A new study out of Duke University found that many people treat their politics like some folks treat their health: If they don't like the likely solution, they just ignore the problem.

This, the study posits, is why far more Republicans deny climate change than Democrats. It's not necessarily that they don't trust the science, it's that they don't like the idea of new government regulations to address the issue.

The study calls this "solution aversion." Researchers performed an experiment described in a press release that went out today summarizing some of the study:

Participants in the experiment, including both self-identified Republicans and Democrats, read a statement asserting that global temperatures will rise 3.2 degrees in the 21st century. They were then asked to evaluate a proposed policy solution to address the warming.

When the policy solution emphasized a tax on carbon emissions or some other form of government regulation, which is generally opposed by Republican ideology, only 22 percent of Republicans said they believed the temperatures would rise at least as much as indicated by the scientific statement they read.But when the proposed policy solution emphasized the free market, such as with innovative green technology, 55 percent of Republicans agreed with the scientific statement.For Democrats, the same experiment recorded no difference in their belief, regardless of the proposed solution to climate change.As study authors Troy Campbell and Aaron Kay wrote in the introduction to their paper about this study, this shows "not necessarily an aversion to the problem, per se, but an aversion to the solutions associated with the problem."The study put liberals through a similar excercise. Again, from the news release:"The researchers found liberal-leaning individuals exhibited a similar aversion to solutions they viewed as politically undesirable in an experiment involving violent home break-ins. When the proposed solution called for looser versus tighter gun-control laws, those with more liberal gun-control ideologies were more likely to downplay the frequency of violent home break-ins."Now, as with any psychological study, the question is, How can I use this to manipulate people? The answer, perhaps, lies in this comment, from Kay."We should not just view some people or group as anti-science, anti-fact or hyper-scared of any problems," Kay said. "Instead, we should understand that certain problems have particular solutions that threaten some people and groups more than others. When we realize this, we understand those who deny the problem more and we improve our ability to better communicate with them."The brief sections of the full study that I read made interesting reading, partly due to phrases such as"motivated biases in cognition" and "dichotomous measure of (dis)agreement."You can get the full thing here, assuming you're a member of the American Psychological Association. Or drop me an email and I'll send it your way.

Read the rest here:
Duke study: Solution aversion, not science denial on climate change

ROANOKE, Va. -

The newest class of Roanoke Police recruits was sworn in this afternoon.

Their first official assignment?

Getting out in the community to meet neighbors and to help keep everyone safe.

The recruits have safety tips for trick-or-treaters both young and old.

The Roanoke Police Department recommends staying vigilant and keeping your eyes and ears open throughout the weekend. Make sure an adult goes out with younger kids who are going door-to-door.

If you're driving through neighborhoods, remember to have your car lights on and drive slowly.

Parents should be aware of what their middle and high school aged kids are doing. Officials recommend checking social media for any plans.

For the adults, they suggest designating a driver if there will be alcohol involved or calling a cab.

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Roanoke Police on "Spooky" Assignment

1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) her kids to football practice.

2. Usually, I (work) as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.

3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) .

4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) .

5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) .

6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) because everybody (talk) so loudly.

7. Justin (write, currently) a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished.

8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) to a movie tonight with some friends.

9. The business cards (be, normally ) printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be) inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.

10. This delicious chocolate (be) made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

The rest is here:
ENGLISH PAGE - Verb Tense Exercise 1

Updated May 16, 2014.

You hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, enough that the phrase 'healthy lifestyle' may be one we'd like to permanently retire. The problem is, that phrase describes the life we need to live if we want to feel good and look good. So, what does it actually mean? Well, there are the obvious things that describe a healthy person: He or she doesn't smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy foods and exercises on a regular basis. It sounds so simple, it's funny just how hard it is to do all of those things in our current world.

The good news is, you don't have to change everything at the same time. In fact, the trick to healthy living is making small changes. Take more steps each day, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water or saying no to that second helping of buttery mashed potatoes. So, what else can you be doing to live healthy? Your first order of business is to start exercising.

Exercise

One of the biggest reasons we're have a weight problem these days is because we sit around too much. We know we need to exercise, but we have so many excuses not to do it. We're too busy, don't know where to start, we're not motivated or we're afraid we'll injure ourselves or we're afraid that exercise has to be vigorous for what our bodies can handle. The truth is, everything counts and the more you move, the healthier you'll be.

It's great if you can spend time exercising - Meaning you're sweating, working in your target heart rate zone and/or doing something to strengthen your body. But it doesn't always have to be that way. Moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference.

Just adding a little movement to your life can:

So, even if you opt for small changes and a more modest weight loss, you can see the benefits are still pretty good. One study has found that just a 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity. In fact, you don't even have to have a goal to lose weight, especially if you have trouble stick to a program. Why not focus on being healthy to start and worry about the weight loss once you've got some healthy habits under your belt?

Simple Ways to Move Your Body

You can start the process of being healthy and weight loss now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you're not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

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Simple Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle - About