Elizabeth Whitworth

Senior SEO Writer

Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books—and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.

Expertise

History, Theology, Government

Awards

Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI), Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA), Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA), Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)

How to Deal With Information Overload: Categorize & Externalize

How should you deal with our modern influx of information? Are there efficient ways to keep, process, and use information? Your brain can handle only so much. To compensate for this limitation, neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin recommends that you create systems to categorize information and store it outside of your brain. That frees up your brain to be more creative and productive. Here’s Levitin’s advice on how to deal with information overload.

Bottom-up Processing and Top-Down Processing Explained

What’s the difference between bottom-up processing and top-down processing? How do we use these processes? In Focus, Daniel Goleman explores how you can understand, harness, and improve your attention to have a more productive life and become a more engaged member of society. In his discussion of how to understand attention, he explains bottom-up and top-down processing. Continue reading to learn about these two processes.

How to Stop Getting Distracted by Thoughts: Use Notecards

Do thoughts pop into your head and distract you? Did you just remember that you need to buy bananas? Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explains how to stop getting distracted by thoughts by using a practical notecard system. This works because it sorts and stores information outside of your brain. Keep reading to learn how to use this system to deal with distracting thoughts and stay focused on the task at hand.

The Missing Mass Problem: Where’s All That Stuff?

Is a lot of mass unaccounted for in the universe? If so, why? Where is it? When author Bill Bryson set out to understand the great scientific discoveries about our universe, he ran into some unsolved mysteries. One of them is the missing mass problem, and he discusses it in his book A Short History of Nearly Everything. Keep reading to learn about missing mass, including the question of whether the mass is actually missing or whether the current theory is off.

Open Awareness: Letting Your Attention Run Free

What’s open awareness? What is it good for? Does it have a downside? When your brain isn’t using selective attention—choosing where you direct your attention—it’s using open awareness. This is a passive, rather than deliberate, state of attention. Continue reading to learn more about open awareness, including its benefits and drawbacks.

How Old Is the Planet, and How Do We Know?

How old is the planet? How do scientists estimate the age of the earth? What assumptions are part of the calculation? In the middle of the twentieth century, scientists developed a system to help them determine the age of rocks. This, along with an assumption about the formation of the solar system, allowed them to estimate the age of the Earth. Keep reading for an exposition of the Earth’s age.

Informed Decision-Making in Healthcare: How to Assess Outcomes

When you’re making medical decisions, what do you consider? How do you evaluate your options? Medical decisions are some of the most important decisions you make. Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin argues that you shouldn’t try to intuit such decisions because your brain just isn’t good at it. He recommends using a fourfold table to analyze the information you’re working with. Continue reading to learn how to use this process for informed decision-making in healthcare.

The Interior Parts of Earth: What’s Down Below the Surface?

How much do we know about the interior parts of Earth? What are the current theories? Contrary to what you’ll see in sci-fi movies, nobody’s been to the center of the Earth. We can dig only so deep. So, scientists have to resort to some indirect ways of determining what’s far below the Earth’s surface. Continue reading to learn what scientists believe and why.

How to Evaluate Information & Sources: Tips From a Neuroscientist

How reliable are citizen journalists? What kind of person can you go to for expert advice on the validity of an information source? Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin believes that you can do your overwhelmed brain a favor by not trying to hold everything in your head. That means that you must rely on external sources of information. But, you want to do all you can to make sure the information is valid. Read more for Levitin’s advice on how to evaluate information and its sources.

What Is Selective Attention? Meet Your Brain’s Handy Filter

What is selective attention? What would it be like if you didn’t have it? You’re walking down a city street. A pigeon flutters just ahead of your step. A taxi cab honks. A hot burst of air shoots up from a vent in the sidewalk. Someone calls your name. Thankfully, your brain has a tool to sort through all these stimuli and tell you where to focus your attention. Keep reading to understand selective attention and how it works for you.