Introverts aren't rude or shy: some tips to understand them better

Extroverts have all the fun! Or so it might seem unless you take some time to see that introverts are actually just as likely to be enjoying themselves and happy in life.

Extroverts might be out there 24/7 - the life and soul of the party - talking to anyone about anything for hours on end; whilst the poor old introverts amongst us are said to shy away from the limelight or hold back from starting the conversation flow.

Extroverts are thought to be in the majority with some 75% or so of the population, leaving around a quarter lying more on the introverted side of the spectrum. (Being a spectrum though, some people (most?) will lie somewhere in-between as ambiverts!)

By definition, extroverts are supposed to be outgoing and more concerned with the physical and social envirnoment, whilst introverts are said to focus more inwardly - definitions that I think don't do any of the groups any favours. But actually, when you start to think more carefully about it introverts aren't being shy or rude by being who they are and are probably having as much fun and being just as successful in life as those cool cats - the extroverts.

There's even some science to suggest that introverts are over-sensitive to that 'feel-good neurotransmitter' dopamine and all the thrills and fuss of social adventure pleases them so quickly they start to tire much more quickly than their extrovert counterparts who can't get enough and have a need for adrenelin-rushes to help produce more dopamine to satisfy the brain.

I took the 'Are you an introvert or an extrovert (and why it matters)' quiz by Susan Cain over at Psychology Today. Of the 20 statements, I answered 2 as 'false' and 18 as 'true' or 'mostly true' confirming I'm an 'introvert'. I am quite excited as it feels like a positive confirmation and reinforces my belief in myself and how I go about my life (though interesting that I would like more fame, fortune and status - and quite happy doing some multi-tasking!).

Some reading on the subject of introversion:

• I really liked the overturning of common misconceptions about introverts here: 10 Myths About Introverts - Carlkingdom.com
• 'Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking' by Susan Cain
  
• 'The introvert advantage (How to thrive in an extrovert world)' by Marti Olsen Lany
  

I guess the take-away message is that everyone has different needs when it comes to interaction with their environment and it's to the benefit of the human race that there's a healthy mixture of introversion and extroversion. Introverts can be and most often are happy, successful people.

The unipiper forces out a tune

How do you combine bagpipes, a unicycle and Star Wars? Well, just like this...

How do you go about coming up with an idea like that!? Can you imagine that guy hurtling towards you down the road on a dark night? Terrfiying!

It's been ages since I blogged

It's been ages since I fired up the blog, hasn't it!? The best part of a year in fact. A lot has happened in that time - governments overthrown, civil unrest, countries on the brink of financial meltdown, unemployment has risen, football clubs pushed into administration, patent battles amongst IT companies are rife, and celebrities have croaked it.

But, it wasn't all bad news! According to troubled red top, The Sun, the birds enjoyed the sunshine!


And 'magnet boy', the Croatian youngster who attracts frying pans to his belly, was shown to be nothing more than just a bit chubby. Judge for yourself the non-science nature of his family's claims in the video below:



Ah yes, it's a wierd world we live in. Sometimes I wonder why we make it so difficult for ourselves.

Where's your Spirit?

NASA has all but given up trying to contact the Spirit rover on Mars after being unable to communicate with it since 22 March 2010.

Engineers are now almost certain it's curtains for the plucky little rover that has helped shed light on the red planet.

It's been a staggering success though... it was one of two rovers that landed on the surface of Mars in January 2004 and it was thought their mission would last all but 3 months! Incredibly, the other rover, Opportunity is still scuttling across the planet and returning valuable information. Spirit got stuck in some soft sand in 2009. Here's the first colour picture sent back by Spirit:

'Spirit's 1st Colour Picture on the Red Planet' - NASA/JPL

NASA is now focusing on Curiosity - a Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, which is due to launch at the end of the year, though will occasionally listen-out for any sign that Spirit has come back to life.

'Curiosity' - NASA/JPL-Caltech

5 Great Apple iPhone Apps for May

Get your Apple iPhone kitted out with the latest apps and you'll be dancing all the way through May!

1. Genuis Scan
(Free - Business)
Turn your iPhone into a document scanner that fits in your pocket.

2. Everyday
(£1.19 - Photography)
Snap an image of your face everyday and then watch the changes over the weeks and months.

3. Groupon
(Free - Lifestyle)
Daily deals in a city near you delivered to your handset in an instant.

4. Zapd
(Free - Lifestyle)
Create beautiful mini-websites in 60 seconds from your iPhone.

5. Angry Birds
(£0.59 - Games)
Get the game everyone is talking about.

AV - Apathy for UK referendum

Voting-a-plenty for citizens around the UK on May 5th!

There's the Scottish Parliament election; Welsh Assembly election; some local elections in England; Northern Ireland Assembly election as well as elections to local councils; and throughout the UK a vote in the referendum on the Alternative Voting system (or, AV).

AV would replace the 'first past the post' system that's currently used to elect MPs to the House of Commons. This is our chance to decide whether we want to change from 'first past the post' to 'AV'. However, it seems many people around the UK are either unaware of what it means or give half a toss as to whether it'd benefit us or not.

So, in the 'first past the post' system the candidate with most votes wins, regardless of their share of the total votes cast.

In AV, the idea is that a winning candidate should secure at least 50% of the total votes cast. That's achieved by allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If after an initial count any candidate has more than 50% of the vote they are duly elected. However, should this not be the case, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes re-assigned using the second preference indicated on those ballot papers. This goes on until a candidate gets 50% or more of the total share of the votes. Believe it or not it's still possible that any one candidate may not recieve 50% of the total share of the votes (if for example, many people haven't indicated 2nd preferences), in which case the candidate with the highest total share would be elected.

Three other countries around the world use AV: Australia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. And, it was recently used to select Ed Milliband as Labour Party Leader.

Here's what The Guardian Newspaper says is "everything you need to know about the AV Referendum".

Unlikely bed-fellows David Cameron (he's the UK Prime Minister and Conservative leader) and John Reid (Labour) have shared the stage to campaign for a 'No' vote in the AV referendum.

Siding up beside each other for the 'Yes' to AV are Nick Clegg (Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader), Vince Cable (Business Secretary and Lib Dem) and Ed Milliband (Labour leader).



For more info, visit The Electoral Commission website

Wonders of the Universe

Wonders of the Universe is the new BBC-produced TV programme that will be presented by Brian Cox.

The first shows airs on BBC Two on Sunday 6th March at 21:00 is titled 'Destiny'. Brian Cox will be getting to grips with time.

Throughout the series, he'll be exploring fundamental concepts of science that govern the universe and help to explain why we're here.

I can't wait to see it  - should compliment the brilliant series Wonders of the Solar System - to whet your appetite, here's the trail for it :