The Neuroscience of Fraud
New York Magazine discusses the conflict between Ayn Rand’s childhood in Bolshevik Russia and her unforgiving views about the eminence of indiscriminate capitalism. Newsweek points to new research from UC Davis identifying the area of the brain (the anterior cingulate cortex) responsible for justifying our conflicting beliefs. And a Goldman executive defends income inequality as [...]
Scientists Find Secret to Happiness in Old Age
“Nothing bothers grandma. I love her so much.” Why is it that nothing seems to bother grandma? Scientists in the UK have concluded that the brains of the elderly are more equipped at weeding out negative memories than are the brains of younger people:
It is believed that as we get older we [...]
The Virgin Birth Debate
Theos, a public theology think tank in the UK, released the results of a poll today, which indicates that 34% of a total 1,005 British people surveyed believe that the statement, “Jesus was born to a virgin called Mary” is historically accurate.
This is on the heels of the story of the asexual pregnancy, or parthenogenesis, of a shark in [...]
Fighting Alzheimer’s With Wine and Marijuana
Medical researchers at UCLA and at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City have discovered that the polyphenols found in red wine can both prevent the buildup of plaques that lead to lost brain cells and reduce the toxicity of existing plaques that would otherwise cause cognitive decline. But ginkgo biloba, the traditionally-favored [...]
Correcting the Specialization Assumption
Whenever you get the strange feeling at work that you’re being pigeon-holed, you probably are. This is because lots of managers subscribe to the idea that assigning workers to specific tasks will make the company more productive.
This idea of “specialization” is closely associated with Adam Smith, icon of free market theorists who, in his description [...]
