A kinder, gentler animal study (now more kawaii)

I'm rather fond of looking at puppy pictures. Especially if you replace "fond of" with "addicted to". Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw the CBS headline "Baby animal pictures may boost focus at work"!  The article states that "researchers at Hiroshima University wanted to find out whether looking at a cute object does more than produce temporary positive feelings and if it could actually influence a person's behavior." Boy am I glad they asked that question! I especially like it when there is science to justify my habits.

(Puppy Elka. Because why not? Boost your focus today!)

Researchers reported: "The present study shows that perceiving cuteness not only improves fine motor skills but also increases perceptual carefulness...This study provides further evidence that perceiving cuteness exerts immediate effects on cognition and behavior in a wider context than that related to caregiving or social interaction." So, yet another way in which our dogs and cats (and gratuitous puppy and kitten pictures on the Internet) improve our cognitive function, physical function, and quality of life.

(look at how much bigger the pillow was than her!)

If you're interested, the research is on PLOS One, which I had never heard of until right this second. Apparently it's a peer reviewed, open access journal. Free science for everybody!

Elka, now and for the future (400th post!)

So, here we are. 400 posts! It sounds like a lot, doesn't it? I think it sounds like a lot.

I certainly didn't (and still don't) have a finite "arc" for this blog in mind, so I guess it was inevitable I'd make 400 and beyond. I just wanted to mark the milestone!

So, what to talk about? Woefully unprepared, I asked on Twitter what the topic ought to be, and maggie68d helped me out. Elka, obviously. Her achievements and what we've been working on. I thought it a splendid plan!