Plus: Family Versus Career, Lean Lessons from Green Berets, Fat-Finger Syndrome, Career-Killing Beliefs, Bad Business Grammar, Small-Town Innovation and Top Science Photos in 2012.

Sometimes the Internet seems like it’s gotten too big. To help navigate this sea of information, IMT’s weekly Worth a Look feature spotlights some of the more interesting, informative and amusing resources that might have slipped under your radar — all in bite-sized chunks.

• Is “Having It All” Impossible? | Although women have made tremendous gains in the workforce, often rising to the highest positions in professional and public life, overcoming the gender gap is still far from reality, according to a wildly popular cover story in The Atlantic. In the magazine’s latest issue, Anne-Marie Slaughter, a Princeton professor and former policy planning director for the United States Department of State, explains that women still face powerful social pressures to sacrifice their careers for the sake of family, an issue that will continue to set women back until society addresses systemic issues regarding family-friendly policies, productivity and the differing expectations for male versus female parents.
• Lean Training the Green Beret Way | Sam MacPherson, former chief of training for the U.S. Army Special Forces (aka the Green Berets) and now president of the Lean Leadership Academy, tells IndustryWeek that the U.S. Army Special Forces is “the ultimate team-based organization, but one populated by leaders.” MacPherson shares lean leadership techniques based on his experience both with the Green Berets and in manufacturing.
• Toxic Beliefs that Hurt Careers | Work can be a struggle, but that doesn’t mean it should make us dissatisfied. Although everyone experiences a bad day from time to time, satisfied workers are able to overcome these temporary setbacks and enjoy their careers. If you feel undervalued, you can do something about it, starting with changing some of your own beliefs. At Inc.com, Geoffrey James lays out five beliefs that consistently make people less successful.
• The Collapse of Business Grammar | The proliferation of informal email messages, texting and tweets have dramatically eroded the quality of communication today. Grammatical mistakes and imprecise language are on the rise in the workplace, leaving bad impressions on clients and causing communication errors. The Wall Street Journal explains how some managers are attempting to reverse the tide of poor English by enlisting usage experts, introducing training courses and conducting spelling and grammar tests.
• Designing to Solve Fat-Finger Syndrome | Smartphones and tablets might have flat touchscreens that use pressure sensors, but keypads/keyboards that rely on the touch of a finger on a spring-loaded key are still widely used in many electronic devices, leading to mobile miscommunication. As devices become more compact, “fat-finger syndrome” is becoming a bigger problem. Machine Design looks at the physics behind keystrokes and how engineers are looking for solutions.
• Walmart Spurs Small-Town Innovation | As the world’s largest retailer, Walmart is adept at encouraging its suppliers, transportation firms and hundreds of other companies to form major business hubs, especially in Arkansas, Walmart’s home state. Fast Company explains how entrepreneurs, inventors and designers are also benefiting from the superstore’s clout by finding new ways to develop their products and expand their startup businesses within the massive Walmart-based market.
• 10 Best Science Photos in 2012 | Last week, medicine visual resources firm Wellcome Images announced its 2012 award winners, a series of 10 photos showcasing some of the most compelling photographs captured across a variety of scientific fields this year. The winning entries include photos of a chicken embryo’s vascular system, microscopic caffeine crystals, the cancer cell division process, bacterial biofilm and tiny vaccine microneedles.
• How Product Recalls Work | The Consumer Product Safety Commission has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 types of products commonly used every day. Depending on the complexity of the issue, recalls can take from weeks to a year. Check out Popular Mechanics’ flow chart below to track how the tangled process works. Plus: Popular Mechanics’ Why Product Recalls Make You Less Safe.

Click image for full-size view. Credit: Popular Mechanics