Hi, we're here from curiosity.com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes.

I'm Cody Gough. And I'm Ashley Hamer.

Today you learn why you shouldn't be afraid to ask for an extension when you're up against a deadline,

why we used to use lead in gasoline, and

what causes that feeling that time is standing still?

Let's satisfy some curiosity.

A new study busts a myth about deadlines.

Picture this, you've got a deadline coming up, but it's going to be a struggle to get the work done on time.

Do you rush to finish the project by the deadline, which might lead to burning yourself out and producing work that's less than your best?

Or do you ask your boss for an extension and risk looking like a slacker?

Well, thanks to this study out of Harvard, it turns out that's not even a choice you have to make.

And that's because the researchers found that most people just think their bosses will react negatively to a request for an extension.

In reality though, managers give employees more time

in an incredible 95% of cases.

And on top of that, they also don't negatively judge those who ask to push back

deadlines. To come to this conclusion, the researchers looked at data from a series of 10 studies

involving 10,000 workers, by the way.

Pretty solid sample size.

They also found that female employees were particularly prone to worry about negative

consequences from asking for a deadline extension.

But managers actually judged both male and female employees who asked for an extension

as more motivated than those who did not, as long as that employee wasn't regularly late.

...