Martin Gardiner .

TIMING IS EVER
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SEP 08



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“ It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into“

 

Jonathan Swift

 


Determinism still not determined.

Professor Jason Zimba , from the Departments of Physics and Mathematics Bennington College Bennington, VT, USA, was wondering, during a car journey,


" Suppose all of the particles in the universe should happen to come to rest at the same time, in positions so arranged that all of the forces on every particle balance to zero at that time. What would happen next? " 

A complex mathematical analysis followed, but sadly, could not come to a definite conclusion - which has just been published in the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science

04 SEP 08


The Origins of the Geeks

Here at Really Mag, we foolishly thought that Geeks had emerged from the cyber-underworld only fairly recently.

We were wrong.

The excellent ' wordorigins '


site tells the full story. And reveals that geeks have existed for several hundred years.

And presumably will last a few hundred more.

 

01 SEP 08


Pork Pies - Eyes

Another ' how to tell when someone is lying ' technique may be in the course of development.

The Department of Psychology at the University of Portsmouth believes that their new discoveries -

" could potentially be used in future by police forces and security agencies to detect deception "

Their studies showed that experimental subjects ( students ) blinked less when ' telling a lie ' ( which, enigmatically, was itself a fake ) than did those who were telling the truth.

After telling the ( fake ) lie, the liars blinked far more – presumably to make up for lost blink-time.

Really Magazine draws attention though to the word ' potentially ' in the above quote . . .

For, if the effect is confirmed, professional liars simply have to make sure that they blink plentifully when lying in order to have their investigators believe them.


Press release here :


Also see :


22 AUG 08


 

Dear Prudence

As a consumer, setting oneself an accurate monthly expenditure budget is never going to be easy. But, pooling the not inconsiderable resources of University of Southern California, Cornell University and New York University, researchers have identified a method which might help.

Their experimental studies revealed an enigmatic result - that consumers were significantly less accurate when trying to estimate their monthly budgets than when they estimated for the whole year.

But why ?

“ Consumers’ default tendency is to underestimate their budgets, for both next month and next year frames. However, budgets for the next year are closer to recorded expenses because consumers feel less confident when estimating these budgets, and therefore, adjust them upward. ”

Thus, the results suggest an easy way to more accurately estimate one's monthly expenditures –

" The authors propose that the best way to prepare a [ monthly ] budget is to make an annual budget and divide by 12. "

see : ' Will I Spend More in 12 Months or a Year? ' published in the current issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.


20 AUG 08


 

The Seven Types of Forgetting revisited.

A recent article in the journal ' Memory Studies ' posited the theory that there are ( at least ) Seven Types of Forgetting -

Repressive erasure;
Prescriptive forgetting;
Forgetting that is constitutive in the formation of a new identity;
Structural amnesia;
Forgetting as annulment;
Forgetting as planned obsolescence;
Forgetting as humiliated silence.

Helpful though the article was in ' disentangling ' the process of forgetting things, the ideas have now been ' re – interpreted ' – with an essay ( in the same journal ) entitled ' Should we forget forgetting? '.

The new article suggests that ' forgetting something ' might instead be seen as :

" a problem of relative accessibility from a larger store of available memory. "

In an attempt to ' disentangle ' things still further, Really Magazine suggests a compromise theory encompassing both concepts :

Some things are deliberately forgotten,
Some are accidentally forgotten,
and Some are a mixture of the two.


14 AUG 08


 

Hedges – a leap forward

Linguistic hedges : some examples :

Perhaps
Maybe
It's possible that
To a certain extent

Some have dismissed them as ' linguistic deadwood ' or ' lexical throat-clearing ' - but how much do they really affect the interpretation of verbal and written statements ?

Researchers from the Department of Psychology at Northern Illinois University have recently conducted a series of experiments which might help to finally pin down the effect of hedges - especially when they are used in persuasive arguments.

The research has just been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Language and Social Psychology.

" This research suggests that hedges describing data statements and/or that use colloquial language can, but do not always, undermine persuasive attempts. "


06 AUG 08


 

Why you want know price ?

The philosophical / question of the day is this : what exactly does ' being polite ' mean ? And are there, as some have alleged, differences, or even cultural divides, wtih regard to politeness levels across the globe ?

There is almost certainly no better place to look than in the Journal of Politeness Research – where, in the penultimate issue, answers may be found.

Geoffrey Leech, Emeritus Professor of English Linguistics at Lancaster University, UK, has, over the years, thoroughly investigated these questions, and his most recent article comes to a definitive conclusion, by employing, as a framework, his recently developed Grand Strategy of Politeness ( GSP ) :

These timely findings could well reassuring for vistors to Beijing's Silk Market during the imminent Games.

For :

" this article argues in favour of the conclusion that, despite manifest differences, there is no East-West divide in politeness."

Read a version of the full article here :

30 JUL 08


 

Eat <=> Org

The idea that ' organisations ' ( that is to say, corporations, governmental departments, educational establishments, entire countries etc etc etc ) might also be viewed as ' organisms ' has been well explored.

But has the time arrived to extend the metaphor just a little further ?

If an organisation is a ' being ' then isn't it going to need a crucial input which has, until now, been entirely overlooked in the academic literature ?

A joint Portuguese / Australian study, just published in the journal Human Realtions hints that the answer might be yes – and the yes might be food.

The authors point out that

". . . we can understand organizations better by knowing how they relate to food. "

How could this important factor have been overlooked for so long : surely most organisations have canteens and cafeterias ? And how about all those business lunches, brown-bag seminars, friday night booze ups etc etc etc ?

The study not only explores onganisations' link with food intake, but even reveals there are the interesting cultural differences.

For instance, in Asia -

" When hot at the dining table, men will roll up their trouser legs to cool down "

A practice very seldom observed in Western Orgs.

There are further subtleties too : such as

" The simple matter of table arrangements, cutlery. Its correct layout and use, are revealed as the outcome of a complex social and hierarchical organization slowly spreading from courtly society to the bourgois home . "

The authors also point out the rich field of possibilities for futher research :

e.g.

"Organizations and obesity, organizations and bulimia, organizations and anorexia, organizations and slimming, organizations and diet "

Really Magazine has noticed though that the study overlooks the inevitable consequences of food-intake : so there must logically be an opportunity for even more research ?

Organizations and [deleted ] ?

Savour the full 43 page paper here :

22 JUL 08


 

Downsizing Dissonance

Back in 2006, a lengthy article in the Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies thorougly investigated the psycological consequences of ' Downsizing '.

It identified in particular a goup called ' Layoff Agents ' - that is to say, employess of an organization who assist their bosses in sacking their colleagues.

The article discovered that as a result of their activities, Layoff Agents were quite likely to suffer from a psychological manifestation known as ' Cogntive Dissonance '.

Now the theory has been backed up by another study, ( also published in the Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies ) in which the authors develop a theoretical framework to clarify the position –

" The framework specifies variables that moderate the relationship between layoff agency and cognitive dissonance and also variables that moderate the relationship between layoff agency-induced cognitive dissonance and agent perceptions of organizational downsizing. "

16 JUL 08


 

I me mine

Are we really in the grips of a Narcissism Epidemic ?

Jean Twenge ( associate professor at the Department of Psychology College of Sciences San Diego State University ) thinks we might be, and is seeking your opinion via this webpage.

Also see the current issue of the Journal of Personality to see her recent article on the subject.

A survey of ' self reported Narcissism ' involving 16,475 university students over a period of more than 30 years found that the answer was a clear and assertive ' yes '.

[ editor's note : Or perhaps they are just becoming more honest ? ]

14 JUL 08


 

Where matters

If you were managing a ' Multinational Enterprise ' (MNE) and were thinking of opening a facility in another country, should you think carefully about the geographical location ?

This was the gist of new research from City University, New York.

The researchers asked :the deceptively simple question ' Does it matter where countries are ? '

After combing the data from 138,050 investments undertaken by U.S. MNEs worldwide, they determined the following – which will very probably be of help to CEOs of MNEs considering relocations geographically-wise.

" Our findings show that the proximity of a country to the rest of the world has a positive impact on MNEs choosing that country as a location. "

See the latest issue of the journal Managment Science

10 JUL 08


 

Long shot

Investigators from the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool UK wondered which would consume the most of adolescents' energy – playing a sedentary computer game, playing an ' active ' one, or playing a real-world sport. . .

They set up experiments to measure their energy expenditure whilst playing all three. Results:

" Playing new generation active computer games uses significantly more energy than playing sedentary computer games but not as much energy as playing the sport itself. "

see the current issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine :

08 JUL 08


 

Hey ! What kinda piana is this ? no apostrophes ?

The latest issue of the British Journal of Aesthetics is carrying an intriguing article from the Department of Philosophy, at the University of Leeds, UK, which enquires into the very nature of music / performance / and Art itself.

Specifically claiming

‘ There are No Things That are Musical Works ‘

The paper argues the point that -

• Works of music do not appear to be concrete objects
• but they do appear to be created by composers
• and abstract objects do not seem to be the kind of things that can be created.

It goes without saying that the logical arguments required to prove that There are No Things That are Musical Works are necessarily complex – and, refreshingly, the author encourages simplification.

“ It would be nice to have an account that saved the common sense intuitions without resorting to the outlandish ontologies of the perdurantist or constitution theorist. “

Quite. And to help in this regard, he clarifies the ( sometimes unclear ) language of The Ontologists by highlighting what he calls Ontologese  in bold type :

e.g.

“ The truth of ‘there is an entity that is a musical work that exists but which did not exist previously’ does not demand that there is an entity that is a musical work that exists but which did not exist previously, it demands only that there is an entity that is performing a musical work role that it was not performing previously. “

Continue reading the full paper here :

؟ ؟ ؟

Also see ( contributions from the same author ) the Beatles Philosophy pages.

• " There's nothing you can know that isn't known " ( John Lennon advocates metaphysical anti-realism and endorses the conclusion of Fitch's paradox. )

• " I believe in yesterday " ( Paul McCartney ' refutes ' presentism )

• " If you walk around, I'll tax your feet ". ( Harrison advances neo-Lockean critique of the state: taxation as cannibalism. )

؟ ؟ ؟

Intriguing as the new investigations are, Really Magazine  still remains more comfortable with the previous work of Brent, E. and Durante, J.F.  ( 1947 )

[ Do not miss this one, no really, don't. Ed. ]

04 JUL 08 ( late edition )


 

Believe it or don't

Last year, Mississippi State University  published an unusual, and some would say disturbing, report into Persistent Clusters of Mortality in the US.

Going back 35 years, the researchers logged mortality rates in each state, to produce a comprehensive chart of ‘ hotspots ‘.

Residents of Nevada look away now - but those in Southern Minnesota might be pleased to see the map.

But the findings posed the obvious question ‘ So what’s going on ? ‘

At the time, the researchers, could not fully pin down the reasons, urging that “ These findings underscore the importance of further investigation “

And just last month, one of the report’s authors, ( now at Lousiana State University ) posited a possible mechanism in the journal Social Forces.

His idea is that ‘ Prevalence of Religious Congregations Affects Mortality Rates ‘

The new study finding that   “ people live longer in areas with a large number of Catholic and Mainline Protestant churches. “

And according to the author :

“ Policymakers and citizens, whether religious or not, should realize that socially engaged faith communities can enhance the well-being of society,”


Is the implication then that Atheists and Agnostics don’t live as long ?

Read the university press-release here :

04 JUL 08


 

Anydays

New research from the University of Sydney, Australia, has investigated which days of the week people prefer.

Researchers asked 351 subjects ( students ? ) about their current moods throughout the week, and surprisingly perhaps, Mondays were not the worst, and Fridays were not the best.

In fact, no particular day-preference showed up significantly in the results.

“ . . . we remember (or expect) Mondays to be depressing and Fridays to be uplifting not because they really are, but because society has led us to believe that they are. “

Disappointingly, the university press release doesn’t clarify why the research was carried out with the help of Sydney-based marketing firm NTF ( who do research for Coca Cola Corporation, Kellogg's, Zurich Financial Services, etc etc )

The paper was published in the penultimate edition of the Journal of Applied Social Psychology


03 JUL 08


 

Determining Determination

Don’t give up just yet. Whatever mental task you are tackling, there’s a chance that you may be able to stick at it 50% longer with just a simple trick.

Research from the University of Rochester, published in the penultimate issue of the European Journal of Social Psychology, found that simply asking experimental subjects to fold their arms caused ( or enabled ? ) them to persist at anagram-solving tasks for nearly twice as long.

But why ?

( readers' explanations welcome )

؟ ؟ ؟

Note :

Over the last 30 years or so, the University of Rochester has opened up a new branch of psychology called Self Determination Theory (SDT)

“ SDT is based on an organismic-dialectical meta-theory, which begins with the assumption that people are active organisms, with innate tendencies toward psychological growth and development . . . “

As an example, see ' What makes for a good day ? ' from 1996

 

02 JUL 08


 

The Photon Duvet ™

" Is a comforter that contains, in its composition,

Infra-red ray photon-electron emission fibres. "

Readers who haven't come across infra-red ray photon-electron emission fibres  before can find an explanatory video here.



01 JUL 08 ( late edition )


 

Saving the planet ( with growth enhancers )

Background :

• recombinant Bovine Somatotropin ( rbST )

• Also known as bovine growth hormone, or BGH.

• Currently banned in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all EU countries.

• Widely used in the US.

• At present only has one manufacturer. Monsanto.

• The hormone, which is administered by injection, causes cows to produce around 13% more milk.

• Thus, less cattle are needed to produce a given quantity of milk.

“ For every one million cows supplemented with rbST, the reduction in the carbon footprint is equivalent to removing approximately 400,000 family cars from the road or planting 300 million trees. “

That’s the conclusion of a new research paper, published yesterday by Cornell University

 

Note : Both of the paper's authors work for Monsanto.

The funding for the research came directly from Cornell. But who funds the funders ?

Here’s their website, see if you can find out . . .

Please let Really Magazine  know if you find a clearcut transparent list of their corporate $ponsor$ - we couldn't


01 JUL 08 ( midday edition )


 

Concepts of the month.

To start July, three concepts which Really Magazine has so far failed to examine – our apologies.


• Born Globals

• Sperm Ships

• Ebonics

 

01 JUL 08


 

 

 

 

advertising

Editor's picks

Blue Sky Research encounters Lickable Wallpaper

Hairpins in Southampton

Was Sgt. Pepper  lonely ?

The territoriality of park benches re-appraised using ANT

TV hermeneutics in Colorado.

 

 
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