Latest news with #curiosity
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- Health
- The Independent
Scientists say developing this everyday habit is key to cutting Alzheimer's risk
Fostering curiosity and being eager to learn into old age can protect against the onset of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles found that older adults who remained eager to learn didn't just succeed in keeping their minds active, they also protected their brains against Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. The study, published in the journal PLoS One, also found that a lack of curiosity could increase the risk of cognitive decline. The findings challenge the belief that curiosity naturally declines as we get older. Scientists say that certain types of curiosity don't fade with age but actually grow. 'The psychology literature shows oftentimes what's known as trait curiosity – or a person's general level of curiosity – tends to decline with age,' psychologist Alan Castel, a co-author of the study, said. 'But we thought that was a little bit strange and went against some of the things we saw in some of the older adult participants in our experiments, who would often be very engaged and interested in learning about memory, specifically, but even other forms of trivia.' 'Trait curiosity' is a personality feature whereas 'state curiosity' is what psychologists call the kind of momentary curiosity that people experience when asked about a specific topic. Some people may not be inquisitive by nature but show a passionate thirst for knowledge about specific subjects. In the new study, scientists attempted to tease apart the two types of curiosity by recruiting a large sample of participants between the ages of 20 and 84, with an average age of 44. Participants completed an online questionnaire designed to assess their trait curiosity. They were then asked to answer hard trivia questions that most people were unlikely to already know such as, 'What was the first country to give women the right to vote?' Researchers told the participants to guess the answer, then asked them how interested they were in knowing the correct answer before revealing it to them. They found people who had more state curiosity also experienced more trait curiosity and vice versa. However, the interest ratings people gave in learning new information from trivia — a measure of state curiosity — appeared to change at different ages. State curiosity seemed to decline in early adulthood, then increase sharply after middle age, and continue upward well into old age. This may be because until middle age, people are interested in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to succeed at school and jobs, pay mortgages, and raise families, tasks for which a fairly high level of overall curiosity is needed. But as they gather this knowledge with age, they don't need to allocate as many resources to trait curiosity. Then, as they begin to retire from work, they tend to indulge specific interests and their state curiosity increases. 'Our findings fit with some of my work on selectivity theory, which is that as we get older, we do not want to stop learning, we're just more selective about what we want to learn,' Dr Castel said. 'I think it shows that this level of curiosity, if maintained, can really keep us sharp as we age.'
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
JPMorgan Releases Summer Book List for Wealthy People
JPMorgan released its annual summer reading list, geared to high-net-worth people who are curious about technology, art, and finding true happiness. For the past 26 years, JPMorgan has released a summer book list that caters to the interests of its high-wealth clientele. This year, a special committee looked at more than 1,000 reading suggestions from JPMorgan's client advisors and came up with their 16-book list. Darin Oduyoye, chief communications officer for JPMorgan Asset and Wealth Management, who also oversees the list, told CNBC that this year's selections were focused "around the power of curiosity." "You can think of it from a reflection standpoint or transformation standpoint," Oduyoye said. Related: 5 Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read Oduyoye said that they took input from family offices and looked at titles that aimed to prepare the next generation of leaders. Family office respondents were concerned with finding a balance between growing wealth and doing things that positively impact communities. The list includes Shigehiro Oishi's "Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life," which explores happiness and finding meaning in life (the Wall Street Journal called the author's enthusiasm "infectious"), and Suzy Welch's "Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career" and its related 13-step plan. The list also includes "Raising AI: An Essential Guide to Parenting Our Future" by De Kai, which explores AI's impact on how we live now (and will live in the future). Here are seven more titles from the list. For the complete summer syllabus, click here. Reset: How to Change What's Not Working by Dan Heath Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible by James Lawrence The Tell: A Memoir by Amy Griffin Coming of Age: How Technology and Entrepreneurship are Changing the Face of MENA by Noor Sweid The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West by Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska Inevitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles by Mike Colias MirrorMirror: The Reflective Surface in Contemporary Art by Michael Petry Related: Four Books Recommended For Current and Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Forbes
3 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Being Curious Might Help Keep Alzheimer's Disease At Bay: Study
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: A chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) family enjoys Christmas treats of flavoured pine ... More cones and frozen fruit at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, 23 December 2004. The Christmas gifts form part of Taronga's on-going behavioural enrichment programme, aimed at stimulating the animals' natural curiousity. AFP PHOTO/Torsten BLACKWOOD (Photo credit should read TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP via Getty Images) The secret to maintaining your brain health and staying sharp as you age might just be cultivating your sense of curiosity, a recent study found. Being curious during old age could also help in preventing or at least off-setting Alzheimer's disease. 'Curiosity is broadly defined as a desire to learn, experience, or explore new information or environments. It is a motivating influence that drives us to participate in hobbies, pursue education, and travel to experience new things,' the authors wrote in the study. 'Trait curiosity, defined as people's stable tendency to actively seek knowledge and information, has been correlated with a variety of positive traits in everyday settings. For example, in educational settings, curiosity is related to rates of student question-asking and academic performance. Additionally, medical students with higher levels of curiosity report having deeper motives for studying and engaging in deeper study strategies when learning new information,' the authors added. Psychologists measure curiosity as a state, where feeling curious is just a momentary or fleeting experience and as a trait, where it is a feature of an individual's personality and way of life. During old age, curiosity is the main factor that motivates people to engage in formal learning such as taking classes for learning a new skill. And such stimulating activities help in maintaining the brain's cognitive abilities. In a press release, senior author of the study, Alan Castel, a psychologist at UCLA said: 'You see this in the context of lifelong learning: A lot of older adults will go back to take classes or pick up hobbies or engage in bird watching. I think it shows that this level of curiosity if maintained, can really keep us sharp as we age.' To further investigate how the two forms of curiosity work in adults, the researchers collected data from 1,218 participants between the ages of 20 and 84. They completed an online questionnaire that measured their levels of curiosity. Some of the questions they answered included: 'What is added to white sugar to make brown sugar? (answer: molasses) and what is the name of the biggest constellation in the sky? (answer: hydra)." The researchers then rated each participant's curiosity level on a scale of one to 10. 'Age does not have a uniform influence on curiosity; rather, we need to consider the multifaceted nature of this construct when discussing aging effects,' they noted. 'Curiosity subsumes different levels of psychological processes (e.g., emotional processes, reinforcement, learning, attention, appraisal, etc.), each of which would be impacted differently by age.' Prior research has found that younger adults tend to be more curious about learning new topics while older adults feel more motivated to continue expanding their existing knowledge. 'It is important to consider some of the ways that older adults may maintain curiosity other than via trait curiosity measures. Specifically, older adults may be selectively curious about things that have greater self-relevance or that are relevant to their prior knowledge, which may benefit them in specific contexts. For example, if an older adult is curious about gardening, they may be more likely to read gardening magazines, join a gardening group, or to learn a new gardening skill,' the researchers highlighted in their study published in the journal PLoS One in May 2025. 'Engaging with any of these activities can be beneficial for overall well-being and cognitive outcomes in older age, for example by fostering social connections and learning complex new skills. Thus, it may be important to recognize and encourage specific domains of curiosity for older adults, rather than simply focusing on measures of trait curiosity,' they added.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How To Build AI Literacy: 16 Ways To Stay Relevant As A Professional
For a professional, staying relevant in a highly competitive landscape means continuously evolving. Today, that includes developing a strong grasp of how to leverage artificial intelligence in the workplace. You don't need to become an expert overnight, but building AI literacy and sharpening your digital skills can help you lead more effectively, make smarter decisions and stand out in your field. Below, 16 Forbes Coaches Council members share the practical tips and insights they would share with their own clients to help build confidence with AI and strengthen digital competencies. Whether you're exploring new career opportunities, stepping into a leadership role or simply aiming to keep up with change, these tips can help set you up for long-term success. Staying relevant in today's professional landscape isn't about becoming a tech expert. It's about embracing a mindset of adaptability, curiosity and intentional learning. In my work with clients, our focus isn't on chasing every new tool; it's on understanding how digital trends intersect with their industry, influence decision-making and shift what teams expect from their leaders. - Gina Martin, Gina Martin Coaching It is critical to guide clients to embrace AI by demystifying its role in their industry, offering hands-on tools and use cases and showing them how to integrate it into their daily work. Staying relevant means learning continuously—those who don't adapt risk falling behind. Leaders should always stay ahead, not play catch-up. - Tinna Jackson, Jackson Consulting Group, LLC I'd focus on three areas: mindset, skill set and action. I'd have clients state why this matters, then foster a growth mindset and commitment to continuous learning. Then, I'd guide them to relevant learning aids to build foundational AI knowledge, including its relevance to their industry. Finally, I'd help them apply their learning through projects or tools to improve their digital competency. - Ula Ojiaku, Mezahab Group I'd immerse them in 'real-world'' role-play labs: AI-simulated market shifts where they must adapt in real time—not theory, not tutorials, but lived, gamified disruption. Because relevance isn't taught; it's trained through tension, experimentation and reflection in synthetic futures. - Andre Shojaie, HumanLearn Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify? We encourage our clients to set aside time each week to understand the changes that are occurring in AI each week, and to put intentionality behind the time they spend to become and/or stay relevant. We also stay relevant in the latest AI updates ourselves in order to serve our clients better. At the very least, we recommend that our clients delegate or outsource the required digital competencies in order to remain relevant. - Gregg Frederick, G3 Development Group, Inc It is all about how AI is being grafted into your field. We are connecting clients to key classes, workshops and learnings that directly impact, and are being integrated into, their profession and work. It's not about going crazy and running to every 'must-see' AI seminar. It is about how you can learn what is being, and what will be, applied to your role, your job, your industry and your company. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc. AI is moving at such a pace that nobody can ever claim to have 'cracked it'—it's a consistently moving target with more to learn every day. Remember, almost every profession has to perform, record and submit some form of minimum continuous professional development hours per year in order to remain accredited. For a leader, their personal CPD hours now have to be AI-based. - Antonio Garrido, My Daily Leadership Start with curiosity, not code. I tell clients: You don't need to become an AI engineer; you need to know what questions to ask and what tools to use. Focus on use cases, not buzzwords. Relevance today means knowing enough to lead smart conversations, spot nonsense and stay ahead of the curve—without getting lost in the algorithm. - Anastasia Paruntseva, Visionary Partners Ltd. Encourage a digital mindset shift. We help clients shift from being passive tech users to strategic AI collaborators by: 1. framing AI as a partner, not a replacement; 2. encouraging experimentation with AI on safe, low-risk tasks (that is, those in which they have expertise so that AI hallucinations can be easily spotted); and 3. emphasizing ethics, data privacy and bias awareness in AI use. - Nick Leighton, Exactly Where You Want to Be I would start by turning AI literacy into a team sport rather than a solo study session. We would form a micro-learning pod where the client teaches one AI concept per week to their peers or even their kids, using plain language and silly metaphors. Relevance is not about mastering every tool; it is about making tech human and relatable, starting with oneself. AI is a friend; embrace it. - Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy) I'd show clients (not tell them) how AI can solve everyday challenges. For instance, if they're in sales, I'd demonstrate how AI can automate lead scoring, saving them time and boosting sales. By showing the immediate benefits—like freeing up time or making smarter decisions—I'd help them see how AI can make their work easier and more impactful, sparking real excitement. - Shikha Bajaj, Own Your Color The fastest way to build AI literacy is to start using it. Explore what works in your role—using AI to polish or proof your writing or brainstorm ideas, for example—and where it may fall short, such as accurately pulling data or citations. As you do, check your company's guidelines on approved tools and confidentiality to ensure you're using AI responsibly. - Kathleen Shanley, Statice To stay relevant, I'd help clients understand how AI agents can optimize workflows, enhance decision-making and drive efficiency. We'd focus on practical learning—starting with data quality, bias detection and real use cases—so that they could confidently identify where AI adds value and how it complements their expertise. - Stephan Lendi, Newbury Media & Communications GmbH Focus on understanding your problems and existing solutions. You don't need to be an AI expert, but you should know how to use AI to solve your issues efficiently. Assess your skills, provide targeted training, encourage practical application, promote continuous learning, leverage AI tools and build a supportive network. This approach ensures you stay competitive and effective. - Aurelien Mangano, DevelUpLeaders AI is here, and it is not going away, so you either invest your time in becoming AI literate or you become obsolete. There are many online courses (including some good free ones) that start with the basics of what AI is and is not. I also encourage you to look into courses that discuss the application of AI in your particular field and industry. Talk to your engineers. Try AI copiloting with a virtual assistant in your downtime. - Katy MacKinnon Hansell, Katy Hansell Impact Partners I'd guide clients to adopt an AI copilot mindset—using AI as a thinking partner, not just a tool. Then we'd layer in weekly challenges with real tasks and real stakes, designed to build prompt fluency, pattern recognition and adaptive thinking. In a fast-forward world, relevance goes to those who upgrade how they think. - Adam Levine, InnerXLab
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
How to unleash the career superpower of curiosity
Interested in more careers-related content? Check out our new weekly Work Life newsletter. Sent every Monday afternoon. A junior analyst notices that a recurring report includes several metrics that no longer align with the team's current objectives. Instead of merely updating the report as instructed, he asks, 'Why are we still tracking these specific metrics?' This question prompts a discussion that leads to a more relevant and streamlined reporting process. A mid-level project manager is assigned to lead a project involving a department they're unfamiliar with. Rather than solely focusing on their project plan, she takes the initiative to learn about the department's workflows and challenges by asking, 'Can you walk me through your typical process?' This curiosity fosters better collaboration and uncovers opportunities for process improvements that benefit the entire organization. These are just two situations that occur in workplaces across the country every week, sometimes every day. In today's dynamic workplace, curiosity isn't just a trait – it is a strategic tool for career advancement. By actively cultivating curiosity, you can unlock new opportunities, drive innovation and position yourself for growth. Here are five practical strategies to harness curiosity effectively: Ask open-ended questions Curiosity starts with the right questions. Instead of yes/no prompts such as 'Is this working?', try asking, 'What's going well, and what's getting in the way?' or 'What haven't we considered yet?' These kinds of questions invite deeper insight and spark more meaningful conversation. Before your next meeting, prepare two open-ended questions to raise such as, 'What would success look like here?' or 'What led you to that approach?' In one-on-one conversations, try asking, 'What's been your biggest challenge this week?' or 'What's one thing you need from me?' A helpful habit is to pause before offering your own opinion and ask a clarifying question first. By consistently using open-ended questions, you show engagement, foster learning and open the door to innovation and problem-solving. Seek diverse perspectives One of the best ways to fuel curiosity is by actively seeking out viewpoints beyond your usual circle. Make a point of asking colleagues in different roles or departments for their insights, especially when you're tackling a problem or making a decision. You might ask, 'How does this affect your team?' or 'What's one thing you'd want us to know from your side?' Even an informal chat over coffee can reveal perspectives you hadn't considered. When working on a project, invite someone from another function to weigh in early. It could surface issues or opportunities you'd otherwise miss. By regularly tapping into diverse perspectives, you'll broaden your understanding, challenge your assumptions and build stronger, more collaborative relationships across your organization. Embrace lifelong learning Curiosity thrives when you make learning part of your routine, not just something you do when required. Look for small, practical ways to expand your knowledge, whether it's reading an article about industry trends, watching a short tutorial or asking a colleague to explain a tool you're unfamiliar with. You might say, 'I'd love to understand how you approach that, could you walk me through it?' or 'What resource would you recommend if I want to learn more about this?' Even 15 minutes a week set aside for learning can pay off. By showing a proactive approach to growth, you demonstrate adaptability and initiative – qualities that your leaders will notice and value when thinking about future opportunities. Reflect and adapt Curiosity isn't just about asking questions of others, it is also about examining your own work. After finishing a project or task, pause to reflect: What went well? What was challenging? What should I adjust next time? You can also ask others, 'What's one thing we could improve next time?' or 'Was anything unexpected for you in this process?' This habit of reflection and adaptation helps you avoid repeating mistakes and spot opportunities to improve. Over time, it sharpens your judgment, strengthens resilience and signals to others that you're proactive and committed to continuous growth – all qualities that can accelerate your career. Create a safe space for inquiry Curiosity flourishes in environments where questions are welcomed, not shut down. Whether you're leading a team or working alongside others, you can help create that space by modeling openness yourself. Try saying, 'That's a great question, let's look at it together,' or 'I hadn't thought of it that way; tell me more.' When someone raises an idea or concern, resist the urge to dismiss or rush past it. Instead, ask 'What makes you see it that way?' or 'How do you think we could explore this further?' Over time, encouraging this kind of dialogue builds trust, improves problem-solving and fosters a culture where innovation can take root. It makes you not just curious, but also a catalyst for growth. Curiosity is more than a nice-to-have – it's a professional superpower. It helps you navigate uncertainty, uncover fresh insights and adapt to change with confidence. By bringing curiosity to your daily work, you not only elevate your own growth but also inspire those around you to think bigger and bolder. Merge Gupta-Sunderji is a speaker, author, mentor to senior leaders and the chief executive officer of the leadership development consultancy Turning Managers Into Leaders.
