Word: rhythm
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...Human beings are naturally skilled at forming groups and communities - which is a very good thing if you want to call yourself a social species. But we often need a little help to find our interpersonal rhythm, and it often comes in ways that involve literal rhythm. Soldiers march and chant. Religions incorporate singing and even dancing in their rituals. Sports events are filled with songs, synchronized cheers, and cries of "DEE-fense." In order to study the power of such collective behaviors, Stanford psychologists Scott S. Wiltermuth and Chip Heath devised a pair of tests. (See pictures of Super...
...cooperated, the more they collectively won. In the second of the two games, there was also a rule that allowed individuals to keep more money for themselves, but it would come at the expense of the group haul. As Wiltermuth and Heath anticipated, the groups that had moved in rhythm earlier, cooperated better later - increasing their collective take. Those who moved at their own speed and tempo were likelier to be looking out only for themselves. (See the best and worst Super Bowl commercials...
...such bonding-by-rhythm is good, as Heath readily admits. Bad-guy armies march too, and rallies that include call-and-response chanting can be used to stop a war ("What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now?") as easily as to start one. "Hitler seemed to use synchronous activity in his rallies to bind people," says Heath. "It may have the potential to lead them to commit atrocities...
...trying to stay aggressive and take what the defense gave me,” Lin said. “They had to respect [junior forward] Doug [Miller] down low and had to respect our shooters so the mid-range was wide open and I was able to find a rhythm and take advantage...
Situated on the western bank of the Danube, Budapest's Lánchíd 19 hotel is in many ways an extension of the river itself. Its accordion-like façade, constructed of movable glass panels, ebbs and flows with the rhythm of the water, thanks to a meteorological sensor on the hotel's roof. Decorated with images of life on the riverbank - crabs, snails and aluminum cans - the exterior panels light up at night, adding a touch of modernity to the historic riverside where 18th century Habsburg architecture prevails...