24
POPSWhy you should go with your gut feeling To uncover this ability, Pessiglione and colleague Chris Frith, of University College London, tested 20 volunteers with a simple game based on winning and losing small amounts of money. On a computer screen, the volunteers watched an animated abstract pattern which for a couple of tenths of a second included one of three symbols part way through. Unbeknownst to the subjects, the symbols indicated whether they would lose or gain £1 or break even if they accepted the gamble. Surprisingly, subjects got better at predicting whether they would win or not, eventually plateauing at slightly above chance, strong evidence that volunteers do not consciously notice the symbols but are affected by them nonetheless.
32
POPSComplex decision? Don't sleep on it Since its publication two years ago by a Dutch research team in the journal Science, the earlier finding had been used to encourage decision-makers to make "snap" decisions (for example, in the best-selling book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell) or to leave complex choices to the powers of unconscious thought ("Sleep on it", Dijksterhuis et al., Science, 2006). But in the new study, to be published in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, scientists ran four experiments in which participants were presented with complex decisions and asked to choose the best option immediately ("blink"), after a period of conscious deliberation ("think"), or after a period of distraction ("sleep on it"), which is claimed to encourage "unconscious thought processes". In all experiments, there was some evidence that conscious deliberation can lead to better choices and little evidence for superiority of choices made "unconsciously".
0
POPSChange in the wind for Co-operative Research Centre The program was established in 1990 to enable collaborative research to benefit industry or the community. Professor O'Kane also says It should really be about tax payer's dollars causing major spill overs to the community.
4
POPSAlex Jones: They're Censoring your reality A lot of people criticize Alex Jones, because he has found evidence that shoots down the official line. I clipped one comment because it because it Summarized the video in a Sentence. Everything in the darkness will be brought out into the light. Vampires hate sunlight.
5
POPSMr Eternity - Arthur Stace One person can make a difference, but sometimes it can take an 'Eternity'. Arthur Stace the man who wrote 'Eternity' over 500,000 times on the streets of Sydney said, before he began to write eternity, he could hardly spell it, or write his name. he was never able to write any other word in copperplate script.
16
POPSBoredom a sickness or a creative tool? "In experiments in the 1970s, psychiatrists showed that participants completing word-association tasks quickly tired of the job once obvious answers were given; granted more time, they began trying much more creative solutions" "In a recent paper in The Cambridge Journal of Education, Teresa Belton and Esther Priyadharshini of East Anglia University in England reviewed decades of research and theory on boredom, and concluded that it’s time that boredom “be recognized as a legitimate human emotion that can be central to learning and creativity.”
12
POPSWhy cultural transformation is possible "If we are to move beyond the current destructive phase of capitalism, we will do so because we tap the spiritual energy that progressives have yet to tap in any coherent way. Values hold the key. The hungers of the heart can be the bedrock on which we build a new social order."
23
POPSWelcome To The Real World "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it." -John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776
11
POPSIrish Eyes are Smiling. And what a Smile. Good guys do win. After a successful amateur career, including winning the Walker Cup with the Great Britain & Ireland team in 1995, he turned professional later that year, joining the European Tour in 1996. He came to professional golf at a relatively late age, having qualified as an accountant and worked in the business for a number of years. He has spent a considerable amount of time both in the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings and as the highest ranked European golfer, his best ranking being third, which he achieved following his second Open Championship victory. He has also played for Europe in four Ryder Cups; losing in 1999 but winning in 2002, 2004 and 2006 . He has also won the par-3 contest at the Augusta National Golf Club.
24
POPSPhysics of the Impossible 'If this all sounds like pie in the sky, think again. After all, how would physicists 200 years ago have reacted if you'd told them about the internet, the atomic bomb or the moon landings? What would they have made of Einstein's theory of relativity?"
3
POPSHaving the right connections "We're all in it together kid" The Plumber/Heating Engineer From Brazil, Terry Gilliam's dark tale of a not so distant future...Some time next year, with any luck a Monday..about 4am. A great clip for anyone who has been frustrated by bureaucrats, has considered arguing with their plumber, or hates Bob Hoskins.. With a special guest appearance by Robert De Nero as the Plumber/Heating Engineer
5
POPSTerry Gilliam Interview Terry Gilliam, the Monty Python animator, talks about Life the Universe, and Brazil, the movie he describes as 1984 with guts, or Franz Kafka meets Walter Mitty - I couldn't clip the video in the usual way (64bit and flashplayer don't mix.), but the link on this looks good.
10
POPSWhat Ideas Will Shape our Future? The 10 Ideas of the 21st Century "More than money, more than politics, ideas are the secret power that this planet runs on." "The 21st century will overturn many of our basic assumptions about economic life. The 20th century saw the end of European dominance of global politics and economics. The 21st century will see the end of American dominance too, as new powers make their voices heard on the world stage." "The challenges of sustainable development—protecting the environment, stabilizing the world's population, narrowing the gaps of rich and poor and ending extreme poverty—will render passé the very idea of competing nation-states that scramble for markets, power and resources." "The defining challenge of the 21st century will be to face the reality that humanity shares a common fate on a crowded planet." "6.6 billion people living in an interconnected global economy producing an astounding $60 trillion of output each year."
8
POPSIt might take two to fool a crowd So it seems stupidity is infectious. Perhaps an indication that people have trouble thinking for themselves. Wasn't there a story once about the blind leading the blind into a ditch?
6
POPSPraise or cash? Your brain doesn't care. If compliments don't work try flattery. Cash as a last resort. Praise is a lot more economical, and often a lot more productive. The main complication - anyone can pay cash, paying compliments can be a fine art.
7
POPSBionic implants raise ethical question What's the difference between a bionic ear, and an artificial leg, a kidney dialysis machine a heart valve or a breast implant ? They're all artificial substitutions. I have trouble finding the reason for anyone but the recipient to judge. As for the fear of 'superhuman' capabilities It is just a matter of taking the next step and substituting the brain. Then there's a robot/cyborg with absolutely no ethics, just a command chain, but a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. When is the public ever listened to anyway ? Perhaps we should ask a deaf philosopher.
3
POPSHidden data 'shows antidepressants hyped'
Antidepressants can be addictive, and the body can develop a tolerance. They can be prescribed with too little information. They can turn an acute problem chronic. People must rely on a medicine that is unnecessary. Once their system has become accustomed to it, they feel depressed without it. A lot of depression treated with drugs is psychological. There are emotional problems that must be dealt with, and an antidepressant can provide a dangerous mask. Often the best cure is close personal contact with someone they can trust. Betrayal can be depressing, as can working for a lifetime and being left with nothing. Or the feeling of failure when 'everyone else' seems to be so successful. A good cure can be people with common experiences sharing them. One of the most crippling aspects of depression is the feeling of isolation. Sometimes all an antidepressant does is provide temporary euphoria. Then it's back down again, often deeper because reality can seem even more cruel.
44
POPSThe US is its Own Terrorist I wrote this August 01, 2006. How appropriate now after Bush's State of the Union. Please see .... http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/FA485DF5-5A4D-4186-BB58-BA93A0C85386/
28
POPSModern day slavery Check the source for ways to help end modern day slavery. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King Jr.,
33
POPSNative American Wisdom Quotes What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator 1830 - 1890 Go to the site, read some more, and listen. :)
1
POPSOnline justice a world first These days justice is the way they describe the poles. I think jurisprudence would be more correct. we're still waiting for the worlds first incidence of justice. I imagine imagine the way lawyers are paid by the minute, they'll all want slow connection speeds. Broadband extra.
7
POPSMiddle age truly depressing says study They were amazed at the constancy, but it is not inevitable. The fact that it is the half way point may be a factor, and the fact that many dreams of youth are no longer possible eg too old to repay a home loan. No doubt there are those who have had more realistic dreams. Experience can shatter many illusions. There is the bright side in that after a point people can realize they are too old to dream, and start living each day as though it is a bonus. What worries me is after being classified as depression, there can be a determination to classify it as an 'illness' or a 'syndrome' that can be remedied with medication, to the point where people become depressed without the medications (which can often be addictive) Often the only thing that is needed is time. After realizing you're 'over the hill' it is a matter of accepting the inevitable, and making the most of the ride.
5
Clips
Latest Pops
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Tags
Print
Save
Turn on live update