Category: Science


  • Introvert Myths

    This Huffington Post piece, 6 Things You Thought Wrong About Introverts is not terrible. It covers these myths about introverts. All introverts are shy — and all shy people are introverts. Introverts don’t like to be around people. (Anti-social) Introverts don’t make good leaders or public speakers. Introverts have more negative personalities. (Depression) Introverts are more…

  • If you are out on the Internet or around academics long enough, then you will run across the rant about random designed by humans not being really random. It might be the iTunes shuffle. It might be random sampling of an experiment. It might be a complaint of you using the word for how you…

  • Weird day yesterday. The security guard at work decided I have a girlfriend because I rushed to my car instead of hanging around to chat. Of course, he says not to have children because they ruin everything. Next, a woman I only really know from conversations on Tumblr suggested a couple Helen Fisher books. I…

  • While watching the NFL draft the other day, a woman at the bar lamented about how highlights for players from all over the SEC displayed their prowess against the local university. I explained Red Dress Effect to her and the bartender. Obviously these football players were not women in red dresses. Red can draw attention.…

  • Deep Blue versus Kasparov was an pivotal moment for me. At the time I was playing lots of chess on the computer. (And usually losing.) So the prospect the best player in the world cannot beat a computer was a depressing prospect.  Maybe it is a sign of how much I had matured (or immatured)…

  • Don’t be afraid of sharks or tigers. Well, you should fear the tiger mosquito. I love living this far north where one does not have to plan life around not getting bitten. What I hate about spraying to kill them because the insecticides kill off other good insects. When I was young, I could catch…

  • Haidt writes and talks about Moral Psychology. This is third of his TED Talks I will post here. I liked this one because I agree we are capable of working together even when we have differences. Getting past those differences? There is the accomplishment. If the video below does not load, then try Jonathan Haidt:…

  • Another Tuesday, another Jonathon Haidt video. Locked cooperation can lead to success over free-riders. I am curious what is the next big thing where cooperation will overcome something deemed insurmountable. If the video below does not load, then try Jonathan Haidt: Religion, evolution, and the ecstasy of self-transcendence.

  • I am surprised I cannot find anything by Haidt on this blog. Back when I first heard this I looked further and found his web site yourmorals.org. I took some of the tests. I scored high on the two left moral foundations, high one right, and low on the two other right. Care to guess…