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Readability and the Flesch–Kincaid Test - In 100 words or less

Readability  is the ease with which a reader can understand a written text. In most situations, writers aim for high readability scores ensuring easy comprehension by the masses.  To measure the readability of their works, writers employ tools like the Flesch-Kincaid readability test , which is a  linear relation  involving average sentence length and average word lengths. This algorithm produces a (mostly) positive score; the higher the score, the higher the readability . Note that, however, this method does not cover the syntax, complexity, and typographic aspects of the article.  So, it's a good starting indicator but not a comprehensive one . 
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Polyphasic Sleep - In 100 words or less

Most of us sleep in a  single six to nine-hour stretch - monophasic sleep .    Polyphasic Sleep seems to be a viable alternative to some athletes and productivity freaks, which mostly consists of one long sleep of a few hours and several shorter sleep periods . Babies and pets commonly practice this form of sleep.   While polyphasic sleep might work for certain specific situations or groups of people by making sleep deeper and hence more productive, it is generally not advisable for students or employees. This is because its improper practice can lead to sleep deprivation, irritability, and general fatigue .

Thucydides’ Trap - In 100 words or less

Thucydides' Trap is the phenomenon of the increased likelihood of war between an established power and a rising power. The established power, to maintain their exclusivity , will attempt to thwart the rising power trying to destroy just that. The main reason countries enter this state is the prevailing emotions of fear, hubris, and honour in their people.  Some Chinese believe that their resurgence is incomplete unless they become a world power, and Americans ' exceptionalism could make them fall into this trap.  Thucydides' Trap teaches us not to let these emotions drag us into conflict, and that we must peacefully co-exist .

Motor Theory of Perception - In 100 words or less

Many of us tap our feet when listening to music. Some of us even wave our hands in a particular manner, representing the dynamics of the song. But why do we do these mostly involuntary actions? The  Motor Theory of Perception   says that music and body movements are deeply rooted in our cognition ; we simulate the motion associated with the sensory stimuli we process, to comprehend it. So, while listening to music, we try to reproduce the sounds that have gone into producing it. We create these mental images in an attempt to be au fait with the music.

Duck Syndrome - In 100 words or less

When you look at a duck gliding serenely across the water, it's easy to miss the frantic paddling of its feet. This analogy can be extended to students as well - many of them look calm and composed outside , concealing their stress , an amalgamation of the prevailing " Fake it till you make it " mentality. This "Duck Syndrome" becomes a vicious cycle of peer pressure and unrealistic expectations, which leads to anxiety and depression . The best way to escape this trap is to express your mental issues and try to become a better version of yourself , instead of the best.

Earworms - In 100 words or less

Earworms are unwanted and catchy tunes that "auto-repeat" in our heads. They can be triggered when we are in a dreamy, meditative, or nostalgic state.  "Catchier" songs are more likely to become earworms; these are generally faster and easier to sing along. An anxious or receptive person is more likely to fall prey to earworms.  Contrary to popular belief, trying to force the song out of your head is one of the worst things to do ; instead, we must passively accept it and move on.  There is a silver lining to all this,  earworms shape your creative process too.

Nostalgia - In 100 words or less

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that is invoked by anything that resembles our past experiences . Sensory stimuli are popular triggers, and at times, nostalgia is elicited on purpose to feel better about current events.  The hippocampus, substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and ventral striatum -  Reward Centers of the brain  - are activated during nostalgic activity.  So, when listening to say, an old song, you might feel happy even if that song wasn't to your liking then - you reminisce about past times.  Nostalgia is so comforting and so easily provoked, that it can even become an addiction.

Triangular Arbitrage - In 100 words or less

Triangular Arbitrage is a situation that arises when exchange rates do not  exactly  match up -  Exchange Rate Discrepancies . Say you had  k1  units of currency A.   When converted to currency B,  k1  becomes  k2. When converted to currency C,  k2  becomes  k3. Ordinarily ,  when we convert  k3  to currency A, we get  k1  back.  But, in this condition, we would get more than  k1 ! As cool as this sounds, for an average person, it is hopelessly impractical because these are few and far between. Furthermore, Low profits require large trades done  very  quickly - a job for automation software .

Voice Confrontation - In 100 words or less

Most of us shudder at the sound of our own voices .  But, why is voice confrontation so frequent, when we barely judge others' voices the same way?  Many people say that our recorded voice sounds higher due to lack of bone conduction , and the reasoning is, the higher pitch makes us uncomfortable. But, we don't judge others' voices in the same way. What gives? The missing part of the puzzle is  extra-linguistic cues -  which reveal aspects of our personality. When we listen to our recording, we confront and judge these expressive qualities we did not intend to portray.

Number Systems and YouTube Video IDs - In 100 words or less

With upwards of 500 hours of video uploaded  every minute , there is the question of exhaustion - Will YouTube ever run out of Video IDs?  A unique sequence of 11 random characters identifies a video. This compact and readable format has a deadly weapon, however. It harnesses the power of higher-order number systems . YouTube uses the base 64 number system(0-9, a-z, A-Z, - and _). So, Youtube can store 64^11 videos, enough for  every  human to upload a video every minute  for 18,000 years .  While we  technicall y can exhaust IDs, the solution is simple - just add another character !

EMOJI - In 100 words or less

Emoji . You either 👍 them or 👎 them, but nobody can deny that they are everywhere, and they are revolutionising communication .  92%  of people online use them. In 2015, 😂 became Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year. But what  are  they? Emoji are visual representations of emotions, feelings, or symbols, which transcend boundaries, cultures, and time. Digitally, they represent a unique Unicode number, attained after passing their criteria. They can add emphasis and personality to your words, but its overuse can make you come off insensitive, childish, or robotic. They might seem ubiquitous, but do have their time and place.