Google - The Fastest Shade of Blue

Google tested 40 shades of blue for the links on their search results.

One shade led to people clicking on links a fraction of a second faster. Over millions of searches that adds up – faster for users, better for Google.

They’ve found that a 1/10^th or a second, or even a 1/100^th of a second faster makes a difference to users – resulting in them being happier, and coming back more frequently to search.

Source: Lecture by Matt Brittin, Vice President of Google for Northern and Central Europe, Imperial College, Nov 2011. Video here.

Hotel towel re-use

Noah Goldstein, UCLA assistant professor of HR and organised behaviour, headed up a 2010 study on how to encourage towel reuse among hotel guests. In one experiment, two different signs were tested in rooms.:

• 1st sign had an appeal saying that towel reuse is good for the environment; 35% of guest complied.
• 2nd sign added a social cue: "Almost 75% of guests who are asked to participate... do help by using their towel more than once." 44% compliance.

Source: Wired (UK) Aug 2011

Mints & tips in restaurants

If a waiter leaves a mint on the tray with the bill, his tips rise by 3.3%. If he leaves to mints, they rise by 14%.

Robert Cialdini, author of Influence, quoted in Wired (UK) Aug 2011

Plastic Bottle House

Remarkable house made from plastic bottles filled with sands.

Info: http://inhabitat.com/africas-first-plastic-bottle-house-rises-in-nigeria/