a bit long, but very informative video about the current state of our high schools.
this video does a great job linking education, technology, and society.
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
are YOU using your brain enough?
So I'm obsessed with the website information is beautiful. They recently did a piece on how the world brain power is just waiting and wanting to be utilized. Take a look at this:
This is crazy isn't it!? Imagine the insane innovations that could advance our society if people just used their brain more. It ridiculous to think that people spent 100 million hours on making Wikipedia the substantiated website it is today. However, its PALES in comparison to the time that people spend watching TV. And that's YEARLY. Now obviously people need a break every now and again to kick their feet back and relax. But if everyone just cut the amount of TV they watched in a quarter (or even a tenth), just imagine all that could be done to fix our fucked up world? World peace? Eliminate hunger? Suffering? Prejudice?
You know you're just itching to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. Then you could have a biographical movie that you didn't approve made about you! Awesome!
This is crazy isn't it!? Imagine the insane innovations that could advance our society if people just used their brain more. It ridiculous to think that people spent 100 million hours on making Wikipedia the substantiated website it is today. However, its PALES in comparison to the time that people spend watching TV. And that's YEARLY. Now obviously people need a break every now and again to kick their feet back and relax. But if everyone just cut the amount of TV they watched in a quarter (or even a tenth), just imagine all that could be done to fix our fucked up world? World peace? Eliminate hunger? Suffering? Prejudice?
You know you're just itching to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. Then you could have a biographical movie that you didn't approve made about you! Awesome!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
"complexity breeds confusion and dissatisfaction"
- Henry David Thoreau
I really love this quote as I think it encapsulates current Westernized culture. How did Thoreau foresee this over a century ago? A more modern day example is Barry Schwatz's book Paradox of Choice. It has inspired many ideas that are constantly swarming through my head. Choice is obviously a good thing, but at what point does it hit that ceiling or reach that threshold where it becomes too much? Too confusing, too overwhelming, and too overbearing.
I certainly experience this paradoxical phenomenon when it comes to finance. There is just too much "financial data" out there that it becomes difficult to discern how much information is enough information. Additionally, being able to figure out which information is credible and which is faulty, whether intentionally or unintentionally, adds another layer of confusion. I'm sure I'm not alone in echoing the sentiments of foreigners who came the this country and were absolutely floored at the amount of choice from seemingly functional-only goods such as toilet paper, toothbrushes, and milk. And while I don't see this changing anytime soon, I think it'll take a whole industry to corroborate together to limit the number of choices available for that specific product. Unfortunately I think it's an idea valued ideologically but not practically. As long as free market economics is in place, competition will always exist. Fewer competitors breeds future competition.
Further evidence on this issue can be seen here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25513687/Iyengar-When-Choice-is-ing-Can-One-Desire-Too-Much-of-a-Good-Thing
A study done by Columbia and Stanford professors about having too many choices. The study explores how subjects given many choices of chocolate are not as satisfied with their choice as those only given a few choices. The basic premise being that the opportunity cost of not choosing the plethora of other options actually hinders their satisfaction.
I really love this quote as I think it encapsulates current Westernized culture. How did Thoreau foresee this over a century ago? A more modern day example is Barry Schwatz's book Paradox of Choice. It has inspired many ideas that are constantly swarming through my head. Choice is obviously a good thing, but at what point does it hit that ceiling or reach that threshold where it becomes too much? Too confusing, too overwhelming, and too overbearing.
I certainly experience this paradoxical phenomenon when it comes to finance. There is just too much "financial data" out there that it becomes difficult to discern how much information is enough information. Additionally, being able to figure out which information is credible and which is faulty, whether intentionally or unintentionally, adds another layer of confusion. I'm sure I'm not alone in echoing the sentiments of foreigners who came the this country and were absolutely floored at the amount of choice from seemingly functional-only goods such as toilet paper, toothbrushes, and milk. And while I don't see this changing anytime soon, I think it'll take a whole industry to corroborate together to limit the number of choices available for that specific product. Unfortunately I think it's an idea valued ideologically but not practically. As long as free market economics is in place, competition will always exist. Fewer competitors breeds future competition.
Further evidence on this issue can be seen here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25513687/Iyengar-When-Choice-is-ing-Can-One-Desire-Too-Much-of-a-Good-Thing
A study done by Columbia and Stanford professors about having too many choices. The study explores how subjects given many choices of chocolate are not as satisfied with their choice as those only given a few choices. The basic premise being that the opportunity cost of not choosing the plethora of other options actually hinders their satisfaction.
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