Author: Lloyd Morgan
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Religion and Societal Dysfunction
Dysfunctional societies and those under extreme stress rely on religion as a coping mechanism; it is “a natural invention of human minds in response to a defective habitat”. This is one conclusion from Gregory Paul who has released the findings from his research on the incidence of religious belief and how it affects the overall…
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The Societal Value of Various Jobs
The New Economics Foundation has released a report comparing various jobs in terms of the societal value they destroy or generate (pdf). The report was produced to start “a fundamental rethink of how the value of work is recognised and rewarded”âspecifically by creating a relationship between jobs that create a benefit for society and the…
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Penny/Dollar Auction Psychology (The Workings of Swoopo)
I first heard of the bidding fee scheme/online auction site Swoopo in a Coding Horror post that takes a look at the company’s business plan, calling it “pure, distilled evil”. It’s also a pretty simple (or, as the post said, “brilliantly evil”) plan: It’s almost an exploit of human nature itself. Once you’ve bid on…
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Optimum Starting Prices for Negotiations and Auctions (and Why)
A high initial offer in negotiations is more likely to lead to a high final price, yet in auctions a low start price is more likely to lead to a high final price. These are the findings of a recent study that attempted to find the optimal starting prices for negotiations and auctions. In negotiations…
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Dieter Rams Interview: Design as Art and the Need for Better Products
Sustainable design and the need for more self-explanatory products are two topics discussed in this brief interview with the iconic industrial designer, Dieter Rams. In addition to not being a fan of celebrity designers–or ‘pop’ design–he also has a dislike for design being seen as a form of art: Design has nothing to do with art. Design…
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Statistics on Social Mobility and Belief Systems
Careers in law, medicine and the media are become more exclusive, while citizens from deprived areas continue to be failed by education. New Statesman provides a summary of (some) social mobility issues in the U.K., including these somewhat startling statistics: Privately educated candidates account for 7 per cent of the population, but occupy more than half…
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Writing Tips for Non-Writers
Multiple Hugo Award-winner and Stargate Universe creative consultant John Scalzi offers ten writing tips for non-professional writers: Speak what you write. Punctuate, damn you. With sentences, shorter is better than longer. Learn to friggin’ spell. Don’t use words you don’t really know. Grammar matters, but not as much as anal grammar Nazis think it does. Front-load your point. Try…
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Eliciting Quality Feedback
Feedback is important, there’s no doubt, but obtaining quality feedback that is honest and of use can be difficult. After spending an evening with a person “oblivious to the social dynamics” of a situation, Ben Casnocha provides tips on obtaining honest feedback: For feedback on specifics — such as your participation at a dinner or a…
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Self-Awareness and the Importance of Feedback
It comes as no surprise to hear that we are poor at perceiving how others view us and are poor at recognising the true personality traits of those we observe, but it’s the extent to which this is true and methods we can use to overcome these ‘personality blind spots’ that I find interesting. When…
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Apple’s Strategy of Rejecting ‘Social Media’
Apple’s ‘rejection’ of the practices pundits “always say you should do to succeed in the Internet economy” isn’t unique, but it does make for interesting reading: Apple doesn’t blog; it doesn’t Tweet; it does little on Facebook; it doesn’t engage with its customer base. It doesn’t ask the “community” for feedback or rapidly iterate based…