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Self-Experimentation: A Call for Change

June 18, 2011

In 1981, Allen Neuringer wrote a paper in the journal Behaviorism, calling for self-experimentation. Consider it your weekend reading assignment, should you choose to accept it. Neuringer presents a fascinating history and philosophy of self-science, as well as his perspective on the importance of self-experimentation. There are even some early experimental graphs on needing less sleep…

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How to experiment: Guidelines from Stewart Friedman's "Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life"

January 28, 2011

Curiosity: An emotion related to natural inquisitive behavior such as exploration, investigation, and learning. Exploration: To travel for the purpose of discovery. Discovery: A productive insight. I’ve been thinking of this triumvirate as essential characteristics of scientific inquiry – get curious about something, try out some different things to dig into it, see what you…

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The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Self-Experimentation

May 31, 2010

It all started when Seth Roberts wondered why his self-experiments were so effective. Over 12 years, this psychology professor and regular at Quantified Self meetups tested new ideas, observed himself, and learned a number of significant things – new theories about mood, weight loss, sleep-wake cycles, and daily habits necessary for optimal living. Seth’s exploration…