The 'We're Smart, You're Dumb' Principle

Professors see the world in terms of experts and students: “We are smart; you are dumb.” That’s the Infantile American Principle in a nutshell. Now go play with your toys and don’t bother me. —David Gelernter —The ‘We’re Smart, You’re Dumb’ Principle (LA Times (will expire)) The article is really a critique of Democratic philosophy, but…

Distracting visuals clutter TV screen; viewers less likely to retain content

Robert Pittman, who created MTV, attributed the station’s success to the ability of viewers in their late teens and early 20s to process multiple facets of information simultaneously. In television, success brings imitation…. “When Mary Lynn Ryan, who was CNN’s producer at the time, did this the news ratings skyrocketed,” Grimes said. “So it appeared…