“In his new book, Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, Partnoy claims that when faced with a decision, we should assess how long we have to make it, and then wait until the last possible moment to do so. Should we take his advice on how to “manage delay,” we will live happier lives.”
Category: ideas
Neuroaesthetics Attempt To Unlock The Brain’s Response To Art
“By studying the brain’s responses to different paintings, they have been examining the way the mind perceives art. Although their work cannot yet explain the nuances of our tastes, it has highlighted some of the unique ways in which these masterpieces hijack the brain’s visual system.”
Your Walk Signals Onset Of Alzheimer’s
“Five studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver this month provide striking evidence that when a person’s walk gets slower or becomes more variable or less controlled, his cognitive function is also suffering.”
Sartre, Camus, And New York
“In December 1944, Albert Camus, then editor of Combat, the main newspaper of the French Resistance, made Jean-Paul Sartre an offer he couldn’t refuse: the job of American correspondent. … Camus himself would make the trip soon after, only to return with a characteristically different set of political, philosophical and personal impressions.”
If You Win An Arts Award In Canada, No One Cares. Why?
“Is our national modesty to blame? Are we quietly patting ourselves on the backs at insular parties when we could be adding more heft to our accolades? Is there, in fact, a way to build a better awards system?”
The Mean, Mean World Of Criticism On The Internet
Anne Midgette: “I’d rather see the energy and passion, even if it’s accompanied by some unfortunate asides, then be restricted to an obedient world in which all opinions are disseminated politely and considerately, and colorlessly, and without response.”
Power Really Does Corrupt, Says Neuroscience
“Power increases testosterone levels, which in turn increases the uptake of dopamine in the brain’s reward network. The results are an increase in egocentricity and a reduction in empathy.”
How “Dumb” Computer Logic Confuses Us About Reality
“The dissemination of information on the web does not liberate information from top-down taxonomies. It reifies those taxonomies. Computers do not invent new categories; they make use of the ones we give them, warts and all. And the increasing amount of information they process can easily fool us into thinking that the underlying categories they use are not just a model of reality, but reality itself.”
Superheroes On The Couch: Analyzing The Costumed Fans At Comic-Con
A few times a year, Bay Area psychologist Robin Rosenberg visits major comics conventions and interviews some of the folks who show up dressed as Batman or the Green Lantern or Catwoman. They usually open up to her very quickly and demonstrate much more insight than those who’d dismiss them as post-adolescent geeks might expect.
Are Bad Moods Contagious? Yup.
“Psychologists call this phenomenon emotional contagion, a three-step process through which one person’s feelings transfer to another person.”