Posted by Ted Hopton on August 3, 2008
I’d heard and basically understood the term “troll” for a long time, but this long NYT magazine article, The Trolls Among Us, provided an enlightening look at the underside of human behavior with technology. Here’s the article’s definition of “troll“:
In the late 1980s, Internet users adopted the word “troll” to denote someone who intentionally disrupts online communities.
Here’s a glimpse of how this aberrant community thinks:
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Posted in Ethics, Human Interest | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on July 2, 2008
Two new papers illustrate the continuing power of Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments — and the diverse interpretations they still inspire.
I’ll never forget the powerful impact that learning about Milgram’s experiments had on me as a young man. Surely it was part of my strong belief in questioning authority. If you’re not familiar with these ground-breaking experiments in which subjects were encouraged to inflict terrible pain on another person, I urge you to read this article.
Posted in Ethics, Human Interest, Research, Science | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on July 2, 2008
This article is rather unnerving, as it cites research demonstrating that in addition to being skeptical of others who claim to be acting moral, we also should be just as skeptical of our own convictions that we are acting ethically. Yes, we humans are that good at rationalizing our own behavior that we can’t really trust ourselves. So much for a *true* moral compass.
A moral hypocrite convinces himself that he is acting virtuously even when he does something he would condemn in others.
Posted in Ethics, Human Interest, Politics, Research, Science | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on May 31, 2008
I got my first detailed, in-depth look at the problems of the industrial farming complex when I read Michael Pollan’s eye-opening book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (which I highly recommend). This NYT editorial cites two reports, one by the Pew Charitable Trust and one by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
As new reports make it clear, the efficiency of industrial animal production is an illusion, made possible by prisonlike confinement systems.
Not only is the efficiency an illusion, it’s actually a disaster all around. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Animals, Economics, Environment, Ethics, Food, Health, Human Interest, Politics, Research | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 21, 2008
As a rule, you should always read NYT Magazine articles by Michael Pollan. They are long but worth it.
There are so many stories we can tell ourselves to justify doing nothing, but perhaps the most insidious is that, whatever we do manage to do, it will be too little too late. Climate change is upon us, and it has arrived well ahead of schedule.
(Photo: Thomas Hannich)
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Posted in Environment, Ethics, Human Interest, Science, Trends | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 20, 2008
I just heard an amazing statistic on NPR. A survey found that only 34% of Americans say they do not have a negative bias toward Muslims. Do the math: that means a whopping 66% of Americans are biased against Muslims. By contrast, 74% of Americans claim not to have any bias against Jews.
So, 26% of Americans are anti-Semitic, and that’s nothing to be proud of, but I’d guess that’s a lot better than past percentages in our history. What struck me in the statistics is that we’ve replaced bias against one religion for bias against another. Muslims are the new Jews in America, the country where freedom of religion is enshrined in our constitution. You can practice whatever religion you wish, but many of us will assume you’re up to no good if you do.
I’m not even going to waste any time on the specious argument that the 9/11 attackers were Muslim, etc. Prejudice is prejudice, period. It’s the refuge of the ignorant and lazy. Rather than learn Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Ethics, Human Interest, Statistics | Tagged: America, jew, muslim, prejudice, religion | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 19, 2008
Psychologist Philip Zimbardo will speak Thursday afternoon at the TED conference about parallels between his infamous 1971 “prison experiment” at Stanford and prisoner abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq more than 30 years later. Wired.com has an exclusive video from Zimbardo’s talk, featuring Abu Ghraib photos he says are previously unseen.
Posted in Ethics, Leadership, Learning, Research, Science | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 19, 2008
With 1.6 million people in prison, the incarceration rate is now the highest in American history, a new report says.
Posted in Ethics, Human Interest, Research | Tagged: prison, rehabilitation, society | 2 Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 19, 2008
One of the most fascinating talks at the TED conference so far was given by Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, who gave a riveting account of a stroke she experienced in 1996.
Posted in Ethics, Health, Research, Science | No Comments »
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 19, 2008
A Costa Rican trek served as a metaphor for the difficulty many executives are having as they transition from niche marketers to big-business men.
Posted in Costa Rica, Environment, Ethics, Innovation, Management | No Comments »
