The figures on firsts

Want to preserve the good vibe from a first experience? Limit how much you talk about it.

Researchers in Canada found that the more people analyzed a good experience, the faster those positive feelings diminished. “Explaining turns an emotional experience into a cognitive one,” says Dr Sarah Moore, an assistant professor of marketing at the Alberta School of Business, “and that dampens the emotions attached to them.” To preserve those ecstatic feelings, it’s better to relive them than explain them, whether it’s through videos, photos, or a repeat trip. (Here's how to make the first time REALLY count.)

CALL FOR BACKUP

An external hard drive can ensure that images of your son’s first soccer game don’t get lost in the cloud. “Most drives will last 10 years or longer,” says New York Times technology columnist David Pogue.

Automate the backup process so it runs continuously, and pay close attention to file extensions. “JPEGs and MP3s will be fine. But less common files—3-D animations, genealogy, and so on—might be unopenable a few years from now,” he says. “If you have the option to export your files in standard formats, like PDF or TIFF, now is the time to do it.”