Romantic partners do have an influence over each other’s goals. The research team from the University of Basel’s Faculty of Psychology wanted to examine the short- and long-term interdependence of approach goals and avoidance goals within couples. The participants reported whether they had tried to avoid conflicts or share meaningful experiences with their partner that day. This was followed by an analysis of how the information affected the goals of the partner. The study, which included over 450 couples, found that over the long-term, what one partner in a two-person relationship wishes to avoid, so too does the other partner – and what one wants to achieve, so does the other. These effects can be observed regardless of gender, age, and length of the relationship.
Recharging N95 Masks for Continued Usage
N95 masks are a critical part of the personal protective equipment used by front-line health care workers. These masks achieve 95% efficiency at filtering out tiny 0.3-micron particles, while maintaining reasonable breathability, thanks to a layer of fine melt-blown polypropylene fibres incorporating electrical charges to attract particles.
Extended usage and decontamination provoked by severe supply shortages around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic can easily remove the charges and degrade filtration efficiency. This is because, extended use and decontamination gives rise to very humid conditions, and humidity is detrimental to electrostatics.
In the journal Physics of Fluids, from AIP Publishing, researchers from India’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Israel’s Technion-IIT share a method to restore the filtration efficiency of N95 masks to out-of-box levels – as long as the mask is not structurally compromised. The researchers discovered they could toss an N95 into a standard washing machine to clean it, which significantly reduces its filtration efficiency. They could then recharge it by sandwiching it between two electrodes at high voltage to recover its 95% efficiency.
The group believes its method to keep masks charged will lead to highly energy-efficient smart masks. Beyond this, their method will be useful for a variety of air filtration applications, such as HVAC or industrial filters.
Inequality of Opportunity Kills Motivation
Inequality of opportunity drags down everyone’s motivation. In a study conducted by the University College London, researchers found that large disparities in rewards offered for the same task reduce people’s happiness, which in turn reduce their willingness to work. For the study, 810 participants were asked to complete a simple task in exchange for some money. The findings showed that a large disparity in rewards brought about greater unhappiness, which was in turn associated with lower willingness to work. People were also more likely to refuse to work in an unfair scenario, even if they would benefit. The researchers speculate that the negative feelings caused by arbitrary disparities may in part explain why disadvantaged people are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.
