What's your chronotype?

+ chalking up to become a pool reporter US Edition - Today's top story: What's your chronotype? Knowing whether you're a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 November 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [China’s ‘balanced diplomacy’ feels the squeeze]( - [Censor or moderator? Depends on your politics]( - [Why we get snotty when coming down with a cold]( Lead story If there’s anything to like about daylight saving time, it’s that one extra hour of sleep that comes with earlier nightfall. But whether or not that extra hour can be put to good use depends on whether you’re a morning lark, night owl or something in between – namely, your chronotype. Each person has a particular time of day when their [mental performance is at its peak](. Psychologist Cindi May of the College of Charleston notes that making sure your cognitive abilities are at the best when they are put to the test can influence the outcomes of a wide range of important activities in daily life, from acing exams to making accurate diagnoses to avoiding marketing scams. “For early risers and late-nighters alike, listening to your internal clock may be the key to success,” she writes. Hopefully, reading this story will make you feel a little better about finally being ready to tackle that to-do list when the sun sets – or, if you’re like me, conking out at 9 p.m. [ [Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter, with interesting perspectives from experts around the world](. ] Vivian Lam Associate Health and Biomedicine Editor Owl chronotypes function better at night, while lark chronotypes are more energized in the morning. The Photo Matrix/Moment, nomis_g/iStock via Getty Images Plus [What’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams]( Cindi May, College of Charleston Synchronizing your daily activities to your circadian rhythm could help you improve your performance on a variety of cognitive tasks − and even influence diagnosis of cognitive disorders. Politics + Society - [Why are US politicians so old? And why do they want to stay in office?]( Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia Many years beyond the average American retirement age, politicians vie for power and influence. Their constituents tend to prefer they step back and pass the torch to younger people. - [As Ohio and other states decide on abortion, anti-abortion activists look to rebrand themselves as not religious]( Anne Whitesell, Miami University An analysis of anti-abortion rights groups in the US shows that while some specifically turn to Christianity to explain their positions, others are looking at broader, human rights arguments. International - [Israel-Hamas war puts China’s strategy of ‘balanced diplomacy’ in the Middle East at risk]( Andrew Latham, Macalester College Beijing’s tone on the Middle East crisis has shifted since Hamas’s initial attack, becoming increasingly pro-Palestinian. Economy + Business - [Climate change hits indebted businesses hardest, new research suggests]( Huan Kuang, Bryant University; Ying (Cathy) Zheng, Bryant University Global warming plus leverage equals a big mess for companies. Environment + Energy - [How global warming shakes the Earth: Seismic data show ocean waves gaining strength as the planet warms]( Richard Aster, Colorado State University The same instruments used to measure earthquakes pick up vibrations as ocean waves put pressure on the sea floor. Four decades of data tell a story about ocean storms. Science + Technology - [It’s not just about facts: Democrats and Republicans have sharply different attitudes about removing misinformation from social media]( Ruth Elisabeth Appel, Stanford University One person’s content moderation is another’s censorship when it comes to Democrats’ and Republicans’ views on handling misinformation. - [Why do our noses get snotty when we are sick? A school nurse explains the powers of mucus]( Kristin Ahrens, Purdue University Slimy snot is an important part of how your immune system wards off germs and fights back from infection. Education - [Higher education can be elusive for asylum-seekers and immigrants]( Kerri Evans, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Ishara Casellas Connors, Texas A&M University; Lisa Unangst, SUNY Empire State College Migrants to the US say they need a map to help them navigate the world of higher education. - [Searching for the right angle – students in this course shoot pool to learn about journalism]( Jamaal Abdul-Alim, University of Maryland A journalism professor discovers that some of the best lessons for future journalists can be taught on a pool table. Trending on site - [When science showed in the 1970s that gas stoves produced harmful indoor air pollution, the industry reached for tobacco’s PR playbook]( - [Trump’s violent rhetoric echoes the fascist commitment to a destructive and bloody rebirth of society]( - [NASA’s robotic prospectors are helping scientists understand what asteroids are made of – setting the stage for miners to follow someday]( Reader Comments 💬 “The perfunctory aspect of this piece (as a demonstration of an organ’s capability or an organist’s expertise, rather than as program music) is similar to the functionality of the 371 Chorales by Bach: They incidentally formed the basis for Common Practice rules (such as leading-tone use), yet that was not Bach’s intent. He was striving to compose chorales for Lutherans to sing in worship; the high degree of consistency in composition reflected his intention to make them readily usable by the laity.” – Daniel Byers on the story [How Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor became Halloween’s theme song]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon](• [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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