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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Winning the battle over impulses. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Are you still writing your New Year’s Resolutions? If so, you could be one of the estimated fifteen to twenty percent of the population who’s a procrastinator. University of Calgary professor Peirs Steel has published a comprehensive analysis of procrasitination in the journal Psychological Bulletin. He says procrastinators have a high level of impulsiveness and distractibility, and the problem may have a large genetic component. To take his procrastination test, visit www.procrastinus.com. Don’t put it off.
Research published in the journal Cell concerns a rare gene that causes people to go to sleep and arise up to three hours earlier than normal. By inserting this gene into mice, scientists have discovered clues into the chemistry of our internal clocks. Their goal is treating sleep disorders and jet lag. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.