Sinodependency
China may not matter quite as much as you think
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Of Anger
Angry People See Guns
... suggesting that anger may increase your perception that the world is threatening.
Anger may influence your belief about how likely it is that things in the world are threatening. The idea is that if you think the world is more threatening, you might see more threats in your environment than there really are.
And, the study suggests that the effect of anger is mostly on people's snap judgments.
Unfortunately, when you are angry, you often act on the basis of your initial judgments.
I'm thinking about this mid-term congressional election, where more than 50% of people are angry, and the politicians act "angry" at each other, and at the Federal government.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Superstitious Beliefs & Random Num3ers
(1) SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS GETTING MORE COMMON
- Believing in the paranormal is actually more normal than you might think and may be growing more common.
- Contrary to common stereotypes, there is no single profile of a person who accepts the paranormal.
- It might be in our nature to look for patterns and meaning in strange and random events.
Our Relationship With Money
(1) TIME FOR A NEW THEORY OF MONEY
The reason our financial system has routinely gotten into trouble, with periodic waves of depression like the one we’re battling now, may be due to a flawed perception not just of the roles of banking and credit but of the nature of money itself. In our economic adolescence, we have regarded money as a “thing”—something independent of the relationship it facilitates.
Weird News
Vancouver unveils eerie new speed bumps : Speed bumps shaped like kids
In order to get motorists to slow down, the city is using a jarring 3D optical illusion of a child.
Here's an article that appeared in the NY Times:
When That Child in the Street Is an Optical Illusion
(2) Humans Wearing Sensors Will Soon Be The Backbone of a Mobile Internet Infrastructure
Members of the public could form the backbone of powerful new mobile internet networks by carrying wearable sensors..... the sensors could create new ultra high bandwidth mobile internet infrastructures and make mobile phone base stations almost obsolete.
Social benefits are being promoted from the work touting improvements in mobile gaming and remote healthcare, along with new precision monitoring of athletes and real-time tactical training in team sports....
WikiLeaks
How WikiLeaks Makes Confrontation With Iran More Likely
What do you think? Does Wikileaks make confrontation with Iran more or less likely?
Friday, October 29, 2010
Of Arguments
Why We Fight: Men Check out in Stressful Situations, While Women Show Increased Brain Coordination When Looking at Angry Faces
One of the most common complaints women have about their male partners is: "Every time I get upset at him he just shuts down and withdraws. He stops hearing anything I have to say."
The study indicates that stressed men looking at angry faces had diminished activity in the brain regions responsible for understanding others' feelings. In other words, when men experience acute stress, such as an argument, they have less ability to read the other person's facial expression and respond in an empathic way.
The study also demonstrated that women actually have the opposite response: under stress women have an increased ability to interpret another person's experience; in other words, to have empathy and understanding.
So if a man and a woman get into an argument, men tend to withdraw, lose
the ability to feel for the other person.
If two women get into an argument, they move forward into the relationship,
with increased empathy and the desire for social support.
If two men argue, the outlook doesn't look good - until the stress level goes down, they are likely going to have a difficult time resolving things relationally.
About Women - from politics to pop culture
(1) How Social Networking Is Helping Millennial Women Change the World
(5) Women's choices, not abilities, keep them out of math-intensive fields
What do our relationships with pets tell us about ourselves?
The truth about cats and dogs
Cat people really are different from dog people.
Specifically: dog people are more extrovert and agreeable; cat people are more neurotic, but also more open to new experiences.
Local and non-local food
Restaurant customers willing to pay more for local food
Not only are restaurant patrons willing to pay more for meals prepared with produce and meat from local providers, the proportion of customers preferring local meals actually increases when the price increases, according to a team of international researchers.
A recent study of how customers perceive and value local food shows that restaurant patrons prefer meals made with local ingredients when they are priced slightly higher than meals made with non-local ingredients.
Customer preference for premium-priced local food has its limits.
Would you pay more for a restaurant meal prepared with local ingredients? And if so, how much more?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Procrastination
The game theorist and strategist Thomas C. Schelling suggested procrastination is not a personal weakness. It's more a function of the selves within ourselves who are actually at war with one another.
The smarter you are, the more likely you'll be to put things off. For smart folks, procrastination may be the norm. "It could very well be the most basic human impulse," says psychologist George Ainslie, the inventor of "hyperbolic discounting," the human tendency to plan practically anything as long as it's sometime well in the future and not now.
The smarter you are, the more likely you'll be to put things off. For smart folks, procrastination may be the norm. "It could very well be the most basic human impulse," says psychologist George Ainslie, the inventor of "hyperbolic discounting," the human tendency to plan practically anything as long as it's sometime well in the future and not now.
Hyperbolic discounting
The standard experiment : to compare short-term preferences with long-term preferences. For instance:
"Would you prefer $1 today or $3 tomorrow?" or
"Would you prefer $1 in one year or $3 in one year and one day?"
... when offered the choice between $50 now and $100 a year from now, many people will choose the immediate $50. However, given the choice between $50 in five years or $100 in six years almost everyone will choose $100 in six years, even though that is the same choice seen at five years' greater distance.
The Greeks called it akrasia--"Doing something against one's better judgment." The condition is of great interest and puzzlement to motivators because of its irrationality. Surely we should all be getting positive things done in a steady, rational manner.
Socrates asks precisely how this is possible - if one judges action A to be the best course of action, why would one do anything other than A?
Socrates attests that akrasia is an illogical moral concept, claiming “No one goes willingly toward the bad”
Aristotle on the other hand took a more empirical approach to the question.
Read more .... Akrasia
What do you think of procrastination?
Elevator psychology experiment
The Asch Experiment
Some of us conform easily, others find it necessary to question every existing convention.
How would you react in the same situation?
Have you tried any experiment in an elevator?
For example: Dropping a book (or any other thing, say money) in the elevator to see who helps you pick it up with one person in elevator as opposed to with 4,5, 6 or more people in the elevator.
if riding alone in an elevator, where are you most likely to stand?
(1) against the back wall close to the center,
(2) facing the front, up against the door,
(3) to the left front, or
(4) to the right front.
Do you stand still and stare at the ceiling, the floor or the button panel as if you’ve never seen it before?
Elevators are relatively recent inventions, but the social challenges they pose are nothing new. Close proximity to other people in restricted spaces is not new, it has occurred many many times in the history of mankind, in our evolutionary history.
How about when joining other riders?
Do you stop talking as soon as the doors close?
Why don't people stand away from an opening door, thus allowing people inside the elevator to exit first?
Some of us conform easily, others find it necessary to question every existing convention.
How would you react in the same situation?
Have you tried any experiment in an elevator?
For example: Dropping a book (or any other thing, say money) in the elevator to see who helps you pick it up with one person in elevator as opposed to with 4,5, 6 or more people in the elevator.
if riding alone in an elevator, where are you most likely to stand?
(1) against the back wall close to the center,
(2) facing the front, up against the door,
(3) to the left front, or
(4) to the right front.
Do you stand still and stare at the ceiling, the floor or the button panel as if you’ve never seen it before?
Elevators are relatively recent inventions, but the social challenges they pose are nothing new. Close proximity to other people in restricted spaces is not new, it has occurred many many times in the history of mankind, in our evolutionary history.
How about when joining other riders?
Do you stop talking as soon as the doors close?
Why don't people stand away from an opening door, thus allowing people inside the elevator to exit first?
What's Your Reaction?
In these challenging economic times, it's good to know you can get some financial protection for unexpected illness and injury to your pets ... but not if you are a LGBT worker !!!
LGBT* workers are still prohibited from purchasing policies for their partners or spouses by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — a federal law which denies federal benefits to legally married same sex couples.
LGBT* : lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Source:
Poll question : American-made products
Would you pay more for products if you knew they were made in America?
In times of economic hardship and recession, there are always calls from pundits to buy American-made products as much as possible.
I would like to know what would happen if Americans did try to buy only American-made products.
Would tech consumers suffer? What about cars?
According to the following article :
'Made in America' Means Something Again
Detroit's Big Three automakers are on the right track and looking strong in the eyes of U.S. consumers.
I've been looking on the web that advertizes American-made products, and I found this website:
Useful Links: Light Bulbs Actually Spur Bright Ideas, Study Reve...
Useful Links: Light Bulbs Actually Spur Bright Ideas, Study Reve...: "How does insight happen?http://www.livescience.com/culture/light-bulbs-insights-100504.html Seeing light bulbs might foster bright ideas, s..."
Light Bulbs Actually Spur Bright Ideas, Study Reveals
How does insight happen?
Seeing light bulbs might foster bright ideas, scientists now find.
Our environment can influence our creativity.
It's a function of exposure to the symbol of insight, the light bulb.
I wonder about what other symbols could influence creativity.
Psychologists call this "priming effect"
The article says that when shown artifacts from the business world, such as briefcases, people play economic games more competitively.
Priming (psychology)
Perhaps you would like to conduct an experiment to compare bulbs - either a bare, unshaded incandescent 25-watt light bulb or an overhead fluorescent light turned on in the room.
And find out for yourself to see if light bulbs could actually promote insights.
You could try it at home, in the workplace or in schools.
"What-the-..." News
(1) Creepy things people keep
Hip bones, wallets made of human skin & moremacabre items that people find or keep around.
A look at the macabre objects that some people just can’t seem to throw away.
Some people, either by accident or design, find themselves in possession of much more macabre objects than plastic Halloween decorations.
“There’s very little in the world that is black and white ... One person’s fear is another person’s joy; one person’s nightmare is another person’s reality.”
“People are really drawn to things that straddle the line between living and dead”
“If you have a melancholy shade to your personality, you find comfort in things other people find sad”
It has been the observation of one dealer, that females seem to be drawn to this sort collection disproportionately more than males.
Some objects never leave us. They still have things left to say.
(2) Charlie Chaplin time traveller spotted in old film?
Charlie Chaplin Cell Phone Clip Puzzles Irish Filmmaker
Cell Phones require cell towers to work ... there has to be a more practical explanation.
This may be the answer...
1924 : Siemens patent for a compact, pocket sized carbon microphone/amplifier device suitable for pocket instruments.
However, the person seems to be Talking, not just LISTENING and is clearly engaged in a 'conversation'.
When he/she turns toward the camera, we don't see any large box hanging where the necktie would be (see the ad in the url above). The device was 'worn' outside and had and earphone cord
Occam's razor argument:
A woman covering her ear from loud street noise, or perhaps protecting a sensitive ear from an ear ache or the wind; perhaps holding a bandage on? The evidence of her actually talking is highly debatable - she could be chewing something!?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Have you spotted a subtle size change in your favorite grocery product?
It's one of the most common complaints we hear : products on the grocery shelf are getting smaller, but the prices stay the same.
You may have noticed gradual reductions by grams, milliliters or volume on everyday products from cereal to ice cream, and even toilet paper. It can be tough to spot decreases -- often the packaging doesn't change other than the fine print.
Inevitably, production costs rise due to inflation, and that increase gets passed on to shoppers. However, consumers are notoriously price conscious, and manufacturers have learned it causes less of a stir to reduce the volume of product rather than raising prices.
It's an old marketing tactic.
Here's another report:
Incredible Shrinking Package: Consumers Paying More for Less
See What Manufacturers Are Doing to Shrink Your Cereal, Juice and Even Toilet Paper
Bacon : in 12-ounce portions instead of 16 ounces.
Toilet paper : a four roll pack has 42 square feet less of paper.
Cereal makers are putting less cereal in boxes.
Another trick to look out for is false bottoms:
Peanut butter jars: the bottom of the jar has been rounded to hide it's holding less.
Frito-Lay has cut the number of chips : 10 ounces instead of the 12-ounce bags.
The carton of Tropicana orange juice is lighter : 54 ounces of liquid instead of 64 ounces.
If you think food is the only thing leaving you short-changed at the store, think again!
Dawn Liquid Soap : 10-ounce containers instead of 11.
Dial Soap has shaved its bar from 4.5 ounces to 4.
Manufacturers know that a price increase in this economy is the kiss of death, they'd rather kind of play a shell game with consumers, a little bit of trickery and, hopefully, the consumer won't notice that the product is, in fact, shrinking.
And, according to a Harvard study, most consumers would rather get less than pay more.
Have noticed this trend in many products?
Update!
----------
The ABCNews article ends with: There is a bright spot. Those incredible shrinking product may end up shrinking our waist lines.
But, according to a new study: Consumers tend to overeat large sizes of food labeled as small and feel that they have not eaten too much—even if they're aware of the actual portion size and nutrition content, says a University of Michigan researcher.
Guiltless gluttony: Mislabeled food items often lead to overeating
Why Do We Spread Ideas On Social Networks?
Seth's Blog : I spread your idea because ...
Ideas spread when people choose to spread them. Here are some reasons why:
I spread your idea because it makes me feel generous.
...because I feel smart alerting others to what I discovered.
...because I care about the outcome and want you (the creator of the idea) to succeed.
...because I have no choice. Every time I use your product, I spread the idea (Hotmail, iPad, a tattoo).
...because there's a financial benefit directly to me (Amazon affiliates, mlm).
...because it's funny and laughing alone is no fun.
...because I'm lonely and sharing an idea solves that problem, at least for a while.
...because I'm angry and I want to enlist others in my outrage (or in shutting you down).
...because both my friend and I will benefit if I share the idea (Groupon).
...because you asked me to, and it's hard to say no to you.
...because I can use the idea to introduce people to one another, and making a match is both fun in the short run and community-building.
...because your service works better if all my friends use it (email, Facebook).
...because if everyone knew this idea, I'd be happier.
...because your idea says something that I have trouble saying directly (AA, a blog post, a book).
...because I care about someone and this idea will make them happier or healthier.
...because it's fun to make another teen snicker about prurient stuff we're not supposed to see.
...because the tribe needs to know about this if we're going to avoid an external threat.
...because the tribe needs to know about this if we're going to maintain internal order.
...because it's my job.
I spread your idea because I'm in awe of your art and the only way I can repay you is to share that art with others.
...because I feel smart alerting others to what I discovered.
...because I care about the outcome and want you (the creator of the idea) to succeed.
...because I have no choice. Every time I use your product, I spread the idea (Hotmail, iPad, a tattoo).
...because there's a financial benefit directly to me (Amazon affiliates, mlm).
...because it's funny and laughing alone is no fun.
...because I'm lonely and sharing an idea solves that problem, at least for a while.
...because I'm angry and I want to enlist others in my outrage (or in shutting you down).
...because both my friend and I will benefit if I share the idea (Groupon).
...because you asked me to, and it's hard to say no to you.
...because I can use the idea to introduce people to one another, and making a match is both fun in the short run and community-building.
...because your service works better if all my friends use it (email, Facebook).
...because if everyone knew this idea, I'd be happier.
...because your idea says something that I have trouble saying directly (AA, a blog post, a book).
...because I care about someone and this idea will make them happier or healthier.
...because it's fun to make another teen snicker about prurient stuff we're not supposed to see.
...because the tribe needs to know about this if we're going to avoid an external threat.
...because the tribe needs to know about this if we're going to maintain internal order.
...because it's my job.
I spread your idea because I'm in awe of your art and the only way I can repay you is to share that art with others.
What can evolutionary graph theory teach us about the spread of ideas on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter?
The general idea:
Erez Lieberman, whose evolutionary graph theory is encouraging people to think about social networks in a different way: as an evolving population.
Evolutionary graph theorists have already begun to make progress. "One of the interesting things we've found about social networks is that the presence of network structure can give rise to pro-social behaviors" said Lieberman.
"This is an idea now called 'network reciprocity'. There's an inverse relationship between the number of connections you have in the network and the extent to which you'll 'stick your neck out' for them: the ties that bind are tighter if there are fewer ties."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Useful Links: Why Men Don't Ask for Directions
Useful Links: Why Men Don't Ask for Directions: "But seriously, why do men don't like to ask for directions? The old stereotype might be true: Men really don't like to ask for directions..."
Why Men Don't Ask for Directions
But seriously, why do men don't like to ask for directions?
The old stereotype might be true: Men really don't like to ask for directions
and are willing to circle around aimlessly forever, or at least longer than women.
26% of men wait at least half an hour before asking for directions, with a stubborn 12% refusing to ask a stranger for help at all.
But it's not just wasted time. The cost of gas used by each man driving around lost and reluctant to ask for help could add up to thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Economics in the News
************************ WHAT'S YOUR REACTION **********************************************************
(1) What's the currency war about?Over the past decade, the world has been divided into "deficit" countries and "surplus" countries.
Useful Links: Game Theory
Useful Links: Game Theory: "(1) Game Theory Solves The Date-Night Dilemma: Battle Of The Sexes PuzzleCan't decide between the opera and a football game? http://www.scie..."
Useful Links: Game Theory
Useful Links: Game Theory: "(1) Game Theory Solves The Date-Night Dilemma: Battle Of The Sexes PuzzleCan't decide between the opera and a football game? http://www.scie..."
Game Theory
(1) Game Theory Solves The Date-Night Dilemma: Battle Of The Sexes Puzzle
Can't decide between the opera and a football game?
http://www.science20.com/brain_candyfeed_your_mind/game_theory_solves_datenight_dilemma_battle_sexes_puzzle
If it's less than 60% full, it's more fun to be at the bar; if it's more than 60% full, it's more fun to stay home. This puzzle has one more catch: everyone has to decide whether or not to
go at exactly the same time, without communication.
So what should you do—stay home or go to the bar?
go at exactly the same time, without communication.
So what should you do—stay home or go to the bar?
(3) The Key To Cleaning Up At Poker? Quantum Physics
The game of "Counterfactuals"
(5) How Game Theory Could Decide the Election
(6) Monopoly Game: Rules Made To Be Broken?
(12) Microorganisms offer lessons for gamblers and the rest of us
When it comes to gambling, many people rely on game theory, a branch of applied mathematics that attempts to measure the choices of others to inform their own decisions. It's used in economics, politics, medicine -- and, of course, Las Vegas. But recent findings from a Tel Aviv University researcher suggest that we may put ourselves on the winning side if we look to bacteria instead.
Useful Links: Consumer Behavior : Buying, Having, and Being
Useful Links: Consumer Behavior : Buying, Having, and Being: "(1) Strange prices at Johnny Rocket'shttp://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/09/strange-prices-at-johnny-rockets.html Have..."
Consumer Behavior : Buying, Having, and Being
(1) Strange prices at Johnny Rocket's
Have you never been to a restaurant (or a grocery store) and felt you might even be ready to pay a premium for smaller portions/package sizes?
(2) Sunday Shopping Linked With Less Happiness
How do you spend your Sunday?
why would Sunday shopping make women less happy?
(3) Hard-wired for chocolate and hybrid cars?
How genetics affect consumer choice
Do you spend a lot on chocolate?
(4) Why Do People Throw Coins Into Fountains and Make a Wish and Where Did the Superstition Come From?
Are you superstitious with your money?
(5) Does Beauty Sell?
A new study looks at how attractive sales people may turn away sales
As posted in the article: Do you think good looks intimidate potential customers?
What do you think? Would pretty salespeople turn you away from a sale?
(6) Want to Lose Weight? Avoid Skinny Overeaters
If you're looking to lose weight, here's a simple tip: don't dine with the skinny dude who stuffs his face ...
both the size and the consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake.
(7) Want to Save Money? Carry Around $100 Bills
(8) Why is buying a fake handbag more exciting than buying a real one?
(9) Financial Crisis Causing New Trend In Consumer Spending
(10) 'Statins with your burger?'
Doctors want heart pills on menu
Cardiologists propose putting pills beside salt and ketchup to balance heart disease risk
Would you like a pill with that? Fast food outlets should offer statins alongside burgers, say top cardiologists
(11) Why ∏A = gUG + min(k-g, (1-g)(1-r)) equals low airline fares
Research shows that the optimum time to book your airline ticket is eight weeks before travelling
(12) Are you a beauty — or a beast? Ask your iPhone
New ‘Ugly Meter’ rates your looks — but does it really work?
The application costs 99 cents to download. “When your friends won’t tell you the truth, the Ugly Meter will,” the developers promise on their
website.
“It sounded like a serious app. However, the joke is on you if you buy it!” one customer wrote.
Some men taking Propecia have erectile dysfunction, although many prefer to have hair, researcher says
If you don't wake up on time, you'll pay the price http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/snuznluz.shtml
In a clever April fools joke, the website www.thinkgeek.com proposed a solution in the form of an alarm clock that donates money to your most-hated cause should you hit the snooze button.
Imagine giving money to a despised politician every time you slept in.
Might that get you out of bed?
(15) Why Egyptian replicas are as good as the real thing
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