I always wondered at the popularity of zombies in popular fiction. They have no skill and no intelligence, and they move very slowly, their only truly horrifying trait (other than their dire need of cosmetics) is that they won’t stop so long as they can move even a single digit in your direction. It requires [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Thought and Learning category.
“iPad baby baffled by paper magazine”
I saw something in a science fiction book once (I don’t recall which one, but it might have been David Brin’s Earth, though I can’t locate my copy of it now to verify that). It described a young man’s first encounter with a printed book, after spending all his life with a World Wide Web [...]
“Boffins place living creature under control of brain chip”
Hm… could the world of Darrell Bain’s The Pet Plague be far behind? Or more seriously, the brain enhancements of Peter F. Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn trilogy, or any of a dozen similar science fiction works? Scary stuff, but ooh so exciting, too.
“Autism Traits Prove Valuable for Software Testing”
As mentioned previously here, autistic people tend to interpret things as black and white, all-true or all-false, no shades of gray allowed. That’s almost certainly why many of us are drawn to working with computers, because computers “think” the same way. Nice to see someone recognizing that as a strength and putting it to good [...]
“Porn Then and Now: Welcome to Brain Training”
Some fascinating brain research on how the ready availability of Internet porn has changed things for younger generations — and more importantly, the medical reason why: [...] Your brain didn’t evolve to handle today’s erotica-at-a-click. It doesn’t just see videos; it perceives endless fertilization opportunities, and it will use its dopamine “whip” to make sure [...]
“Creationists are infiltrating US geology circles”
Ridiculous. The belief that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old is about on par with the heliocentric geocentric model of the solar system — the evidence is pretty damning against both. However, as I suggested recently to a voluble evolution denier, they’re welcome to try. The discipline of science is self-correcting, and will [...]
“A Little Deception Helps Push Athletes to the Limit”
Did you ever hear the story about the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile? As I heard it, after he did so, it suddenly seemed that everyone could do it. I’ve also heard that the first man to lift 400 pounds was tricked into it by his trainer, who told him it was only [...]
“Nigerians panic over killer calls”
You know, I can understand this. If you don’t know how technology works, you’re as likely to believe impossible things as possible ones. What I can’t believe is how many people here fall for things just as ludicrous.
“Beautiful Brains”
I don’t know how long this article will stay available, but it’s worth taking the time to glance at, because it explains why teenagers’ minds work the way they do — and why, despite the more-than-occasional stupidity of their actions, the system actually makes them smarter in the end.
“‘Iconatomy’: Celebrities and Reification”
Interesting article, but I especially love the “Mormon porn” at the bottom. (Don’t worry, Ploni, if it’s safe for Mormons, it’s safe for you too.)