In the following video presentation, behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.
When you work for a Federal body and lose a hard drive containing data for more than 100,000 people, it’s pretty embarrassing. But it must feel even worse when you describe yourself as “the nation’s record keeper.” The National Archives and Record Administration agency, which keeps and maintains around 2% of government documents for legal [...]
In 2002, Technorama, a major science center in Switzerland, asked Ned Kahn to create an aluminum facade for its building, consisting of thousands of aluminum panels that move in the wind, teaching its visitors about air currents and the complex patterns of turbulence caused by them. [Via OhGizmo]
By Casey Lynn Contributing Writer, [GAS] A recent study in the UK revealed that geeks are good in bed – or at least, less selfish than, for example, gym rats. Four out of five geeks agreed that your partner’s pleasure is more important than your own, as opposed to less than half of respondents who [...]
Google says a tool it designed for householders to measure their electricity use is so successful that utility companies around the world have signed up to extend it across their customer base. The technology, Google Power Meter, only works in homes with a ‘smart’ meter, an electronic device which measures power consumption in more detail [...]
By Casey Lynn Contributing Writer, [GAS] Spotting silly vanity license plates is always a fun activity, especially double-innuendo or borderline-obscene ones. But some of the best still come from those who show their geek pride on their bumpers. Kudos to the clever Flickr photographers who make a hobby of spotting geeky license plates! And of [...]
Ok, maybe it’s not exactly amazing, but it looks fun nonetheless!
By Casey Lynn Contributing Writer, [GAS] Whereas my enjoyment of most of my favorite games on the Wii isn’t really dependent on the functionality of the Wii remote, there is one exception: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Because I think it’s just cool that you cast spells by waving your “magic wand” [...]
By Jimmy Rogers (@me) Contributing Writer, [GAS] Today, Threadless announced a nifty new project to involve the Twitter community directly in their t-shirt design process. For those who don’t know, Threadless is a fun website that puts up artist designs so that visitors can vote on them. The highest voted pieces get to be featured on [...]
Proposed European guidelines could mean an end to the misery of bug-filled video games. But manufacturers say the rules would be unworkable and could even limit how many games are developed. The European Commission, the administrative arm of the European Union, says games should lose their current exemption from quality guarantee laws. As things stand, [...]
By Casey Lynn Contributing Writer, [GAS] Sims 3 is the continuation of the bestselling videogame franchise of all time, and as such, the release date in less than two weeks has been pretty highly anticipated. Therefore, it’s not terribly surprising (especially given EA’s experience with Spore a few years ago) that the game has apparently [...]
Once upon a time, a French entrepreneur named Romain Jarry woke up one morning and thought: What could I invent today that no one has ever thought of? An automated washing machine for dogs of course! Ok, maybe he’s not the first person who thought of the idea, but it’s the first time I’ve heard [...]
