How to tell if you have a strong circle of friends, the implicit bias against creativity, and more.

Vivian Le's reads

The implicit bias against creativity. Although creativity is often praised and viewed as necessary for innovation progress, research suggests that people may actually have a subconscious aversion to creativity, seeing it as "noxious" and "disruptive." Writing for the New York Times, Matt Richtel explains why innovation may be aversive and how implicit bias about creativity can discourage people from undertaking a novel project or hiring certain employees.

The secret behind one-hit wonders. There are hundreds of one-hit wonders throughout the course of musical history, but what separates these solo successes from others who consistently top the charts? Writing for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson describes how a mix of novelty, variety, and relatedness can propel a song and band to stardom, either short-term or long-term.

Alyssa Nystrom's reads

An inside look at #VanLife. Ditching traditional housing to live out of a vehicle has become a goal for a subset of the American population, even though this has traditionally been regarded as a last resort for those who have nowhere else to live. Writing for the New York Times Magazine, Caity Weaver details her experience living in a converted camper van in pursuit of the #VanLife fantasy.

How to tell if you have a strong circle of friends. Research suggests that people who have a variety of friendships that help them moderate their mood tend to have better mental and physical health overall. Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Elizabeth Bernstein offers advice on how to evaluate your friendships so that you can "build [your] A-team" with a strong circle of friends.