A study looks at whether the rise of the Internet is affecting our religious lives. (Ashley Landis EPA)

Here are six ideas that impact the way we live, work and play. 

1. How the Internet affects religion. From the MIT Technology Review: 




This is an interesting read, but the problem with the theory is that correlation isn’t causation. With so much changing since 1990, it’s difficult to conclude what variables were factors, and to what degree.

2. Football, the junk food of sports? By a long shot football is the most popular sport in America. Here’s why it may be in our best interests to find a healthier obsession. From Jay Mathews:

I added a question to The Post’s annual survey: “Do you have an 11-person football team?” To my astonishment, 67 of the top 100 schools, ranked by participation in college-level tests, said they do not field a team, denoting a shift in American high school culture, at least in those schools that challenge their students most. …


3. Will Yahoo launch a Netflix competitor? From the Wall Street Journal:



The projects being considered would be led by writers or directors with experience in television. “They want to blow it out big time,” said one of the people briefed about the plans.

4. How fonts can address distracted driving. Via Emily Badger:

In driving simulations run by the lab, male drivers took their eyes off the road for less time when the text on a small navigation screen appeared in a typeface from what’s known as the humanist genre. The difference between humanist andgrotesque typefaces amounted to the equivalent of turning away from the road over a distance of 50 feet at highway speeds. …

Monotype has been working on a new typeface, called Burlingame, which it’s releasing this week as the first designed specifically with distracted driving in mind. It’s meant for use by auto manufacturers in in-car displays, or in the myriad devices we bring with us whenever we enter a car.

5. How crowdsourcing can help the CIA. Via NPR: 



6. The importance of surrounding yourself with great people.