Varsity athletes have lower 2D:4D ratios than other university students

The second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is a sexually dimorphic trait with lower finger ratios considered more masculine. These digit ratios are believed to reflect the prenatal hormonal environment with higher exposure to androgens in utero leading to more masculine digit ratios. The 2D:4D ratio has been negatively correlated with many factors, including aggression, physical fitness, and athleticism. We compared 2D:4D finger ratios of (1) male and female varsity athletes (n = 99) versus male and female student non-athletes (n = 122), and (2) males (n = 104) versus females (n = 117). Our results confirmed that both male (mean ± s(x) : 0.97 ± 0.004) and female (0.98 ± 0.005) varsity athletes had significantly lower ratios than their non-varsity peers (males: 0.99 ± 0.004; females: 1.00 ± 0.006), and that male athletes had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios than female athletes. Overall, males had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios than females (0.98 ± 0.003 vs. 0.99 ± 0.004). A smaller 2D:4D ratio appears to be consistent with participation in varsity sports among both males and females.     

What hampers innovation? Revealed barriers versus deterring barriers

Innovating firms are likely to face several challenges and experience different types of barriers. In this paper we argue that it is necessary to distinguish between two kinds of barriers to innovation. The first corresponds to what we describe as revealed barriers and reflects the degree of difficulty of the innovation process and the learning experience consequent on the firm engaging in innovation activity. The second type of impediment, which we label deterring barriers, encompasses the obstacles that prevent firms from committing to innovation. We use data from the 4th UK Community Innovation Survey (CIS4) to investigate the relationship between firms’ engagement in innovation and their assessment of the barriers to innovation. We show that the relationship is curvilinear in the case of costs and market barriers. These results have important implications for innovation policy and innovation management.     

数学的诞生

有这样一则笑话：物理学家、天文学家和数学家走在苏格兰高原上,碰巧看到一只黑色的羊。