Five Things #48

Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

  1. There are a ton of benefits that come with learning a foreign language. Unfortunately though, it's just not very easy. Here are 7 tips from TED translators to help you on your way. If you fancy learning a language and don't know where to start, I recommend checking out Duolingo — It's free and pretty fun too.
     
  2. And on the topic of learning. Here's an interesting conversation on How to Learn New Things as an Adult. — "You want to learn the systems, or the analogies, of the relationships between things in a certain field, and how they interact with each other. Then ultimately you gain that knowledge so that you can shift your own thinking, so when you see a new problem you’re better able to solve it."
     
  3. A super-short video on speed reading. It's pretty incredible how quickly our brains can process information.
     
  4. A fascinating article from Tim Harford on The Problem with Facts. — "When people are seeking the truth, facts help. But when people are selectively reasoning about their political identity, the facts can backfire."
     
  5. This week's musical recommendation is Dave Pepper's Utrecht Suite. The album was recorded during a soundcheck, two days after the Paris attacks in November 2015. It's beautiful and reflective, consisting of just a solo guitar and a loop pedal.

That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next Five Things delivered straight to your inbox. You can check out previous Five Things posts here.