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Have you ever wondered why low voices sound so soothing and make you feel relaxed? Check out this short video, explaining the neuroscience behind it!

Business

Workplace Etiquette Industry is Booming

Over the last two years, companies have been moving back to more in person work. As businesses called employees back to the office, they encountered an unexpected challenge: a significant number of employees seemed to have forgotten how to navigate the office environment appropriately. This phenomenon has prompted a notable surge in the demand for workplace etiquette training, reflecting a critical adaptation to the hybrid work era.

A survey conducted by Resume Builder in July, encompassing over 1,500 business leaders, revealed that more than 60% of companies are planning to introduce or have already implemented etiquette courses for their staff this year. The profound impact the pandemic had on professional conduct has reaffirmed the idea that soft skills are indispensable for maintaining a productive and harmonious workplace.

The transition to remote work led to the blurring of professional boundaries. As employees adapted to working from home, habits and behaviors suited to a more private and informal setting inadvertently crept into the professional sphere. Michael Chertoff, a spokesperson for the necessity of reacclimating to office norms, captured the essence of the issue: "It’s like people just got out of practice in some ways...So, you have to learn and remember that, no, you have to wash your dish because you’re not at home, you’re at the office."

Common etiquette missteps observed include inappropriate volume control during phone conversations, leaving communal areas untidy, engaging in unsuitable office discussions, awkward social interactions, and communication pitfalls such as overly lengthy emails or the misuse of emojis and acronyms with ambiguous interpretations. Additionally, the nuances of dressing appropriately for the office and virtual meetings pose a challenge, with Chertoff advising against overly casual attire (even for the lower half in case you have to hop up to grab something).

Because of this, office etiquette guidance has proliferated across social media platforms, with influencers and professionals sharing tips and insights.

Of particular concern is the integration of Generation Z into the workforce. Many in this demographic entered their professional lives amidst the pandemic, missing critical opportunities for in-person learning and internships. Consequently, they face unique challenges in adapting to office norms and expectations. Addressing this, some academic institutions have begun to emphasize the importance of soft skills alongside technical proficiency, incorporating courses on professional behavior, networking, and business etiquette into their curricula.

Understanding and navigating the complexities of modern workplace etiquette is not only about preserving decorum but also about ensuring effective collaboration, mutual respect, and the overall success of the organization. As Chertoff succinctly puts it, "Soft skills are just as important or more important than the technical skills that you learn."

Luckily, it looks like the etiquette courses and Tik-Tok influencers have got Gen Z covered. Best of luck to them!

@marytheanalyst

Did I miss anything?? #corporatejob #professional #officejob #windows #outlook #wfh #workfromhome #remotejobs #dataanalyst

World News

Turkish Coffee and Fortune Telling

Every day, millions of people turn to caffeine to wake up, stay focused, or boost their energy levels. Coffee, believed to have originated in Ethiopia but popularized by the Ottoman Empire, has a rich history dating back to the 16th century. The earliest method of brewing involved roasting and grinding cherry-like coffee beans, boiling them with sugar in a cezve over a hot sand fire.

The first coffeehouse opened in Istanbul in 1554, marking the birth of coffee culture. Unlike today's fast-paced coffee chains, Turkish coffee is about savoring the moment and symbolizes hospitality and friendship.

Turkish coffee is deeply rooted in tradition, recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2013. It plays a significant role in social gatherings, including engagement ceremonies and family events. One unique tradition is kahve fali, where fortunes are read from coffee grounds.

Dating back to Sultan Suleiman's harem, this tradition allowed women to exchange news and gossip through the patterns in coffee grounds. Today, over 500 years later, tasseography remains popular, with millions engaging through apps or traditional fortune tellers.

Turkish coffee and fortune-telling provide a unique shortcut to meaningful conversations, bypassing small talk and delving into matters of the heart. It's a cultural experience that brings people together over a shared tradition.

Culture

Shock of the Old: 11 Wild ‘Views” of the Future

Promises of improvement are not always as expected, as history shows the unreliability of predicting the future. Attempts to foresee what lies ahead persist, with some visionaries showing remarkable accuracy. Notable examples include Leonardo da Vinci's predictions of helicopters and fridges, Joseph Glanvill's 1661 foresight of moon voyages and "magnetic waves" communication, and John Elfreth Watkins' 1900 predictions of mobile phones and global digital media.

While these visionaries had their hits, they also had misses, such as Watkins' hopes of eliminating mosquitoes and certain letters, or Arthur Radebaugh's fanciful uniwheel cars and space monkey colonies. Many predictions merely embellished recent technological developments, showcasing the difficulty in imagining a truly different world.

Fictional depictions often offered wilder visions, with Jules Verne's 1860 portrayal of Paris in the Twentieth Century including photocopiers and techno music. HG Wells went further, envisioning the atomic bomb. Predictions, whether accurate or not, often reveal more about the hopes and fears of the predictor than the actual future.

These forecasts tend to surge around significant dates and world events, reflecting contemporary preoccupations. The 19th-century's rapid technological change generated both optimism and anxiety, with recurring themes of societal shifts. The 1960s saw a mix of space-age enthusiasm and Cold War apprehension, exploring alternative scenarios in case of nuclear threats. Reality typically falls between these extremes, and the recurrent predictions of world-ending catastrophes over the past millennium offer a strange comfort – proving that, despite the warnings, we're still here (for now).

With that, let's delve into fanciful visions of the past's imagined futures.

Environment

Flower Farms to Clean Polluted Waterways

Fertilizer has both positive and negative effects. While it supports crop growth on farmland, it also contributes to environmental issues when its components enter water bodies, causing problems like algae blooms and oxygen-depleted dead zones.

Scientists are addressing this by integrating agriculture with water environments, creating flower farms on waterways. Recent research suggests this approach could be feasible and profitable, adding vibrant colors to these areas.

Florida International University's postdoctoral researcher, Jazmin Locke-Rodriguez, draws inspiration from nature, where marsh plants act as natural sponges, absorbing nutrients from water. However, with wetland depletion and heightened nutrient levels from agriculture, these natural systems are overwhelmed.

Southern Florida demonstrates this, with wetlands diminishing due to farming and development. Nutrient runoff, especially phosphorous from sugar cane farming, poses a persistent threat. Although there have been some improvements, conservationists remain concerned about the lack of effective control. In 2020, a low oxygen zone in Biscayne Bay resulted in the death of over 20,000 fish, highlighting the ongoing problem.

Locke-Rodriguez introduces a solution with floating plastic mats, strategically designed to support flowering plants with roots in the water. These mats can be deployed in artificial ponds and canals, intercepting nutrient-laden stormwater. The experiment involves planting various flowers in the mats, assessing their growth and nutrient absorption over 12 weeks.

Among the flowers, the yellow-topped marigolds outperformed all others, growing over five times taller on average. They demonstrated effective nutrient absorption, capturing more phosphorous and nitrogen compared to naturally occurring algae in the tanks. This approach shows promise as a sustainable solution for mitigating water pollution.

Locke-Rodriguez is now exploring the scalability of this method in canals on the Coral Gables and Little River. The potential for turning polluted water into flourishing flower farms could present a practical solution, pending further research and development.

It could probably be a fun tourist attraction too. It sound very pretty.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

I’m written with two letters, but only said with one. What am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
A cloud ☁️ 

Chris Hostetler got the correct answer first with “a storm cloud”!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.