice that I am able to get a lot of work done and feel energetic. Personally, when I wake up early I feel more fresh and happy. This article taught me there can be harmful symptoms of being a night owl such as depression and other disorders. After reading, I realized that I should start waking up earlier because of the numerous benefits.
I read the article “Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them” by Sara Novak. This article was really interesting to me because I think almost everyone has felt an awkward silence during a conversation. I wouldn’t consider myself to be an introvert but I personally feel like I am a very quiet person. The article states that if we can “retrain” our minds to become more comfortable with these awkward silences it can become beneficial to your mental health. These awkward silences only truly feel “awkward” because of the social and cultural norms established by society and silence is something that is often undervalued. In the article, Dr. Susan Albers-Bowling says “Conversations should be like throwing a ball back and forth. You want to make sure you’re not holding the ball for too long.” We should become better listeners who are used to silence. One thing that I found interesting while reading the article was that silence can be medically good for your health because it reduces many stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.
The article “DeepMind releases the most complete database of predicted human protein structures” was really fascinating. This new technological advance will definitely help the development of many new scientific breakthroughs. DeepMind makes predicting protein structures more time efficient and more accurate. I never knew how important mapping the human genome was. Now it can potentially help the making of vaccines and cures. The article “Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them” portrays the significance of the awkward silence in a conversation. I am an introvert, so I appreciate the silence. The silence lets me think and reflect on everything, but I realize some people feel a bit awkward. The psychological and the cultural aspect were really interesting. Extroversion is a great quality to have in America, whereas introversion is a great quality to have in other cultures. Silence actually reduces blood pressure, which might be essential. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in America.
I read the article "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest". I found it fascinating that how and when we sleep greatly affects our happiness and mental health. According to the article, women are more likely to be morning larks, while men become night owls. Also, adolescents are more likely to become night owls, while older people are more likely to be morning larks. Morning larks (people who wake up earlier in the morning) are more productive, happier, and less vulnerable to mental health problems. A study was done by Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey. In it, hundreds of medical students took a test in which they were asked about their morning habits and scored on them. The better morning habits, the more happiness the student had. Those who were larks scored higher on the test, while night owls scored lower. Something that surprised me was that night owls were more likely to experience mental health issues like substance abuse disorders, depression, and seasonal affective disorder, while morning larks were more satisfied with their lives and less likely to experience these mental health issues. I am a night owl, and have noticed that I get less sleep, like most night owls. Also like night owls, I don't have a great attitude towards time. Due to getting less sleep, night owls do not experience the benefits that morning larks experience. I feel as thought I should change my sleep schedule to experience these benefits as well.
I found the articles “Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them” and “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest” interesting. The title itself of the first article confused me and pulled me in as awkward silences have always been associated with negativity for me and others. For example, once when I was sitting with someone who I had a mutual friend with, they began speaking to me about something random. At the time I didn’t fully understand why they began speaking, but looking back it is clear that they were trying to prevent a quiet atmosphere from taking place while our mutual friend had stepped out of the room. This is probably because he, and I as well, view silences in conversation as awkward due to where we grew up - America. Before reading this article I would probably have never connected where I grew up with the awkwardness I feel with sudden silence, especially since I have never lived anywhere besides America. In addition, I would have never thought that silence in general would have a positive effect on someone.
When it came to the article, “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”, while I expected early risers/ larks to be happier than night owls, I didn’t expect it to be to as high of a degree as the article stated. In addition, I didn’t know that one could change their chronotype, or that happiness could affect it. Knowing that happiness affects chronotype, it makes more sense to me now that during adolescence people tend to be night owls as they go through more changes and stress and therefore probably have less happiness.
Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them
- So far, out of all the articles I've read, this has to be one of the most astonishing ones. Reading the title made me recall to all those times I've had awkward silences in between conversations. Although, this was a short one it still brought out a great insight to me. It showed me different sides of awkward silences in conversations. One thing I agree on was that the article mentioned that in these silences, they are giving us time to think of what to say next. This is exactly what happens as no one speaks, I immediately think of what to say next if no one continues to say anything. We all think these silences are like this and not too serious. These conclusions can be formed within friends and close ones, but the article also stated about awkward silences in other cases such as when a police officer is interrogating a suspect. When a huge silence is seen, a conclusion is made that, the suspect is making a lie and this can lead to more further confusion. Throughout, I kept thinking about this as I felt that it was a very important detail pointed out. I feel that silences between talks is necessary, especially if one may need to regroup and divert their attention back to the conversation again. Now, whenever an awkward silence appears, I would be thinking of this article and what I've learned from it.
This week I read two articles. The first being “Awkward Silence: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them”. Prior to reading this article, I was intrigued by the title. I have always been the type to try to avoid awkward silence and fill it in when possible. While reading, I really thought about the statement made by Tashiro, “ ‘There’s a bias towards extroversion in our culture so when we’re not talking, it’s treated like something’s wrong,’”. This made me ponder on what silence truly represents. Everyone knows of “The Silent Treatment”, something that typically occurs when one’s actions make someone experience an overflow of emotion, typically anger. In the article, silence is also shown to represent being nervous. This opened up a perspective of silence I haven’t thought of. Silence is perceived as a way to appreciate and acknowledge the person you are conversing with. I think this is all just based on perspective, even after reading this I would feel uncomfortable if I sat with someone in silence. The author expressed observing body language and cues as beneficial, although I believe this would make me overly aware of my body language. This is definitely a new concept and I would be willing to try it out as long as the person I’m conversing with is interested as well.
The second article I read is “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”. This article discusses the differences between early birds and night owls. For example, they discuss which group is typically happier. As expected, early birds are shown to be the happier group. I believe this because when you spend more hours during daytime than night time, you are more active. If socializing is a source of happiness, it is more likely to expect your friend to be awake at 9 A.M. than 3 A.M. Also, I think waking up earlier is healthier and better mentally as expressed by the author. Christian Jarrett refers to a study in the University of Leipzig, “...lark emotional advantage also manifests in greater satisfaction with life and reduced vulnerability to mental health problems.” This made me compare how I feel on days I wake up early and days I sleep in due to staying up late. I realized that on days I wake up later, I am not productive. It feels like the day has already started so I just waste the rest of my day. On days I wake up early, I prove to be more productive and complete more tasks. The biggest struggle with waking up in the morning is simply waking up and trying to resist hitting “Snooze”. Once awake, there’s motivation to make use of the rest of the day.
I just want to start off by saying that, "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest" by Christian Jarrett was an incredibly well written and intriguing article. Christian Jarett, a cognitive neuroscientist, is an extremely talented writer who uses his experience and research in the field of neuroscience to convey beautifully written messages to those who seek to further their knowledge in the neuroscience field.
While reading the article, I found it interesting that a person could potentially change their chronotype and personality, as I previously used to believe that one’s personality was intrinsic to them as a person. Knowing this now, I feel that certain people could benefit by adapting their personalities to better suit their professional or work environments - allowing them to potentially work better with others. However, this also raises the question of whether or not it is better to embrace one’s unique personality, rather than changing it to better fit into a certain environment. I personally believe there is value in possessing our own unique personality traits, as that is what differentiates us from each other and makes us truly unique.
Despite my views, I personally enjoyed the tips offered by the author in regard to “changing one’s chronotype” - I feel like this tactic of “rewarding” yourself when attempting to become more lark like in nature would be very effective, as by “rewarding” yourself - you are providing yourself with an incentive to actually wake up earlier in the morning. More often than not, I feel that if we do not have an incentive to do something, we then willingly choose to put it off or choose entirely not to do it at all - due to our human nature of constantly wondering “what’s in it for me?”.
This article also demonstrates the realistic nature of one’s emotional wellbeing and how there truly is no shortcut to becoming “happy” - happiness is an emotion that is found differently in each person - that is why one must think radically to find what makes them happy, not just “google” quick fixes or solutions that worked for other people. I personally find happiness by playing the piano and violin - the melodious sounds that emit from the instrument puts my mind and body at ease, allowing me to experience an almost surreal sense of tranquility - this place of peace is where I find happiness, however, it is important to note that not all people share my sense of happiness, hence why they must search for their source of happiness on their own.
In addition, I also like the fact that the author addressed falsely held rumors held by most people involving those who wake up earlier and those who wake up later. He does this by explaining that the reality of when a person wakes up is a lot more nuanced and subjective to each person. However, there are still correlations that are associated with each type of person - whether they be a "morning" or "night" person - for example, people who refer to themselves as being "an owl" are thought to be at a higher risk of depression, seasonal affective disorder and substance abuse problems. However, this does not mean that all people who classify themselves an owl are at a higher risk of these associated diseases - this is because some "owls" have sleep issues that don't allow them to get an adequate amount of sleep - in turn causing sicknesses such as depression, however, not all "owls" have these sleeps issues, which is why not all "owls" are equally affected by these sicknesses - hence why certain correlations associated with "night" and "morning" people are subjective and are completely different for different people.
In conclusion, this article was extremely well done and insightful. It clarified many of my falsely held beliefs and allowed me to reflect on myself. If you haven't checked out this article yet, I would highly recommend that you do so.
The article that I read was "Early risers and Night Owls." I enjoyed reading this because the article stated that people who wake up earlier are more happy than people who wake up later. I found this interesting because I never knew waking up late had that much of an effect on your happiness. It also makes sense because if you wake up early, you have more time to achieve your daily goals which eventually does lead to happiness. I usually stay up at night and tend to enjoy doing things in the night. After reading this article, I am thinking of waking up earlier and staying up less while still getting the same amount of sleep. Instead of staying up at night, I could be doing something productive during the day. For the past few weeks I have been waking up early and I ted to see me having a lot more time to do productive activities as well as fun activities.
After reading the article "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest" I was surprised to find out that some people are productive in the morning while others are productive at night. Before reading this article, I was under the impression that everyone was a night person and that people were promoting productivity during the day to make better habits. If society was to structure schedules and jobs around chronotypes, then think society would become much more efficient. Night Owls could have evening shifts and sleep from the late night to right before noon, while morning owls could sleep early and wake early. This could make productivity greatly increase and change how our common sense works when it comes to jobs, shifts, and sleep. Another thing I found interesting was how they said morning people are the happiest. If some people are naturally inclined to be more productive in the night, then how come only;y one chronotype are happier?
The article that I read is called, “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”, by Christian Jarett. Jarett first explains that most people are not distinctly “early risers” or “night owls”. Instead, they are a mix of the two. This made sense to me because when I first heard of the terms, I didnt know which one I belonged to. I sometimes like to get up early to play tennis, but I also sometimes like to stay up late watching movies. Additionally, Jarett writes about two studies which claim that early risers have more happiness and get more satisfaction from life. The first study was centered on a questionnaire given to hundreds of medical students about their happiness and their preference for getting up early. The second study focused on the emotional advantage given by their wake-up times, which was beneficial to the early risers, but was bad to the night owls. I liked how the article included possible explanations as to why these results occurred. For example, night owls may not get as much sleep as their counterparts, which would partially account for their worse attitudes. Finally, the article mentioned that a person’s happiness or attitude would not change quickly if they changed from waking up late to waking up early. This is a misconception that I held before reading the article, so that came as a surprise to me.
The next time someone asks me, “Why are you so quiet?,” I will definitely reference “Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them.” I related to this article very much and have experienced many of the situations mentioned by the author. I think it’s very interesting that as a society, Americans tend to forget the value of listening and really engaging in a conversation instead of just participating in surface level dialogues. Personally, I like to actively listen to the people around me because I feel like that is the best way to really get to know someone. I agree with the article that it is not bad to be an introvert or experience silence. Existing in silence can allow one to better absorb their surroundings and appreciate the world around them. Additionally, Americans have a reputation to be slightly narcissistic, possibly playing a role in the idea mentioned in the article that Americans value “independence” and leading a conversation. If a conversation is slow, it is generally known that if you ask the other person a question about themselves, they will love to talk about themselves and gladly accept the larger role in the conversation. Silence can be very meaningful and rewarding, and if more people grew comfortable with silence, we could experience a more engaged, compassionate, and relaxed society.
The first article I read was "Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them." I thought this article was interesting considering that it is common to have awkward silences from time to time. This article emphasized the value of simply just listening at times instead of constantly talking. This article reminds me of when sometimes I stay super quiet when someone else is talking because I am so immersed in what the other person is saying. I like the fact that the article talked about how staying silent isn't necessarily a bad thing, and that it's ok to stay quiet and absorb the information. Silence can have a lot of meaning and is not always a bad thing. The second article I read was "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest." This article caught my attention because recently my mom has been telling me to start getting up early and its benefits. I personally am more of a night owl, but I still get up relatively early. Reading this article interested me on the benefits of getting up earlier, and how it can contribute to making you happier. I also found it interesting that becoming more of an early bird also came with age. There were multiple things that I wasn't aware of before reading this article.
I chose to read the article “Awkward Silences: Maybe it's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them” by Sarah Novak because awkward silences are very common and this article shows a different perspective to look at them. It can be difficult for people who have a hard time socially communicating with others because they are worried that they said something offensive or stupid, or the other person isn’t interested in talking to them. The author suggests that it is more important to listen to others talking instead of blabbering about to fill in silence. As a person who has experienced several awkward silences, this is very informative and introduced a new perspective towards them. In the article, it states, “Conversations should be like throwing a ball back and forth,” says Albers-Bowling. “You want to make sure you’re not holding the ball for too long.” This quote really let me deeply understand the importance of communication among people, a skill some people lack but can easily build up. By observing body language and social cues, people tend to like your company better. But because of the coronavirus and lockdown, socializing has been extremely restricted. Now, people have turned to electronic devices to communicate with each other. This way, their social life decreases, causing them to be more socially awkward.
The article I read was "Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them" by Sara Nova and I've got to say, never in my entire life would I think people so theoretical (Ty Tashiro, Adam Wang, and Dr. Susan Albers-Bowling) would take the time to find possibilities for why silence amongst conversations exist. As odd as it seems, there were some findings in the article that I discovered bewilderment in. The first thing wasn't exactly a revelation, but a word that was utilized throughout the article and that was "culture." At first, I was confused at what ethnicity had to do with speech and I thought the main factor in conversations was the type of person you were (sensitive, aggressive, shy, etc.). After doing some external research, I realized that culture was yet ANOTHER essential element of speaking and this may be because of language, individual comfortability, and/or religion. This is also something I encounter on a day-to-day basis when I'm talking to neighbors, friends, or even my own parents. It's remarkable how culture has such an anonymous impact on something we do EVERY SINGLE DAY! Another thing I took away from the article was Dr. Susan Albers-Bowling's sayings on silence. Everything she mentioned relates to my habit of talking "too much". I tend to talk more so the person listening feels as if I'm engaged in our conversation, but the point that Albers-Bowling makes changes my perspective in communication. It makes sense that listening to someone else would make them feel more respected and just a few minutes of quiet in the atmosphere would be pleasant as well. In summary, this article has made me realize that culture and silence are both essential in the state of a conversation and "awkwardness" in communication may not always be the worst.
The article I read was about awkward silences during conversations. It was interesting to read that silence in conversations is helpful for our health. Not only can it bring down our heart rate, but we can also use it to study other’s body language. I agree that this can be quite useful during conversations because it gives you the chance to let the other person talk. In a conversation, I would say that listening, would be better than talking all the time since it allows you to understand the other person while forming your own opinions. If we can all learn to embrace silence during conversations, we would have better social skills and listening skills. When the article talked about how our culture influences our social interactions, I would say that that is accurate because the people around us influence how we act and behave. When I learned that awkward silences are caused by the brain, I was really surprised by how science impacts our conversations. However, to be better socially, we need to be accustomed to having conversations with awkward silences. We need to train our brains to make awkward silences feel less awkward.
The second article I read was about protein structure prediction. It talked about how protein structures had to be determined by hand without AI, but now there has been a breakthrough. I believe that this technology will be very useful in the near future. With this technology, scientists will be able to learn about complex protein structures to make new enzymes and more. AlphaFold will enable scientists to efficiently discover new things, DeepMind founder says. I agree that scientific discovery will accelerate at a fast pace with AlphaFold. It was a great decision to make this database public because many people around the world can have the resources to do insightful research. However, the aspect that I am most interested in is how this new technology can help us in making cures for diseases. This AI will truly be the future for many fields in science.
“Awkward Silences: Maybe it’s Time to Stop Avoiding them and Start Embracing them” by Sara Novak - Talking to new people or people I may not have known long enough has always proved to be a struggle for me. I have never been what you would call a “conversation starter” much less a “conversation carrier,” so therefore I took this new line of study very positively. I found it especially astonishing to learn how different cultures also have different views about silence and overall conversation flow. It worries me how foreigners or people of different areas and backgrounds may view me just because of my speaking style. It never occurred to me that the act of speaking and avoiding speech latency could be viewed as incorrect or possibly annoying. To be honest though, I don’t 100% agree with this article. Of course you can’t beat evidence, but a lot of the time awkward silences do tend to be plain awkward. It’s not a matter of listening or letting people feel heard, I think more often than not it’s not being able to add any real value to a conversation on the fly. For this reason, maybe awkward silences shouldn’t be looked at negatively, but I can’t agree with the thought of embracing them. It’s always important to give other people a chance to speak and less talking is overall better for health, but being able to manipulate a conversation according to each individual person will prove to be far more admirable.
“Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest” - This general idea of happiness in relation to sleep schedule has been out for a long time and this article just concluded all I had previously known. Larks, as this article calls the group of people who wake up in the morning, tend to be more conscientious, acquire better emotional regulation, stay positive, and suffer less from depression, seasonal affective disorder, and substance abuse. Reading and analyzing this article though did get me thinking about a common economic decision that some companies have been taking. I think that career paths and jobs that are able to function well and effectively during the day should allow their employees to work day shift instead of night shift. Of course this isn't possible for all fields, but shift times and hours should be looked at from a more sympathetic standpoint. I say this because the well being of employees is far more important than work especially if the work is able to be done just the same during the day as it is at night. I took the time to think and elaborate on this because it is a personal matter. My uncle works night shifts at a packaging company and just from the first few months of him working there, I could see the immense change and lack of energy he gave off. He truly seems more tired and unwilling to do much of anything else even though he works the same number of hours as his previous day job. I don’t doubt that the night owl chronotype is certainly less successful and productive than the lark chronotype.
Article I Chose: "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest."
I always strived to wake up and go to bed earlier because of the multiple benefits I have seen regarding my productivity and personality. In addition, I always struggled to stay up late, and if I did, I would not be productive the next day. I did not know much about why I had this pattern regarding my sleep schedule and productivity, but it made much more sense after reading this article. I learned that there are multiple chronotypes individuals can have, which can correlate to their happiness, productivity, and personality. I found it fascinating that larks usually are happier and in better health than night owls. This fact was really relatable because when I stick to my routine as a lark (early riser), I usually feel much better than following the night owl routine. Another interesting fact I learned is that our chronotypes are shaped not only from our genetics but also from our family environment and professional roles, which is also relatable as my parents are early risers too. Also, I wonder if my chronotype will change when I go to college because my surroundings and roles will differ from what I am experiencing now. After reading the article, I started to acknowledge the benefits associated with a lark chronotype, ultimately making me stick with my early bird routine to keep having those joyful and productive days.
DeepMind releases most complete database of predicted human protein structures: The new recent technological achievement will undoubtedly aid the creation of numerous new scientific advances. I had no idea how crucial it was to map the human genome and for us to learn more about our bodies. It now has the potential to aid in the development of vaccinations and therapies. DeepMind also improves the speed and accuracy of protein structure prediction. The idea of years/ months of work and results being introduced instantly is truly an amazing feat. AlphaFold is also crucial to the project, as it allows people to gain results, and allow researchers to gain new insights, therefore creating new discoveries along the way. All else said, this will be one of the most important genome mapping projects in human history, which is an amazing feat to be accomplished!
Early risers and night owls: As I’m writing this paragraph, I can already tell what chronotype I am. Definitely a night owl from the fact that it's almost 10 pm. While reading the article I was able to understand some of the factors behind what makes a person a specific chronotype. It is said that adolescents usually favor the night owl chronotype more, but I believe that's because our environment also plays a big role in that. As students, we usually have to wake up extremely early to get ready for school, followed by a list of extracurricular activities, chores, and homework. The beginning half of our day, including the morning, is spent at school, so the only time we really get to ourselves is the night which is why students often find themselves being more productive at night and probably why teachers see submissions with timestamps at 1 or 2 am even. I noticed a change, however, specifically in myself through the course of this summer however. With no school I am able to be more productive at the start of the day, because I have the whole day to myself. Even if I may wake up on the later side some days, I still would consider myself a lark in the summer. As the article states more people tend to become larks in the summer, and I believe it is because people finally have the day for themselves, instead of focusing on school and other activities. This summer, as soon as I wake up I find myself waking up, making my bed, making myself a cup of coffee and breakfast, working on college stuff, and then getting ready for work, which I can say is definitely the most productive I have been this year. I did search up the four chronotypes and I would say that like a majority of the population I am a bear. It makes the most sense to me for our productivity to follow the sun.
I read the article, “Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them,” by Sara Novak. This article seemed interesting to me as usually awkward silences are shown as a negative aspect of conversations, and this article encourages them. Prior to reading this article, silences in my conversations usually came naturally but seemed awkward and as though it wasn’t proper. It felt as though filling that gap was necessary, and made me think less of my speaking abilities. The scientists in the article have speculated otherwise about silences in conversations. They believe that the silences can help people become more attentive to the other person. The silences encourages active listening in conversations and the ability to learn social cues and body language. This idea is completely different than what is shown in society during movies and TV shows. This article helped me realize that being an active listener is just as important as speaking in a conversation. The article compared the conversation to throwing a ball back and forth, it must be equally between two people and cannot be with one person too long. It also mentioned how extroversion is supported more compared to introversion in American culture, whereas in other cultures, introversion is encouraged. In my family, extroversion is promoted, but in another family, it could be the opposite. I believe that introversion or extroversion comes from family beliefs and how a person chooses to express themselves around certain people.
This week, I read Sara Novak’s article on awkward silences and why humans should try to start embracing them instead of trying to eliminate them. Personally, I have found myself in many situations where I try to fill in gaps in conversation in order to keep the discussion flowing, but after reading this article, I started reflecting on why exactly we consider those gaps “awkward”. Like the author said, American often tend to find the silence in a conversation abnormal because of signs of distress, nervousness, or hesitation. However, we should also start to see the positives that may come out of silence. People who are introverted tend to be better listeners, something that everyone should try to embrace. In this sense, being more on the quiet side helps us to better understand emotions, so we can better empathize with others. In addition, something new I learned after reading this article was how big of an impact cultural differences have on conversation. As Americans, we have always unintentionally favored extroverts or people who lead in conversations, but it may be much different for people coming from other countries. Because of this, it could be hard for an American to understand another culture, leading to the development of these awkward silences. I, myself, have experienced this cultural gap in conversations when I went to visit the United Kingdom a couple of years ago. When I went to rural parts of the nation, I noticed how people spoke a little slower than Americans traditionally do. I also saw how they were more laid back in general, showing the difference between the American emphasis on work and a fast-paced life, compared to another culture’s slower lifestyle. At first, I remember finding it weird how slow others were talking, but after reading this article, I realized that those same people probably found it weird that my family was talking fast as well. All in all, I was very intrigued by the article’s subject, since it was something I did not intentionally think of before.
The first article I read was “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest” by Christian Jarrett. Throughout the article, the author continuously states that those who wake up earlier are happier and that the time you sleep and wake up affects your mood. This interested me because I sleep very late in the night and wake up mid-day and I still contain a happy mood. I also found this a bit confusing but the article, later on, explained how there are several other factors that contribute to your personality and chronotype, including family environments, responsibilities, and professional roles. Throughout this article, I had to rethink all my recent moods compared to the moods I experience on days that I wake up earlier. I realized how motivated I have become on these days. Something that also surprised me was that the people around you affect your chronotype. With all of the components listed in the article, such as mood, age, and gender, I realized that my daily routine has a lot to do with the time I wake up. Similar to what the article stated, I realized that I am more motivated to be productive on days I wake up earlier. I chose this article because at the moment, I am more of a night owl than a lark. Though I wish I wasn’t a night owl, I did enjoy reading about scientists proving how the reiterated “early bird gets the worm” expression is actually true. This article proved, in many ways, how people who start their days earlier are productive, ultimately making them happier.
Amanda Vaysbukh
The first article, "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest" by Christian Jarrett really brought to my attention that although we often place a lot of blame on ourselves for our messed up sleep schedule, we do not have as much control over it as we think we do. One part that really stood out to me is how large of a factor age is. The article claims that being a lark, or early bird, is more common in older people, while being an owl, is more common in adolescence. This is a trend that when reflecting on my own life, I realized is very true. Both my sister and I, are night owls, while my grandparents both enjoy waking up early. The article also pointed out that it is not necessarily the time of day in which one sleeps, rather the type/amount of sleep one gets that determines happiness. It begs to ask the question, if a two people were to sleep for the same amount of time, would they be equally happy (without any outside factors affecting moods)? Studies show night owls have more sleeping problems, which ultimately results in a lack of sleep, therefor leading to unhappiness. If the problems did not exist would there really be a difference in happiness as a result of time of day when one sleeps? Furthermore, the ending was particularly comforting. As someone who has been a night owl for the majority of my life, the possibility of routine, environment, and social life, changing my chronotype was very comforting. Majority of career paths are built for early risers so it is great to see that sleeping patterns have multiple factors.
I read "Earl Risers and Night Owls:A Neuroscientist Explains Who Is Happiest." This article intrigued me before i even read it. I am always curious to learn more about early risers vs. night owls because personally I am a night owl. I am sure you can tell because I am doing this assignment at 11 o'clock at night. However, the author describes how there are two people when it comes to sleeping. There are early risers who are people who wake up early in the morning and there are night owls who like to stay up late at night and wake up later on in the day. I was interested how the author talked about how age can be a major factor in sleep schedules. most adolescents tend to be the "night owl chronotype" however adults tend to be the "early riser chronotype." But for who is happier, a study conducted in Turkey took hundreds of medical students and surveyed them based on their happiness based on their sleep schedule. it turned out that most of the test subjects that were early risers were happier than those who were night owls. Night owls suffered from problems such as anxiety, depression, lack of sleep, and lack of effort which lead to them being unhappy. Meanwhile, early risers were seen as happy because they felt more productive about their day making them feel better about themselves therefore making them happier. Some tips given by the author to prevent staying up late include: avoiding digital devices before bed, aiming to go to bed earlier, and giving yourself something rewarding to wake up to in the morning. Unfortunately for the night owls, many occupations are based off early mornings meaning that it is probably best to start developing early riser habits because they are the more productive people.
I read the article “Early risers vs. night owls”. I did not know that being a night owl or an early riser could mean more in ones life other than when you wake up and go to sleep. A persons sleeping habits can have a large effect on how happy someone is or how they behave throughout the day. The article does discuss some benefits of being either but I mainly felt that it would be best to become an early riser. As a night owl myself, I felt like some of the “symptoms” mentioned in the article of tending to sleep later and wake up later apply to me as well. After all, your chronotype is related to your personality and influences your lifestyle. But it also has genetic influences as well. I had thought that being a night owl means I just sleep at different times, but it shocked me to find out it could be because I have sleeping problems or are getting less sleep despite appearing to sleep more. I am still not sure if becoming an early riser will change any of my problems I may have with lack of sleep or if I would even be able to change my chronotype at all. Overall, this article helped me to see that sleep plays a greater role in ones life apart from being the time people rest. It influences your day, mood, habits, and even your personality. This article has motivated me to try and change my sleeping habits, so maybe I can see some positive change in my lifestyle as well.
Early risers vs night owls:
According to the article there is "an association between morningness and greater happiness." This goes hand in hand with all the tips and ads on social media sending the message that "larks" are happier than "owls." In my opinion, this is not necessarily true; happiness depends on the person. A team at the University of Warwick showed that "chronotype is related to personality." In addition, both chronotype and personality are not genetic. They depend on the "family environment and professional roles and the routines they demand of us." This reminds me of the many experiments that separate twins or triplets at birth to see if behaviors are inherited. This shows that one may be an "owl" now, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will remain that way.
The article I read was, "Early Risers and Night Owls: A Neuroscientist Explains Who is Happiest." My immediate thought as I read the title was wondering which of the categories I belong in. I enjoy staying up late and talking to my friends. Subsequently, I love waking up early and going for a run first thing in the morning. Both the options are respectively my favorite things and I cannot choose which one I lean more towards. This leads me to believe that I am an intermediate miz of the two, surprisingly among the average population. In relation to the growing body, I understand why we often start to wake up earlier and become larks. As we grow up we will have more responsibilities that will require more time and care. This will lead us to wake up early to have some time for ourselves. Through this phenomenon I observe many people in the young adult age start to wake up early and go to the gym. This is usually before work and helps clear their mind after a busy day. In contrast, I believe that adolescents like to stay up longer because when they wake up their immediate thought goes to the fact that they will have school in the morning, and many more extracurriculars. As the mind develops and grows, the priorities and habits of these people start to change.
I read “Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them”, because I wanted to learn more about why awkward silences exist in the first place. Pretty much all other organisms that can communicate with each other have not been observed to hold awkward silences, making this feature unique to humans. This is because of the culture we have created that values extroversion and independence, where taking control of the conversation is seen as a good thing. Staying silent for too long makes others feel like they have said or done the wrong thing, which is why it is important to keep the conversation going. However, this article encourages us to embrace these awkward silences and become better listeners. This helps us be more empathetic and perceptive to others’ feelings, because we can be more focused on what the other person is trying to communicate rather than focusing on what we want to communicate. As the article says, we can tell when we are talking to good listeners because they give us time to speak and allow for equal control in the conversation. In all, I appreciate how this article promotes the value of listening since it allows us to be more understanding and compassionate, which are valuable traits in society.
I wanted to learn more about why awkward silences arise in the first place, so I read "Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them." This is due to the culture we have established, which promotes extroversion and independence, and sees taking command of a conversation as a positive trait. Silence over an extended period of time makes people feel as though they have spoken or done something wrong, which is why it is critical to keep the dialogue moving. We can tell when we're talking to good listeners because they give us time to speak and offer us equal control over the conversation, as the article states. Overall, I like how this article emphasizes the importance of listening since it allows us to be more understanding and compassionate, both of which are desirable qualities in today's culture. Now I am able to know a reasonable explanation behind awkward silences.
The first article I read was “Awkward Silences: Maybe It's Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them”. This has become a common dilemma for many people, including high school students trying to fit into their social circles. I found it interesting how the article informs that the silences are only awkward because we tend to favor a more extroverted environment, aiming to constantly keep the conversation flowing. Anytime the conversation dies down, we take it as a signal that something is wrong, that maybe we are not communicating correctly. However, the article tells us that we can wire our brain to better acknowledge the silences. I believe this is important in our society so that we can become better listeners and more observant to the world around us. We can find a sense of calm, rather than the constant anxiety of trying to fit into different groups and the urge to keep talking. In my opinion, trying to force conversation is also costly, as you could accidentally say something that you did not mean to say. As per the article, having silence can also have biological effects, such as reducing adrenaline and in some cases blood pressure. Talking less can also improve your relationships, as people tend to like people who listen to them, rather than someone who tries to dominate the conversation.
The second article I read was “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”. This article relates to me on a more personal level because of my own sleep patterns. I usually vary between being a lark and an owl, as I function better in the morning but I often stay awake late at night during school. I try to get up earlier whenever I can, but the article came as a shock to me, stating that even if you just set an alarm clock earlier, you need to be more happy so that you can sleep earlier, as the chronotype and happiness can work in the other direction as well. I also feel more depressed when I sleep late at night and have difficulty getting up in the morning, but during the school days, the amount of homework we get can affect how much sleep we get. It was interesting to see that the research also supported the larks, stating that they tend to be more happy and have a positive attitude towards time. In my opinion, it is probably due to the fact that they get to experience more of the day by waking up earlier, while the night owls wake up late and society is already moving ahead without them.
The article I read this week was “Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest.” I was instantly intrigued by this article because as a child I always remembered all my friends asking me how I was able to get up so early. When I was young I was never able to stay up late, but no matter when I went to bed, I was able to get up early the next morning. However, as I got older (especially in middle and high school), naturally I started staying up late at night and soon became a person who did not want to get up in the mornings. Curious to see where I would fall on the spectrum of “early bird” or “night owl,” I decided to read this article. The article mentioned that adolescents tend to be “night owls,” and as they grow older, they become “larks.” This was an accurate representation of what happened in my life as I became a teenager. Maybe when I become an adult, I will go back to being a “lark.” Something I noticed particularly in my life was that during freshman year, I was able to go to sleep late and wake up earlier to do my homework in order to keep up. However, sophomore year, I was not able to get up any time before 7:15 (right before school started). The article talks about how “owls” are more prone to experiencing depression and other mental health issues compared to “larks.” Because my sophomore year was during the pandemic, I wonder if the change in setting caused me to be less content, thus becoming a “night owl” at that point in my life.
The first article I've read was "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest". This article was the one that attracted me the most out of the three since I've always been told that sleeping earlier is much better for you than staying up late. When I was young I have always slept early so that I can wake up early and have enough of en edgy to get through the day. As my priorities changed and I began working more and more I still try to sleep early in the night since I struggle to sleep late. I do not enjoy waking up early in the morning but doing so when I rested long enough helps me focus throughout the day. This article shows that people do not keep to a single sleep schedule in their lives since they change as they grow up and the time we have left for ourselves changes. The article also says that people who wake up early in the morning like going for a jog or going to work. I think that night owls usually are busy workers since they stay up at night. The article also says that owls are less happy than larks, I disagree with this because I don't think your happiness changes your sleep schedule. Instead it depends on your environment and the amount of time you have to spend.
- Arsalaan (Late Comment)
Article: Early Riser or Night Owl
I only picked this article because I completely changed my sleeping schedule from sleeping so late at night that it would be considered early in the morning, to sleeping early and waking up early to get the most out of the daylight and feel better about myself, and since I had done this without scientific information, I was going to the article to see the specifics of how our internal clocks functioned, and how to more efficiently and consistently achieve a switch to being more early and productive. Sleep is one of the most important aspects in our life, and managing it well will have direct positive effects on our physical and mental health, and waking up early seems to have a more positive affect than staying up late at night. However I was wondering if it has such a positive effect on us, why do so many people enjoy staying up late at night to do things and sleep in, or even having to wake up early and still sleeping late just to do things they might enjoy or watch Netflix, it seems like people have a talent for self destructive habits. Especially when it comes to sleep.
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