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Satan, the great motivator

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:10:51 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: What makes economies grow?Here’s one you might not have considered: hell

Satan, the great motivator

What makes economies grow? It’s a question that has occupied thinkers for centuries. Most of us would tick off things like education levels, openness to trade, natural resources, and political systems.

Here’s one you might not have considered: hell.

A pair of Harvard researchers recently examined 40 years of data from dozens of countries, trying to sort out the economic impact of religious beliefs or practices. They found that religion has a measurable effect on developing economies - and the most powerful influence relates to how strongly people believe in hell

That hell could matter to economic growth might seem surprising, since you can’t prove it exists, let alone quantify it. It stands as one of the more intriguing findings in a growing body of recent research exploring how religion might influence the wealth and prosperity of societies

Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:04:59 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

Hypnosis has a "very real" effect that can be picked up on brain scans, say Hull University researchers.

An imaging study of hypnotised participants showed decreased activity in the parts of the brain linked with daydreaming or letting the mind wander.

The same brain patterns were absent in people who had the tests but who were not susceptible to being hypnotised.

One psychologist said the study backed the theory that hypnosis "primes" the brain to be open to suggestion.

Hypnosis is increasingly being used to help people stop smoking or lose weight and advisers recently recommended its use on the NHS to treat irritable bowel syndrome.

In the latest study, the team first tested how people responded to hypnosis and selected 10 individuals who were "highly suggestible" and seven people who did not really respond to the technique other than becoming more relaxed.

How to tell if somebody is lying

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:00:15 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.wired.co.uk

How to tell if somebody is lying

Attempts at lie-detection have been around ever since we first deceived - pretty much as soon as humans walked upright. Most countries outside the US have moved on from the polygraph - although, as we reported in June, prosecutors in India are now using electroencephalograms to "prove" guilt, despite the science being bitterly disputed.

Eye contact has been proven the least accurate thing to watch for

Most reliable cues typically come from the voice, in specific, the words

common sense is the lie-buster's best weapon, and affirms that it is aural rather than visual clues that are key

Lying taxes the mind

It involves thinking about what is plausible. People tend to repeat phrases, give shorter answers, and hesitate more

They will try to distance themselves from the lie, so use far more impersonal language

often reduce the number of times that they say words like 'I', 'me', and 'mine

To detect deception, look for aural signs associated with having to think hard

The Illustrated Man: How LED Tattoos Could Make Your Skin a Screen

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:52:20 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.wired.com

The Illustrated Man: How LED Tattoos Could Make Your Skin a Screen

The title character of Ray Bradbury’s book The Illustrated Man is covered with moving, shifting tattoos. If you look at them, they will tell you a story.

New LED tattoos from the University of Pennsylvania could make the Illustrated Man real (minus the creepy stories, of course). Researchers there are developing silicon-and-silk implantable devices which sit under the skin like a tattoo. Already implanted into mice, these tattoos could carry LEDs, turning your skin into a screen.

The silk substrate onto which the chips are mounted eventually dissolves away inside the body, leaving just the electronics behind. The silicon chips are around the length of a small grain of rice — about 1 millimeter, and just 250 nanometers thick. The sheet of silk will keep them in place, molding to the shape of the skin when saline solution is added.

[Video]

The Whole Brain Catalog

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:44:08 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

The Whole Brain Catalog (http://wholebraincatalog.org)

[Video]

A rendering of the possibilities of the Whole Brain Catalog (http://wholebraincatalog.org ), an open source, multi-scale virtual catalog of the mouse brain. Part of the Whole Brain Project (http://wholebrainproject.org ). Animated by Drew Berry (http://features.cgsociety.org/story_cus tom.php?story_id=3195 ) and generously funded by the Waitt Family Foundation (http://www.waittfoundation.org/ )

Free lecture notes, exams, and videos from MIT. No registration

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:53:21 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: VIEW ALL 1900 COURSES

Clip Source: ocw.mit.edu

Unlocking Knowledge,
Empowering Minds.

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No registration required.

Learn more

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The Philosopher's Stone: The True Story 1 / 5

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:46:00 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: friendfeed.com

The Philosopher's Stone: The True Story 1 / 5

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: friendfeed.com

Today, the quest for the Philosopher’s Stone (or the Sorcerer’s Stone, as it is known today) is merely thought of as a work of fiction from the pages of a Harry Potter novel. However, in the Middle Ages, the very real search for the Philosopher’s Stone was second only to that of the Holy Grail. It was believed that this mysterious stone –which one had to concoct from secret ingredients – could turn base metals into gold, and reveal the secrets of immortality. This fascinating documentary unearths the astonishing events surrounding this legendary stone, and the alchemists and adventurers who stopped at nothing in their search for this tantalising quarry. The programme also takes a wider look at medieval alchemy, and how this now-obsolete science paved the way for modern scientists

Brain researchers have found the sources of many of our darkest thoughts, from envy to wrath

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:42:26 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: Why does being bad feel so good? Pride, envy, greed, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth

Clip Source: discovermagazine.com

I Didn't Sin—It Was My Brain

Brain researchers have found the sources of many of our darkest thoughts, from envy to wrath.

Why does being bad feel so good? Pride, envy, greed, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth: It might sound like just one more episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, but this enduring formulation of the worst of human failures has inspired great art for thousands of years

Today these transgressions are inspiring great science, too. New research is explaining where these behaviors come from and helping us understand why we continue to engage in them—and often celebrate them—even as we declare them to be evil. Techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which highlights metabolically active areas of the brain, now allow neuroscientists to probe the biology behind bad intentions

Rare Clouds and the Physics Behind Them

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:37:53 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.wired.com

Weird, Rare Clouds and the Physics Behind Them

Clip Source: www.wired.com

The Morning Glory phenomenon is the result of the particular configuration of the land and sea on the Cape York Peninsula, in a remote part of Australia. The peninsula tapers off from about 350 miles wide to 60 miles as it extends north between the Gulf of Carpentaria to the west and the Coral Sea to the east. The easterly trade winds push the sea breeze across the peninsula during the daytime, which meets the sea breeze from the west coast in the late evening. The collision produces a wave disturbance moving inland to the southwest that is a key part of the cloud formation.

As moist sea air is lifted to the crest of the waves, it cools and condensation forms a cloud. Sometimes there is just one wave, but Smith has seen as many as 10 together in a series.

William Gurstelle: Take Smart Risks

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:28:14 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: why a lot of us like the idea of living on the edge

Clip Source: www.wired.com

William Gurstelle: Take Smart Risks

Among our primitive ancestors, those who ventured farthest from their caves in search of better food or who overcame their fear of fire accrued significant advantages over their meeker kin. That's why a lot of us like the idea of living on the edge: It's in our DNA to take risks.

Hunter S. Thompson called his version of living dangerously "edgework." Sure, Thompson crossed the line with the LSD and shotguns, but a more disciplined brand of edgework can be a good thing. Done artfully and wisely, living dangerously engages our intellect, advances society, and even makes us happier.

A 2005 German study concluded that people who take above-average risks have a higher-than-average index of life satisfaction. Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that among business managers in the US and Canada, those who take greater risks are the most successful. More risk, more reward—not to mention livelier cocktail-party conversation

Does Falling in Love Make Us More Creative?

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:37:01 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: A new study demonstrates that thinking about love--but not about sex--causes us to think more "globally," making it easier to come up with new ideas

Clip Source: www.scientificamerican.com

Does Falling in Love Make Us More Creative?

A new study demonstrates that thinking about love--but not about sex--causes us to think more "globally," making it easier to come up with new ideas

why is love such a stimulating emotion? Why does the act of falling in love – or at least thinking about love – lead to such a spur of creative productivity?

One possibility is that when we’re in love we actually think differently

romantic hypothesis was recently tested

love really does alter our thoughts, and that this profound emotion affects us in a way that is different than simply thinking about sex

The clever experiments demonstrated that love makes us think differently in that it triggers global processing, which in turn promotes creative thinking and interferes with analytic thinking. Thinking about sex, however, has the opposite effect: it triggers local processing, which in turn promotes analytic thinking and interferes with creativity.

Birds on The Wires - wonderful idea :-)

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:30:44 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: "Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating."

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

Birds on The Wires

[Video]

Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.

Here I've posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).

Music made with Logic.
Video made with After Effects.

The newspaper story about my work (O Estado de São Paulo): tinyurl.com/l4qdbg

Jarbas Agnelli

Human, All Too Human:

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:02:07 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: one of the best series ever produced on philosophy is available on Google Video. The BBC series Human All Too Human includes three fantastic programmes on Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger

Clip Source: www.mindhacks.com

Human, All Too Human:

I've just discovered that probably one of the best series ever produced on philosophy is available on Google Video. The BBC series Human All Too Human includes three fantastic programmes on Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre and Martin Heidegger - a trio of controversial thinkers who massively influenced 20th century philosophy

It's an interesting choice as all had fascinating and turbulent lives - Nietzsche ending his life in insanity, Heidegger a unrepentant Nazi defended by a Jewish ex-lover, and Sartre who walked the line between free love and womanising.

All had a huge influence on psychology at various stages, and you can clearly see how many struggled with concepts of mind and society.

The programmes tackle both the characters and their theories and are some of the most engaging and gripping programmes I've ever seen on philosophy, an essential subject that usually gets little more than satire or lip service from mainstream media.

What happens when the human body is pushed to the limits of its enduran?

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:48:15 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: Where does the breaking point lie? And what happens when you cross the line

Clip Source: www.mindhacks.com

Ultra marathon for the mind:

An extraordinary 2006 article from The New York Times profiles ultra-endurance cyclist Jure Robič who apparently regularly loses his sanity during his races - literally becoming psychotic as he pushes himself to the limit.

The craziness is methodical, however, and Robic and his crew know its pattern by heart. Around Day 2 of a typical weeklong race, his speech goes staccato. By Day 3, he is belligerent and sometimes paranoid. His short-term memory vanishes, and he weeps uncontrollably. The last days are marked by hallucinations

The question is, How? Does he lose sanity because he pushes himself too far, or does he push himself too far because he loses sanity? Robic is the latest and perhaps most intriguing embodiment of the old questions: What happens when the human body is pushed to the limits of its endurance? Where does the breaking point lie? And what happens when you cross the line

How Long to Form a Habit?

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:19:16 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: Research reveals a curved relationship between practice and automaticity

Clip Source: www.spring.org.uk

How Long to Form a Habit?

Research reveals a curved relationship between practice and automaticity.

Say you want to create a new habit, whether it's taking more exercise, eating more healthily or writing a blog post every day, how often does it need to be performed before it no longer requires Herculean self-control?

Clearly it's going to depend on the type of habit you're trying to form and how single-minded you are in pursuing your goal. But are there any general guidelines for how long it takes before behaviours become automatic?

What this study reveals is that when we want to develop a relatively simple habit like eating a piece of fruit each day or taking a 10 minute walk, it could take us over two months of daily repetitions before the behaviour becomes a habit. And, while this research suggests that skipping single days isn't detrimental in the long-term, it's those early repetitions that give us the greatest boost in automaticity.

Clipmarks | einbar's clips

Satan, the great motivator

Satan, the great motivator

Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

Hypnosis has 'real' brain effect

How to tell if somebody is lying

How to tell if somebody is lying

The Illustrated Man: How LED Tattoos Could Make Your Skin a Screen

The Illustrated Man: How LED Tattoos Could Make Your Skin a Screen

The Whole Brain Catalog

The Whole Brain Catalog (http://wholebraincatalog.org)

Free lecture notes, exams, and videos from MIT. No registration

Unlocking Knowledge, Empowering Minds.

Sub-navigation links

Get Started with OCW

The Philosopher's Stone: The True Story 1 / 5

Brain researchers have found the sources of many of our darkest thoughts, from envy to wrath

I Didn't Sin—It Was My Brain

Rare Clouds and the Physics Behind Them

Weird, Rare Clouds and the Physics Behind Them

William Gurstelle: Take Smart Risks

William Gurstelle: Take Smart Risks

Does Falling in Love Make Us More Creative?

Does Falling in Love Make Us More Creative?

A new study demonstrates that thinking about love--but not about sex--causes us to think more "globally," making it easier to come up with new ideas

Birds on The Wires - wonderful idea :-)

Birds on The Wires

Human, All Too Human:

Human, All Too Human:

What happens when the human body is pushed to the limits of its enduran?

Ultra marathon for the mind:

How Long to Form a Habit?

How Long to Form a Habit?

Unlocking Knowledge,
Empowering Minds.