Category: Uncategorized
-
The Myth of Urban Loneliness
Urban loneliness is the idea that people in densely–populated urban areas are lonelier than people in disperse areas such as the countryside. However, a fascinating article in New York Magazine looks at the ‘science of loneliness’ and suggests that urban loneliness is a myth. I found this comment, on an evolutionary psychology theory of loneliness, intruiging: Cacioppo, co-author…
-
A Modern Depression
An excellent look at what a modern economic depression would look like. We are separated from the 1930s by decades of profound economic, technological, and political change, and a modern landscape of scarcity would reflect that. What, then, would we see instead? And how would we even know a depression had started? It’s not a…
-
How to Take Notes Like an Alpha-Geek
It’s been a year since Tim Ferriss pressed ‘Publish’ on an article that I find myself going back to whenever I feel disorganised and overcome by endless pieces of paper: how to take notes like an alpha-geek. I trust the weakest pen more than the strongest memory, and note taking is—in my experience—one of the…
-
What’s the Difference: Shia vs. Sunni
What’s the difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims? An article reprinted from the mental_floss book, What’s the Difference? Like Christianity, Islam is home to a spectrum of sects espousing different beliefs and practices. And just as Christianity can be divided into two large groups – Catholic and Protestant – from which other subsects have emerged,…
-
Remarketing the Bible
Some modernised versions of the Bible for a contemporary audience: The Jesus Loves Porn Stars Bible, The Manga Bible, The Bible in Cockney, The (Lego) Brick Testament, and the all-star Bible podcast (featuring Forest Whitaker, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Samuel L Jackson, no less). The person behind this remarketing of holy writings is Dag Soederberg, a…
-
Gaza’s Underground Economy
Foreign Policy has a fascinating photo essay on Gaza’s (literal) underground economy. Except for basic humanitarian supplies, Israel has blockaded the flow of goods into Gaza since June 2007, when Hamas, a militant Islamist group committed to Israel’s destruction, ousted its more secular rival, Fatah. The blockade has led to a new economic structure—a literal underground…
-
Passive vs. Active Questions
Simple advice on how to phrase questions when seeking advice: use the active voice and question marks. When seeking information from busy people via email the little things matter. Quick, minor tip: use a question mark if you’re asking a question. Compare the following cases: Case A: Do you have any feedback for me on this…
-
Science and Photography
Seed presents 11 stunning portfolios of science photography. Personal favourites: Colonial Intelligence X-ray Vision Flight Patterns
-
The State of Science
Seed Magazine’s inaugural ‘State of Science’. Features include: Revolutionary Scientific Minds (mentioned previously). The Scientist in 2008. What’s Holding Science Back. Emergent Science Cities: Natal, Brazil; Jena, Germany; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Mianyang, China; Abuja, Nigeria. The Fundamentals: Intellectual Property, Informatics, Public Perception, Publishing, and the following excerpt from Money: Considering that science is fundamental to the world’s…
-
The Correlation Between Poverty and IQ
The Mouse Trap, Sandy Guatam’s excellent blog on cognitive and developmental psychology, discusses the correlation between a low IQ and poverty, and the implications thereof. What are the implications for society of a more mechanistic understanding of the effects of childhood poverty on brain development? To different degrees, and in different ways, we regard children as the responsibility of…