Books, Paris attacks, and SEO: 5 Memeburn articles you loved this week

Have you ever wondered why some people just prefer physical books? Or are you curious about the social media reaction to Saturday’s terror attacks on Paris? Perhaps you’re considering getting a Chromecast or have always wondered what sets genius apart.

You might not be interested in all of those things, but as a Memeburn reader, chances are you’re interested in at least one of them.

At least, that’s what a look at the five most read Memeburn articles for the week suggests.

Check them out:

5. Beyond Einstein’s brain: the anatomy of genius

When Albert Einstein died in 1955, his brain was removed, weighed and measured, preserved in formalin, photographed, and sectioned for microscopic study. Although we often think of technologic breakthroughs as coming from corporations or industry sectors, ideas come from individual brains. Human brain tissue is the source of the invention, conceptualization, and implementation of new technologies. Read more…

4. Why every household absolutely needs a Chromecast

I enjoy media, I enjoy technology and I really enjoy when the two cross paths. One could be forgiven for assuming that this intersection happens often, and it does, but it’s not often that it’s executed nearly as well as Chromecast. That is why I think Chromecast is the one gadget I would recommend, to anyone. Sure, the Google-built dongle is already in its second iteration, but I don’t actually know how many South Africans are currently casting. Read more…

3. The symbiosis of content marketing and SEO

We often make the mistake of defining content marketing and SEO as two entirely different people; two people who don’t get along because the one is better than the other. As content marketers, we are consistently faced with the challenge of answering the questions of clients who want to know why we favour one over the other, and the answer is always the same – relevant content is not the type of content that is stuffed with keywords but rather the type of content that speaks to the human condition, that offers solutions and provides useful information. Read more…

2. Paris attacks: the many faces of social media’s response to terror

On Friday night a series of coordinated terror attacks across Paris resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people. The majority of those deaths were at an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the city’s Bataclan venue. Given the scale of the attacks, it should hardly be surprising that they attracted serious attention on social media. The sentiments expressed were however far from uniform. Read more…

1. The science behind why humans prefer printed books

Printed book sales are rising and eBook sales are slowing. Recent studies have shown that reading comprehension and retention are better with “old-style” printed books. I believe that there are several reasons why people interact better with paper books.

When you hold and read a book, you not only absorb the words and meaning, but you also subconsciously remember the physical location of the words. Whether a paragraph is towards the beginning or end of the book, on the left or right facing page, or at the top or bottom of the page, you remember it. I still recall the physical location of certain passages of Moby Dick I read decades ago. Read more…