Random Thoughts

Propagandizing Ourselves

Propaganda is normally associated with governments that are attempting to persuade or influence people for a particular political objective.  More formally it is defined as "the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognition ...

Blog Post - Gerhard Adam - Dec 4 2009 - 4:21pm

Synchronicity

Having myself thought I was going insane at one point, I should be very careful in using the word "kook" about anybody. But have no fear; I'm libeling an entire state: California, of course. ...

Blog Post - Keith Adams - Dec 5 2009 - 6:20pm

A Plea For More Sex And Violence On TV

Dear TV and Movie Producer Person, I realize that you receive letters all the time complaining about the gratuitous sex and violence on television and in movies. This is not one of those letters. In a sense, I want more sex and violence. Let me explain. It ...

Article - Mark Changizi - Dec 7 2009 - 10:47pm

Thomas And Friends Turns Children Into Cranky, Backwards Conservatives

A political scientist from the University of Alberta has uncovered a dastardly ploy by the producers of Thomas and Friends, a popular children's TV show, to turn their innocent audience of youngsters into  socially intolerant conservatives.  After ana ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 8 2009 - 5:59pm

Late Morning Science Quotes

The scientist has a lot of experience with ignorance and doubt and uncertainty, and this experience is of very great importance, I think. When a scientist doesn’t know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is, ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Dec 9 2009 - 12:21pm

"Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus"- The Story Behind The Famous Quote

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” That sentence from American journalism’s best-known Santa Claus editorial (the New York Sun’s “Is There A Santa Claus?”) is still so popular that 112 years after it first ran, Macy’s is basing its holiday advertisin ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 9 2009 - 10:21pm

Why Do People Believe So Many Odd Things?

A recent LiveScience article " Americans Believe in God, Astrology, and Ghosts " indicates that the beliefs people hold may actually be contradictory and a mix of a variety of themes. This tends to confirm the view that people will believe almost ...

Blog Post - Gerhard Adam - Dec 10 2009 - 2:47pm

The Say Of The Week

People who like sausage and people who trust 3-sigma peaks should not ask how these are made. T.D. ...

Blog Post - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 11 2009 - 12:17pm

The Spectre Of Authoritarianism Threatens Italy

Be sure about one thing: in my very humble opinion it is not like Berlusconi would not deserve some kind of punishment, for the damage he has caused to my country. But violence is not the way. Yesterday's attack to the Italian premier by a deranged p ...

Blog Post - Tommaso Dorigo - Dec 14 2009 - 10:12am

Alcohol Industry Designing Its Own Regulations In Sub-Saharan Africa

Before the tobacco industry gave up the fight over the health effects of smoking, it was common for major cigarette manufacturers like Phillip Morris to fight advertising restrictions on their product in every possible way--even if that meant designing sof ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 19 2009 - 7:47pm