September 2008

Interesting: because we take in so much more information than we realize consciously, we make decisions based on feelings, not thoughts. “Traditional models of affect posit that … first we decide what we think, and then we decide how we feel about it. However, the evidence … indicates that the real order of things is…more

A good summary of 10 creativity “paradoxes” from Csikszentmihalyi’s Creativity, which I took notes on earlier.

It’s a trap! Off to the woods! “This is a stunning moment in economic history…today, the more we earn, the more we work, since the opportunity cost of not working is all the greater (and since the higher we go, the more relatively deprived we feel).”

I do a lot of staring into space, so this was good news: “[Scientists have] demonstrated that daydreaming is a fundamental feature of the human mind – so fundamental, in fact, that it’s often referred to as our “default” mode of thought. Many scientists argue that daydreaming is a crucial tool for creativity, a thought…more

“Think of a world where everything is by default on, where the ‘record’ and ‘capture’ button is replaced by ‘pause’. And then re-imagine the Airplane Mode. Intentionally or not, it’s a little switch with a big future.” – Jan Chipchase

Kevin Kelly doesn’t think that technology is duping us because the most technical people embrace it most. But I don’t really agree with his premise – “By this logic we should expect the least technologically cultured people to be the least duped, and to be the most aware of the plainly visible dangers…But, in fact,…more

Long-term X Prizes – pretty huge problems to solve, if you’ve got some free time…everything from a cure for AIDS to flying cars…

Vote for Change – pretty slick voter registration system; created by the Obama campaign but useful for anyone.

Cycling – News – Universal Sports – new site streaming cycling races both live and archived. World Championships on now!

“Justice is what love looks like in public” – Cornel West, via the powerful-looking film Call + Response, about human trafficking.