Friends turn mountains into molehills
July 6th, 2008
photo: Hamed Saber
The New Scientist reports on a study at the University of Plymouth where students were asked to assess the slope of a hill. Those with friends estimated the slope at 10 to 15 degrees less steep than those who were alone during the experiment. They also found that the same effect could be achieved just by thinking of somebody close to you.
Fascinating stuff. I guess it’s pretty metaphorical too… how we can do tough and seemingly impossible things when we’re surrounded by great people who give us support all the way.
I wish the paper was made available for free. It would have been really interesting to find out exactly how the experiment was done and how other factors were accounted for e.g. saying something is easier than you percieve it is to impress your peers.
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