Brain Cells for Socializing | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine

Brain Cells for Socializing | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine.

Lawrence Lessig – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lawrence Lessig – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In Search Of Online Communities’ Good Samaritans | IdeaFeed | Big Think

In Search Of Online Communities’ Good Samaritans | IdeaFeed | Big Think.

Sheila Bair on Keeping Banks Honest on Vimeo

Sheila Bair on Keeping Banks Honest on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Sheila Bair on Keeping Banks Honest on Vimeo.

Basic service provision shouldn’t just be a money maker | International Institute for Environment and Development

Basic service provision shouldn’t just be a money maker | International Institute for Environment and Development.

How the Internet Will (One Day) Transform Government – Clay Shirky

How the Internet Will (One Day) Transform Government – Clay Shirky.

The limits of free speech and the vague distinction between the religious and the political « Choice in Dying

The limits of free speech and the vague distinction between the religious and the political « Choice in Dying.

The Marketplace in Your Brain – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education

“In 2003, amid the coastal greenery of the Winnetu Oceanside Resort, on Martha’s Vineyard, a group of about 20 scholars gathered to kick-start a new discipline. They fell, broadly, into two groups: neuroscientists and economists. What they came to talk about was a collaboration between the two fields, which a few researchers had started to call “neuroeconomics.” Insights about brain anatomy, combined with economic models of neurons in action, could produce new insights into how people make decisions about money and life.”

via The Marketplace in Your Brain – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Ecology and Society: Adaptation or Manipulation? Unpacking Climate Change Response Strategies

ABSTRACT

“Adaptation is a key feature of sustainable social–ecological systems. As societies traverse various temporal and spatial scales, they are exposed to differing contexts and precursors for adaptation. A cursory view of the response to these differing contexts and precursors suggests the particular ability of persistent societies to adapt to changing circumstances. Yet a closer examination into the meaning of adaptation and its relationship to concepts of resilience, vulnerability, and sustainability illustrates that, in many cases, societies actually manipulate their social–ecological contexts rather than adapt to them. It could be argued that manipulative behaviors are a subset of a broader suite of adaptive behaviors; however, this paper suggests that manipulative behaviors have fundamentally different intentions and outcomes. Specifically, adaptive behaviors are respectful of the intrinsic integrity of social–ecological systems and change is directed toward internal or self-regulating modification. By way of contrast, manipulative behaviors tend to disregard the integrity of social–ecological systems and focus on external change or manipulating the broader system with the aim of making self-regulation unnecessary. It is argued that adaptive behaviors represent long-term strategies for building resilience, whereas manipulative behaviors represent short-term strategies with uncertain consequences for resilience, vulnerability, and the sustainability of social–ecological systems. Of greatest significance; however, is that manipulative strategies have the potential to avoid authentic experiences of system dynamics, obscure valuable learning opportunities, create adverse path dependencies, and lessen the likelihood of effective adaptation in future contexts.”

via Ecology and Society: Adaptation or Manipulation? Unpacking Climate Change Response Strategies.

High-Priced Fuel Syndrome | Our Finite World

High-Priced Fuel Syndrome | Our Finite World.

5 Obscene Reasons Why Richest Americans grow Richer As Middle-Class Declines | Alternet

5 Obscene Reasons Why Richest Americans grow Richer As Middle-Class Declines | Alternet.

The Future of 21st Century Science: Tearing Down Knowledge Silos | Think Tank | Big Think

The Future of 21st Century Science: Tearing Down Knowledge Silos | Think Tank | Big Think.

| Once again: Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. is in Peter Wagner’s Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders

| Once again: Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr. is in Peter Wagner’s Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders.

Jesus killed Mohammed: The crusade for a Christian military—By Jeff Sharlet (Harper’s Magazine)

Jesus killed Mohammed: The crusade for a Christian military—By Jeff Sharlet (Harper’s Magazine).

| U.S. Military Still Using “Jesus rifles” in Afghanistan

| U.S. Military Still Using “Jesus rifles” in Afghanistan.

Cornell Math – Thurston in His Own Words

Cornell Math – Thurston in His Own Words.

Google and Skyhook: the internet privacy invasion | openDemocracy

Google and Skyhook: the internet privacy invasion | openDemocracy.

Why Would an Argument Presented in a Visually Challenging Way Cause Us to Think Harder Rather Than Give Up? – Science and Religion Today

“In our research, we found that people will become less biased after reading arguments presented in a difficult-to-read (i.e. disfluent) format. We propose that this reduction in bias is because people are forced to slow down their thinking as they try to perceive what the text is actually saying, and will rely less on shortcuts in reasoning—like the confirmation bias (which occurs when people process a message too quickly). Therefore, making a message more difficult to read places a limit on how quickly people can think through it, allowing them to think more critically.”

via Why Would an Argument Presented in a Visually Challenging Way Cause Us to Think Harder Rather Than Give Up? – Science and Religion Today.

Lie to Me: The Biological Basis of Emotion | Think Tank | Big Think

The biological expression of emotion

Lie to Me: The Biological Basis of Emotion | Think Tank | Big Think.

Banned Books Week | Celebrating the Freedom to Read: Sept. 30 – Oct. 6, 2012

Banned Books Week | Celebrating the Freedom to Read: Sept. 30 – Oct. 6, 2012.