Simon's stream

How to raise your IQ

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:10:49 -0700

Interesting article on the correlation between I.Q. and education by Nicholas D. KRISTOF in the NY Times.

If intelligence were deeply encoded in our genes, that would lead to the depressing conclusion that neither schooling nor antipoverty programs can accomplish much. Yet while this view of I.Q. as overwhelmingly inherited has been widely held, the evidence is growing that it is, at a practical level, profoundly wrong.

Chris Abani is a very impressive guy. His 17 minute talk is...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:49:08 -0700

Chris Abani is a very impressive guy. His 17 minute talk is funny, insightful and hard to listen to.

What makes us cheat? Interesting experiments on what influences...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:49:06 -0700

What makes us cheat?
Interesting experiments on what influences people’s tendency to cheat.

How to Raise Our I.Q. Interesting article on the correlation...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:42:11 -0700

How to Raise Our I.Q.
Interesting article on the correlation between I.Q. and education by Nicholas D. KRISTOF in the NY Times. If intelligence were deeply encoded in our genes, that would lead to the depressing conclusion that neither schooling nor antipoverty programs can accomplish much. Yet while this view of I.Q. as overwhelmingly inherited has been widely held, the evidence is growing that it is, at a practical level, profoundly wrong.

"The Guest House This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a..."

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:19:57 -0700

“

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

”

- Jelaluddin Rumi (found on www.gratefulness.org )

Never try to be better than someone else! Words of wisdom from...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:19:00 -0700

Never try to be better than someone else! Words of wisdom from an old man who seems to have lived a righteous life with good values; very inspiring … I tracked down the poem he recites: The ROAD AHEAD or the ROAD BEHIND.

"IF If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; ..."

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:52:50 -0700

“

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!

”

- Rudyard Kipling.

How to be an artist

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:52:48 -0700

Poem by Joseph Beuys.

English version (freely translated by myself):

Let yourself fall.
Learn to observe snakes.
Plant impossible gardens
Let someone dangerous in for tea.
Make small Signs that say “yes”
and spread them all over your house.
Become a friend of freedom and uncertainty.
Look forward to dreaming. Cry at the movies.
Swing as high as you can on a swing at moonlight.
Maintain different moods.
Refuse to be “responsible”. DO IT OUT OF LOVE.
Take a lot of naps.
Pass on money. Do it now.
The money will follow.
Laugh a lot. Bathe in the moonlight.
Dream wild, imaginative dreams.
Draw on the walls. Read every day.
Imagine you are enchanted.
Giggle with children. Listen to old people.
Open yourself. Dive in. Be free.
Praise Yourself. Let go of fear.
Play with everything. Preserve the child in you.
You are innocent.
Build a castle of covers
Get wet. Hug trees.
Write loveletters.

Original version:

Lass Dich fallen.
Lerne Schlangen zu beobachten.
Pflanze unmögliche Gärten.
Lade jemand Gefährliches zum Tee ein.
Mache kleine Zeichen die “ja” sagen
und verteile sie überall in Deinem Haus.
Werde ein Freund von Frieheit und Unsicherheiten.
Freue Dich auf Träume. Weine bei Kinofilmen.
Schaukel so hoch Du kannst mit einer Schaukel bei Mondlicht.
Pflege verschiedene Stimmungen.
Verweiger Dich “verantwortlich” zu sein. TU ES AUS LIEBE.
Mach eine Menge Nickerchen.
Gib Geld weiter. Mach es jetzt.
Das Geld wird folgen.
Lache eine Menge. Bade im Mondlicht.
Träume wilde, phantasievolle Träume.
Zeichne auf die Wände. Lies jeden Tag.
Stell Dir vor, Du wärst verzaubert.
Kicher mit Kindern. Höre alten Leuten zu.
Öffne Dich. Tauche ein. Sei frei.
Preise Dich selbst. Lass die Angst fallen.
Spiele mit allem. Unterhalte das Kind in Dir.
Du bist unschuldig.
Baue eine Burg aus Decken.
Werde nass. Umarme Bäume.
Schreibe Liebesbriefe.

What it is

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:52:46 -0700

Poem by Erick Fried.

English version:

It is madness
says reason
It is what it is
says love

It is unhappiness
says caution
It is nothing but pain
says fear
It has no future
says insight
It is what it is
says love

It is ridiculous
says pride
It is foolish
says caution
It is impossible
says experience
It is what it is
says love.

Original version:

Es ist Unsinn
sagt die Vernunft
Es ist was es ist
sagt die Liebe

Es is Unglück
sagt die Berechnung
Es ist nichts als Schmerz
sagt die Angst
Es ist aussichtslos
sagt die Einsicht
Es ist was es ist
sagt die Liebe

Es ist lächerlich
sagt der Stolz
Es ist leichtsinnig
sagt die Vorsicht
Es ist unmöglich
sagt die Erfahrung
Es ist was es ist
sagt die Liebe

"The ROAD AHEAD or the ROAD BEHIND I think the fates must grin as we denounce them and insist, The..."

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:34:00 -0700

“

The ROAD AHEAD or the ROAD BEHIND

I think the fates must grin as we denounce them and insist,
The only reason we can’t win is the fates themselves have missed.
Yet, there lives on the ancient claim-We win or lose within ourselves,
The shining trophies on our shelves can Never win tomorrow’s game.
So you and I know deeper down
There is a chance to win the crown,
But when we fail to give our best,
We simply haven’t met the test
Of giving all and saving none
Until the game is really won.
Of showing what is meant by grit,
Of playing through not letting up,
It’s bearing down that wins the cup.
Of taking it and taking more
Until we gain the winning score
Of dreaming there’s a goal ahead,
Of hoping when our dreams are dead,
Of praying when our hopes have fled.Yet, losing, not afraid to fall,
If bravely we have given all,
For who can ask more of a man
Than giving all within his span.
That giving all, it seems to me,
Is not so far from VICTORY.
And so the fates are seldom wrong,
No matter how they twist and wind;
It’s you and I who make our fates,
We open up or close the gates
On the ROAD AHEAD or the ROAD BEHIND

”

- George Joseph Moriarty

"Meditation: the gentle determination to dwell in that uncomfortable place that is the present moment..."

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:21:00 -0700

“Meditation: the gentle determination to dwell in that uncomfortable place that is the present moment …”

Freedom of choice = Happiness ?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:11:22 -0700

I grew up thinking freedom of choice is an unequivocally good thing, that happiness is correlated with the amount of choice we have: the more freedom, the happier, right?

But what if that was not true?

Research into the correlation between freedom of choice and happiness yields surprising results as shown in these two videos.

Philip Zimbardo was the leader of the notorious 1971 Stanford...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:56:11 -0700

Philip Zimbardo was the leader of the notorious 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment — and an expert witness at Abu Ghraib

Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad. In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials. Then he talks about the flip side: how easy it is to be a hero, and how we can rise to the challenge.

Notes

For those of you who are interested there’s a very good German movie inspired by the experiment called Das Experiment.

Shaking hands with the devil: Very inspiring talk about making...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:56:10 -0700

Shaking hands with the devil: Very inspiring talk about making tough moral decisions and compromises.

Rules and Incentives are killing our moral will and...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:56:09 -0700

Rules and Incentives are killing our moral will and skill.
Another great talk by Barry Schwartz; builds up slowly … ends with a standing ovation.

Moral humility In this fascinating 20min video, psychologist...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:33:10 -0700

Moral humility
In this fascinating 20min video, psychologist Jonathan Haidt, starts by explaining the origins of moral, then the link with political views to conclude with an inspiring bit on moral humility.

A very interesting 20 minute video about quality and speed of...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:25:49 -0700

A very interesting 20 minute video about quality and speed of life.

Good and Bad Procrastination

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:13:00 -0700

Good and Bad Procrastination:

Paul Graham’s presents a refreshing view on procrastination. In his insightful and pragmatic writing style he delves into the issue of what is truly important and how we avoid doing it.

To Be or Not to Be: A Gestalt approach to Coaching

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:09:30 -0700

To Be or Not to Be: A Gestalt approach to Coaching:

For those of you who are curious about Coaching or Gestalt, I am posting a very good article by John Leary-Joyce.
John L-J is an experienced Gestalt therapist and coach, he is the founder of the Academy of Executive Coaching located in London.

Excerpts:

If we threw a party and invited all the key influences on Gestalt we’d have interesting mixture of guests Freudian Analysis’s, Zen Buddhists, Gestalt Psychologists, Existential Philosophers, Psychiatrists, Anarchists & Social Constructivists. Drawn from a period of ego centric, individualistic US in the 50’s & 60’s, that was anti-establishment, discovering sexual liberalism and spiritual awakening aided by mind altering substances. You have the context for an unusual party, where it would be hard to imagine guests agreeing with each other and hosted by a radical couple called Fritz & Laura Perls.

Gestalt Principle 3 - Paradox of Change
Change happens when you become more of who you are
Rather than when you try to be what you are not.

The Road Less Travelled: Giving up

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:09:29 -0700

Somewhere in the sixties, Dr.Scott Peck, a US psychiatrist, wrote a self-help book that became wildly popular and is still read at this day. He called it The Road Less Traveled, after the last lines of a Robert Frost poem. I was very impressed by the great sensitivity and common sense of Dr.Peck’s writing. It’s hard to believe that his own life turned out so poorly. I guess some people can see the truth with great clarity but that does not mean they can live it. Here is an excerpt about giving up:

Things all humans have to give up at some point to live a successful happy life:

The state of infancy, in which no external demands need be responded to

The fantasy of omnipotence

The desire for total (including sexual) possession of one’s parents

The dependency of Childhood

Distorted images of one’s parents

The omnipotentiality of adolescence

The agility of youth

The sexual attractiveness and potency of youth

The fantasy of immortality

Authority over one’s children

Various forms of temporal power

The independence of physical health

And, ultimately, the self and life itself

Impressive photo manipulations by Swedish artist Erik Johansson.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:22:59 -0800

Impressive photo manipulations by Swedish artist Erik Johansson.

Elephants never forget

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:53:51 -0800

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant’s foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son.

As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn’t help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe’ s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly .

Probably wasn’t the same elephant.

Strange optical illusion (animated gif)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:04:04 -0700

Strange optical illusion (animated gif)

"C’est insulter les autres que de paraître dédaigner leurs joies."

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:21:08 -0700

“C’est insulter les autres que de paraître dédaigner leurs joies.”

- Extrait des Mémoires d’Hadrien de Marguerite Yourcenar

Coolest Gadgets Ever!

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:12:25 -0700

Coolest Gadgets Ever!

Seriously cool dancing in this Heineken ad

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:45:46 -0700

Seriously cool dancing in this Heineken ad

Terrifying creatures from the ocean depths …

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:39:00 -0700

Terrifying creatures from the ocean depths …

Creepy art with dead flies.

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:26:00 -0700

Creepy art with dead flies.

Impossible back-flip!

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:26:00 -0700

Impossible back-flip!

Logos that make you look twice …

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:26:00 -0700

Logos that make you look twice …

Wee !!! Faster!

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:58:56 -0700

Wee !!! Faster!

Bear kung-fu …

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:51:24 -0700

Bear kung-fu …

Homeless guy with a sense of humor

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:12:36 -0700

Homeless guy with a sense of humor

I’m impressed …

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:47:43 -0700

I’m impressed …

Heaven and hell ...

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:54:48 -0700

Heaven:

The police are British
The cooks are French
The engineers are German
The administrators are Swiss
The lovers are Italian

Hell:

The police are German
The cooks are British
The engineers are Italian
The administrators are French
The lovers are Swiss

Ni vu, ni connu …

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:52:23 -0700

Ni vu, ni connu …

Never take your husband shopping with you!

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:44:00 -0700

Never take your husband shopping with you!

Hadouken! (click on photo to see it move)

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:11:08 -0700

Hadouken! (click on photo to see it move)

You’ve chosen the perfect scenery, you’ve set up the...

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:10:31 -0700

You’ve chosen the perfect scenery, you’ve set up the camera perfect for a self-portrait and a split second before you take the picture two morons walk into the shot … gosh that is annoying :-)

Impressive balad on the “Camino del Rey” (Spain)

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:10:00 -0700

Impressive balad on the “Camino del Rey” (Spain)

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than your thoughts."

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:05:47 -0700

“Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than your thoughts.”

- Benjamin Disraeli

"Si vous voulez construire un bateau, ne vous contentez pas de réunir des hommes, du bois et du fer,..."

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:32:04 -0700

“Si vous voulez construire un bateau, ne vous contentez pas de réunir des hommes, du bois et du fer, mais parlez-leur des mers que le navire sillonnera jusqu’à les en faire rêver …”

- Antoine de St-Exupéry

"Si tu veux réaliser quelque-chose, fais en sorte que tes ennemis le fassent pour toi."

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:55:44 -0700

“Si tu veux réaliser quelque-chose, fais en sorte que tes ennemis le fassent pour toi.”

- Proverbe chinois

"You, you, and you … Panic. The rest of you, come with me."

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:57:34 -0700

“You, you, and you … Panic.
The rest of you, come with me.”

- U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt.

"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed."

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:42:26 -0700

“It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.”

- U.S. Air Force Manual

"If the enemy is in range, so are you."

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:26:30 -0700

“If the enemy is in range, so are you.”

- Infantry Journal

"A word to the wise ain’t necessary - it’s the stupid ones that need the advice."

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:43:37 -0700

“A word to the wise ain’t necessary - it’s the stupid ones that need the advice.”

- Bill Cosby

"If you believe everything you read, better not read."

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:02:23 -0700

“If you believe everything you read, better not read.”

- Japanese proverb

"Nul vent n’est bon pour le bateau qui quitte le port sans direction."

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:11:16 -0700

“Nul vent n’est bon pour le bateau qui quitte le port sans direction.”

- Sénèque

"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:57:16 -0700

“If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.”

- African Proverb

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do!"

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:41:51 -0700

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do!”

- John Wooden

"Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want."

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:07:22 -0700

“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”

"Ce n’est pas parce qu’ils sont nombreux à avoir tort qu’ils ont raison."

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:46:07 -0700

“Ce n’est pas parce qu’ils sont nombreux à avoir tort qu’ils ont raison.”

- Coluche

"Man who opens car door for girlfriend reveal one thing … Either car is new or girlfriend is new."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:43:37 -0700

“Man who opens car door for girlfriend reveal one thing … Either car is new or girlfriend is new.”

- Confucius

"A reasonable man adapts himself to his environment. An unreasonable man persists in attempting to..."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:01:38 -0700

“A reasonable man adapts himself to his environment.
An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

"There are three ways to get something done: (1) Do it yourself. (2) Hire someone to do it for..."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:01:34 -0700

“There are three ways to get something done:
(1) Do it yourself.
(2) Hire someone to do it for you.
(3) Forbid your kids to do it.”

"Never complain and never explain."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:01:24 -0700

“Never complain and never explain.”

- Benjamin Disraeli

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:01:22 -0700

“Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is liking what you get.”

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an..."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:01:18 -0700

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.
Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute.
That’s relativity.”

- ALBERT EINSTEIN

"Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are master of your fate and captain of your soul."

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:01:12 -0700

“Due to circumstances beyond your control,
you are master of your fate and captain of your soul.”

Amazing wave pictures

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:48:01 -0800

Amazing wave pictures

Photo

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:25:42 -0800

Misty morning over a lake

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:17:16 -0700

Misty morning over a lake

Tokyo tourist: photography by Rob Sheridan

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:41:39 -0700

Tokyo tourist: photography by Rob Sheridan

Lavender Field, Provence, France

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:52:28 -0700

Lavender Field, Provence, France

Beautiful clouds over New York

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:36:34 -0700

Beautiful clouds over New York

The Horsehead Nebula in Orion

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:19:12 -0700

The Horsehead Nebula in Orion

Volcano as seen by NASA

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:03:16 -0700

Volcano as seen by NASA

Frozen vegetation

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:25:20 -0700

Frozen vegetation

Cat plant

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:23:00 -0700

Cat plant

Invisible car

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:19:00 -0700

Invisible car

Tornado

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:16:00 -0700

Tornado

Drive your car with an iPhone

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:51:27 -0700

Drive your car with an iPhone

Appropriate and Intermediate technology

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:26:59 -0700

Appropriate and Intermediate technology:

These concepts, more than 3 decades old, give us very good guidlines about what is needed to create sustainable development.

Mechanic Composter

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:00:37 -0700

Mechanic Composter

For those of you who are interested in the theory of memes that...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:34:46 -0700

For those of you who are interested in the theory of memes that followed Richard Dawkins book “The Selfish Gene”, this is a must-see.

In the footsteps of Icarus … … without the wax.Yves...

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:21:55 -0700

In the footsteps of Icarus …
… without the wax.
Yves Rossy is a Swiss pilot, inventor and aviation enthusiast. He is nicknamed Jet Man and Fusion Man for being the first person to achieve sustained human flight using a jet-powered fixed wing strapped to his back.

Seriously sci-fi if you ask me … I’m waiting for the first commercialisation of the product :-)

WIRED: Huge Solar Plants Bloom in Desert

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:21:30 -0700

WIRED: Huge Solar Plants Bloom in Desert

Anti Smog Architecture: A Catalyst for Cleaner Air in Paris

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:54:02 -0700

Anti Smog Architecture: A Catalyst for Cleaner Air in Paris

In this 20min talk at TED, Shai Agassi explains his bold plan...

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:58 -0700

In this 20min talk at TED, Shai Agassi explains his bold plan for a future without fossil-fuel driven cars. His company, Better Place, has a partnership with Renault-Nissan and plans to roll out this new car and infrastructure country by country, starting with Israel and Denmark.

More info on wikipedia.

Living Lamp Provides Green Indoor Gardening Space

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:54 -0700

Living Lamp Provides Green Indoor Gardening Space

Tonic Immobility. Scary or endearing? As described in Wikipedia:...

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:48 -0700

Tonic Immobility. Scary or endearing?

As described in Wikipedia: “Some sharks can be placed in a tonic immobility state by turning them upside down. The shark remains in this state of paralysis for an average of fifteen minutes before it recovers.”

Virtually Waterless Washing Machine Cuts Water Use by 90%

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:45 -0700

Virtually Waterless Washing Machine Cuts Water Use by 90%

Fascinating talk on the behaviour of bacteria and the next...

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:39 -0700

Fascinating talk on the behaviour of bacteria and the next generation of anti-biotics.

How social media are changing the world.

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:37 -0700

How social media are changing the world.

Fascinating talk on geopolitics, looking at root causes for...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:06:04 -0800

Fascinating talk on geopolitics, looking at root causes for border conflicts and ways to solve them.

Interesting studies on the way people are using new technologies...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:58:50 -0800

Interesting studies on the way people are using new technologies to communicate and create intimacy. Raises question about the modern workplace.

Germany is leading the way

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:27:00 -0700

Germany is leading the way:

When it comes to renewables, Germany means business. The German cabinet approved massive expansion of offshore windfarms. A new plan involves 2500 turbines, they would produce 12GW which is the equivalent of 12 medium-sized power plants.

To my knowledge this is the most ambitious wind energy plan in the world.

Since Germany is also leading the most ambitious solar energy project in the world it is fair to say it has the lead in renewable energy in Europe.

A presentation on the very progressive work culture at...

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:18:51 -0700

A presentation on the very progressive work culture at Netflix.

Definitely the way to go if you ask me; it is time we stop applying work cultures of the industrial age to modern white collar jobs.

"The climate crisis is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest..."

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:07:32 -0700

“The climate crisis is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.
It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level.”

- Al Gore

Dan Pink talks about the science of motivation. Basically he...

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:57:00 -0700

Dan Pink talks about the science of motivation. Basically he argues that instrinsic motivators work much better for non-trivial tasks than extrensic motivators.

Wacky presentational style on the side, I believe he makes an important and completely valid point.

Il est temps de sortir de l’écologie d’Epinal

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:29:02 -0700

Il est temps de sortir de l’écologie d’Epinal:

Un article qui remet la les pendules à l’heure sur la réduction d’émission de C02 par les énergies renouvelables.

Je suis tout à fait pour les énergies renouvelables et la réduction de l’emprunte carbone de notre style de vie mais, comme l’auteur, je pense que le nucléaire et le captage de C02 joueront un rôle important dans le futur immédiat.

Les mécanismes de corruption douce dans les systèmes financiers

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:51:30 -0700

Les mécanismes de corruption douce dans les systèmes financiers:

Eric De Keuleneer donne son avis sur les mécanismes de “corruption douce” dans le monde des finances. Intéressant.

Eric De Keuleneer parle avec grande clarté des vraies causes de...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:34:43 -0700

Eric De Keuleneer parle avec grande clarté des vraies causes de la crise “économique”. Lecture recommandée!

Producing 15% of Europe's energy needs in the Sahara

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:41:38 -0700

Producing 15% of Europe's energy needs in the Sahara:

Skeptics say this is an unrealistic dream.

I say this is exactly the kind of bold visionary projects the world needs right now.

What They Teach you at Harvard Business School

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:13:00 -0700

What They Teach you at Harvard Business School:

This article contains the gist of Delves Broughton’s book. In his book he recounts his experience in the Harvard MBA. It’s cynical but it does point to parts of the US mentality and business vision I don’t subscribe to. First, the sanctification of the pursuit of unlimited personal wealth at any cost to our society. Second —and much harder to tolerate— the phony, hypocritical, self-development and integrity mumbo-jumbo that the latter is coated with.

Séminaires: Philosophie et Management

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:11:57 -0700

Séminaires: Philosophie et Management:

La crise financière a mis ou remis à l’avant-plan des questions fondamentales quant au fonctionnement de notre système économique et quant à la façon de gérer les entreprises. Ces questions ne sont pas seulement d’ordre économique, technique, légal ou politique. Elles sont aussi d’ordre moral, éthique ou philosophique. Face aux défis d’aujourd’hui, le questionnement en profondeur que permet la philosophie est donc bienvenu, voire indispensable. Nous nous attèlerons en particulier cette année à questionner, dans le sillage des réflexions du philosophe Christian Arnsperger, les axiomes qui sous-tendent l’actuel système économique et à réfléchir sur ceux qui pourraient les remplacer.

C’est pour cette raison que les cycles de « Philosophie & Management » porteront désormais le nom de « Question time »: pour signifier notre volonté de stimuler toujours plus la réflexion créatrice que provoque la rencontre entre les philosophes qui se plaisent à « problématiser » et les managers qui se doivent de « solutionner ». Pour nous y aider, nous avons réuni une brochette impressionnante de philosophes, sociologues et/ou économistes belges et français qui viennent ou vont publier prochainement des livres essentiels pour nous aider à penser et transformer notre système économique.

Mergers and Acquisitions in banking are bad for the economy

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:00 -0700

Mergers and Acquisitions in banking are bad for the economy

Too Big to Fail

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:53:00 -0700

Too Big to Fail:

Interesting commentary of Ritholtz (author of the book Bailout Nation) on the “Too Big to Fail” paradigma.

If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.”

-Nixon Treasury Secretary George Shultz about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Al Gore on the climate crisis

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:53:00 -0700

Al Gore on the climate crisis