An experiment in which group members could pay for the privilege of fining free-loaders suggests that the threat of being punished by angry peers helps to check selfish behavior. (Consider this in light of the "Bernie Shifman" article.) —Anger Plays Key Role in Human Cooperationb> (New Scientist) Similar:‘There’s a certain madness to it’ … fans…
“It began as a fireside story spun by a Catholic dad. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings became a great epic that has inspired conversions, steeled young people in virtue, and changed lives — including mine.” John Zmirak —The Lord and the Ring (catholic.net) Similar:Lecturing is So Much Easier than Leading a DiscussionLecturing is So…
“There’s only so much time. And there are so many great books. And every year more books are published, some of which will be great. Reluctantly, the reader begins to acknowledge the appalling necessity of choosing to read certain good things and not other good things.” —Reading Anxiety (Nat’l Post) Similar:Hide and Q (TNG Rewatch,…
Hundreds of websites that used to give their content away for free are now charging for their services. This weblog chronicles the changes. —The End of Free Similar:The First Programmer Was a LadyOver a hundred years before a monstrous …CybercultureLessons from the Covington Catholic FlashpointMy social media network includes people …CultureThat story about the pope…
Yelling out of cars, turning your speakers out the window to blast your music onto the street, setting off M-80 firecrackers, firing automatic weapons into the air—these are all well and good. But none of them create a merry atmosphere of insouciance and bonhomie quite like a revving motorcycle. —Wow, Check out that Motorcycle Revving! (The…
You have not truly lived, until you have seen Star Wars rendered as ASCII animation. The FAQ page includes the answer to “Why (oh, God why)?” Similar:Unification, Part 2 (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 5, Episode 8) Spock Nurtures Romulan P…Rewatching ST:TNG Beyond stating …DramaTricking the eye to see 3D details in geometrically flat surfaces for…
is an open-source encyclopedia. If it doesn’t have an entry for something, you can write it yourself! —Wikipedia Similar:Italian journalist to be beatified for helping Jews escape persecutionJournalist who helped saved Jews from Ho…Current_EventsJudge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksEnjoying more live theater.CultureCommentary: What My Struggling Students Wanted Me…
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… [More or Livingston? Authorship uncertain.] —“A Visit from St. Nicholas” Similar:The Chicago Tribune Has Made the Best Internet Mistake of the DayEvery second is a deadline, every instan…AmusingWhy the British Tell Better Children’s StoriesIf Harry…
Very sad: “Sixteen mothers, all of whom were pregnant on Sept. 11 and lost their husbands in the terrorist attacks, and their babies are photographed with news anchor Diane Sawyer.” —Sept. 11 Widows with NewbornsAP via Yahoo!) Similar:Student Journalists Are Our Future—We Should Start Treating Them Like ItCatherine Palmer was already a seasoned …CultureThese Fake…
Programming bugs have bedeviled many a scientific researcher. Now, some researchers in Japan have programmed a bug. Thanks to a surgically-implanted device, scientists can control the motion of “Robo-roach.” —Weird Science (Guardian) Similar:Apple's iPad turns 5: Has it lived up to Steve Jobs' 2010 keynote?[Jobs] was right to leave out the produc…BusinessThe Lost Art of…
“An experiment to uncover the world’s funniest jokes has found that some computer-generated gags can be more amusing than those thought up by humans.” —What Kind of Murderer has Moral Fibre? (New Scientist) Similar:Police respond to Twitter bot sending death threat to another Twitter botJeffry built himself a harmless little T…CybercultureThe reluctant wisdom of a…
Children born to high-tech nerds appear more likely to show signs of a behavioral disorder similar to autism. Silicon Valley cases are booming. —The Geek Syndrome (Wired) Similar:Why scientists should care about artMy artsy daughter loves stories about sc…Art"I don't view Shakespeare's work as intimidating anymore." — midterm reflection from coll… “It has made me…
“We are confident that you will have many years of trouble-free enjoyment if you carefully read these instructions and follow them.” (Note: Anybody who bothers to read instructions at all is probably already grouchy and impatient.) —IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! Similar:What gives you comfort? I collect lights. Some of these have magnets!!AmusingOmaha schoolgirl dresses as…
“Does Jackson’s effort remain reasonably true to Tolkien’s richly imagined universe? And will filmgoers not inculcated with the lore of Middle Earth enjoy it anyway? The answers, happily, are ‘probably’ and ‘definitely.’” —Ring: One for the BookWired) Similar:The Survivors (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season Three Episode 3) Charming geriatric love and a pacif…Rewatching ST:TNGÂ after a 20-year break….PopCultThe…
Search an index of 6000 frequently-updated weblogs, news summaries, and opinion pages; or, see a list of the top 40 pages cited by the ‘bloggers who create Internet buzz. My new second-favorite website (after google). —DayPop.com Similar:Vintage TV News Coverage of Pac-ManVintage TV news coverage of Pac-Man. …CybercultureMusician uses computer algorithm to compose every melody…
Over a century before Orson Welles’s “War of the Worlds” hoax, the New York Sun‘s moon hoax claimed that an astronomer discovered life on the moon. The website also describes many other hoaxes —Museum of Hoaxes Similar:Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom do the dishes.CultureUrsula K. Le Guin:…
(book review) : “…the activity stilled, the cars, houses and workplaces buried beneath layers of volcanic ash, the artefacts of a single moment preserved. What could we learn…?” —Imagine Silicon Valley Buried Like Pompeii Similar:Letter of Recommendation: Fanny PacksWhat other accessory ensures the safety …CultureNew rules governing drone journalism are on the way — and…
“Much web design has suffered from an over reliance on graphic design principles. Too many graphic designers have tried to force the Web to be what it is not…” —Information Architecture vs. Graphic Design (New Thinking) Similar:'Robot Journalist' Out-Writes Human Sports ReporterSports journalism is full of colorful fi…GamesCovfefe chaos: What Trump’s typos say about his…
“My cookies, cakes, and brownies are always the highlight of our church bake sales, and everyone says so,” said parishioner Connie Barrett, 49, openly committing the sin of pride. —All Seven Deadly Sins Committed at Church Bake SaleSatire from The Onion) Similar:xkcd: Types of Editorsxkcd: Types of Editors.AmusingYork Corpus Christi Play Simulator Screencast (PSim 2.1;…
“From Oklahoma City to New York, we’ve turned violent human loss into epic narratives of suffering and patriotism. Does this help people heal or hurt them?” —Trauma Culture (Salon) Similar:You Are Not a Digital Native: Privacy in the Age of the InternetCory Doctorow tries to wake young people…BusinessNo Money, No Time We tend to assume…