4 Things You Should Know – Part 56

Here are 4 more things you should know.

01. On Android Nougot you can save vital medical information

Android N Nougat can show first responders vital medical information without going past your lock screen. As long as Android users fill out these medical profiles beforehand, first responders can find information about them immediately. The emergency info will prove especially useful in cases where the patient is alone and unconscious or unable to speak for other reasons.

To add emergency information:

Go to Settings > Users then select Emergency Information. Here you can add contact details, medical conditions and any medication you’re currently taking.

02. BBQ cleaning brush bristles are a serious health hazard

They are responsible for several emergency room visits each year. Metal bristles on BBQ cleaning brushes can dislodge and stick to the grill. These bristles can then transfer to foods that are grilled and unknowingly consumed causing serious health risks. It’s best to use a cleaning brush with non-metallic bristles. Another option is to use paper towels soaked in water. I’ve always used an onion cut in half. Stuff doesn’t stick to grill so much after using onion.

03. Good Starter Reading List to be a Well-Rounded Person

If you can work your way through some of these intellectual classics, you will do very well for yourself. Everything I am listing here is very accessible to any layperson who has some patience and access to a dictionary. You would be surprised what is really in these classics. A lot is just in the cultural ether, but there is a lot more to them and they are very enriching (my strengths are science and literature, so that’s what I will focus on).

· On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, by Charles Darwin (This book is just an amazing read, he is a wonderful writer and really draws you in; 95% of all evolutionary theory is in just this book).

· Relativity, by Albert Einstein (Short and sweet, a great read, really changes your perspective on a lot of things).

· Number: The Language of Science by Tobias Dantzig and Joseph Mazur (Number theory, and I don’t even know where to begin to talk about how fun and cool all the stuff is in this book).

· The Story of Philosophy, by Will Durant (An accessible and entertaining overview of philosophy, but academically rigorous. Don’t get stuck at Spinoza, if you can’t get through it just skip that part and move on, he’s one of the hardest).

· The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. (Simple and insightful, the ideas might not be what you think).

· The Discoverers, by Daniel J. Boorstein (An oldie but a goodie, a definitive tome on the history of science and superfun read).

· Macbeth, by William Shakespeare (Learn what the fuss is all about with this Shakespeare guy).

· A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway (Anyone who says Hemingway is just a macho jackass never read this intelligent, thoughtful and tender book. Don’t read The Sun Also Rises, read this one.)

· Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (An incisive look at humanity and social history wrapped in a brilliant and witty easy read, read more than once as the nuances are easy to miss and there are many layers).

· The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton (Also a great book of social history written as a real page-turner, you can talk about the characters and what happens in the book for weeks, but you can read it in just a few days, genius).

· Diamond as Big as The Ritz, (short story) by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

· For Esme, with Love and Squalor, (short story) by J.D Salinger (These last two are not classics per se, but I feel are excellent examples of American short stories from the golden age of this art form).

· Freud: A Very Short Introduction, by Anthony Storr. (This one is not a classic, but I felt like I needed to get Freud in here. His own writings are, unfortunately, very difficult to read but this is a very good primer and definitely covers the meaty points of his hugely influential ideas).

04. How to have high energy levels and focus throughout the day

Energy:

· You have to exercise, 6-7 days per week. Definitely work up to this if you aren’t working out at all, but you want to get there. It sounds counterintuitive, but trust me.

· You have to get enough sleep, as much as you hate it. Find out how much you require, probably somewhere between 6-8 hours, and schedule it. Defend with an iron fist.

· Learn to use stimulants correctly. Tea or coffee (once was a barista, have a huge tolerance for coffee and drink unhealthy amounts every day). Learn how you feel 1-2 hours after taking something and adjust your intake accordingly for when you want to have the most energy.

Focus:

· You need a good productivity system, my current one is a combination of an incredibly detailed calendar kept in Google calendar, and this to-do list method.

· Stop multi-tasking. You probably think you’re good at it, or at least decent. Science says you’re wrong. There’s a cognitive tax for switching tasks. “Don’t half-ass two things. Whole ass one thing.”

· Accept that energy levels flow throughout the day, and adjust accordingly so you do your most important work when you feel best.

· Most people procrastinate by doing something that’s also productive, but not the most important thing. Instead, apply the “nothing” principle. For a certain set period of time, you can either do your highest priority task, or sit right there in the damn chair and do nothing (don’t allow yourself to get up, surf the internet, or read.)

· Block distracting websites during your working hours.