Category: ideas

Novelist J.M. Coetzee: Universities have “come to an end not just because the neoliberal enemies of the university have succeeded in their aims, but because there are too few people left who really believe in the humanities and in the university built on humanistic grounds.”

Mankind, whether working alone or in groups, is governed by a mathematical tipping point, one specified by a ratio of 2.9013 positive to 1 negative emotions. When the tipping point is crested, a kind of positive emotional chaos ensues–“that flapping of the butterfly’s wing”–resulting in human “flourishing.”

“This time of year, thrillseekers can enjoy horror movies, haunted houses, and prices so low, it’s scary. But if fear is a natural survival response to a threat, or danger, why would we seek out that feeling?”

“What turns you on? While it debunks one notion – that the feet are an erogenous zone – a recently published cross-cultural study suggests men and women answer that question in pretty much the same way.”

“A newly published paper entitled The Morning Morality Effect suggests we’re more likely to act unethically later in the day. It provides further evidence that self-control is a finite resource that gradually gets depleted, and can’t be easily accessed when our reserves are low.”

“The U.S. Patent system is one-size-fits-all system, meaning that al kinds of technology receive the same kind of protection. But this doesn’t make sense.”

“How the country’s history and geography created the perfect setting for magical creatures, whose perceived existence sparks environmental protests to this day.”

This collection of highly connected hubs has been dubbed the “rich club” network because it resembles groups of well-connected individuals, such as Ivy League alumni organizations, that help others meet and exchange information.

“The evidence that playing violent video games promotes aggression, and perhaps even ethnocentrism, seems fairly conclusive. Better, one could conclude, to stick with non-violent games … But wait. Newly published research provides tentative evidence that even that variety of video gaming can have a negative impact, desensitizing players to both their own discomfort and the suffering of others.”

“In the midst of the recession a new occupation emerged: the sign spinner. These individuals stood on sidewalks outside of businesses, dancing with signs or arrows that they threw and twisted in the air and around their bodies.” Now many of those human spinners are being replaced by robot mannequins. But what kind of humans vs. what kind of mannequins?