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braincrave
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Today I learned that Hong Kong gets 1 Gbps broadband service for $26 a month while the FCC tries to LEGISLATE an "ambitious" goal of 100Mbs. Perhaps it's time to get rid of the wankers at the FCC? (I...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Today I learned that hair turns grey with age because of naturally-secreted hydrogen peroxide. Guess blondes were onto something. Good to know someone is finally getting at the "root" of the problem....
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei (aka the founder of the scientific meth...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
People study science and natural science (i.e., philosophy) to understand the nature of reality. Presumably, the more accurately we understand reality, the happier we will be. (Similarly, when we ope...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Our current culture appears to revolve more around "dos and don'ts," which is to suggest that society appears more focused on rules of what you are and aren't allowed to do. With that premise, perha...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Making generalizations always comes with challenges. After all, just because a claim is oftentimes true doesn't make it fact in all cases. Although intellectual dishonesty abounds, I generally catego...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
No, this is not an article from The Onion: Weight Watchers clinic floor collapses under dieters - The floor of a Weight Watchers clinic in Sweden collapsed beneath a group of 20 members of the weight...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In 1967, psychologist Martin Seligman performed an experiment on dogs by shocking them with electricity which appeared to start and stop at random. After the dogs were conditioned, he put the dogs in...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Louis Pasteur once wrote that chance favors the prepared mind. But is that the way it always works? Isn't it also true that, sometimes, good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Advert for 'reliable workers' banned as discrimination by Jobcentre Plus
The boss of a recruitment firm said she was told she could not place an advert for "reliable workers" because it discrimina...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
The stupidity in government never takes a break, especially in the public school system. FTA: "It seems to me that it may be time to give all school administrators a course in remedial thinking. Here...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Ex-Harvard professor and now Obama's information czar Cass Sunstein previously wanted to "ban conspiracy theorizing" and "impose some kind of tax, financial or otherwise, on those who disseminate suc...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Though I understand that www.braincrave.com and The Atlasphere are technically competitors, at a higher level of abstraction, their goals overlap. This is a brilliant video that discusses some of the...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Have you ever seen posts on social networks where someone will say to all of her friends indiscriminately "I love you all!" or something to that effect? Well, if the Beatles were right, that all you...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a process of stimulating the brain with magnetic fields that changes/disrupts the way the neurons work. Is it possible to use TMS to unlock "hidden" cogniti...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
They say that history repeats itself. Maybe that's the reason I'm never able to watch Schindler's List without bawling my eyes out. You don't have to be prescient to see the similarities already and...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
One of the many fun things to do as a kid is to sit around a campfire late at night and hear adults tell ghost stories. Our imaginations would run wild - are there really such things as ghosts?
Bu...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
What do you mean people are actually capable of driving on the streets safely without signs?!? But that's unheard of! How absurd! It must be chaos! Complete craziness! How is it possible that people...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
London councils sue themselves for parking offences. Critics say the practise "illustrates everything that is wrong with unaccountable parking enforcement in the UK."
London councils sue themselve...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Government - they are experts at manipulating people. They even have a scary-sounding name for it: "psy-ops." What happens when they turn against their own? The psychological thriller The Manchurian...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Before the 1950s, the future confronting the human race was bleak. With the global population increasing and becoming more dependent on energy-dense technologies to sustain its food supplies and risi...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
If you're a person who prefers the grayness of relativity to the "black or white" positions of an absolutist, ultimatums likely make you uncomfortable. But such is the nature of choices - selecting a...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Activision Blizzard, the maker of World of Warcraft, is changing its policy to require forum posters to use their real names. They claim it is to cut down on nasty behavior in the forums and to creat...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Most of us live stressful lives. Perhaps it's time we give ourselves a little break. Try this self-hypnosis/relaxation video for 16 minutes. Did it work for you? What do you do to relax?
Try...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
So, we've been having a lot of conversations on politics. I know it's a subject people are passionate about. Wanted to see if there's interest in other topics that people have interest in. Please l...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
During the holiday season, we typically hear cries for "peace on earth and goodwill toward all." It remains to be seen how this is possible when the US (purportedly) spends $660 billion on military...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
1. Thanks, but I don’t want to have sex.
2. Nope, no more booze for me!
3. Sorry, but you’re not really my type.
4. Taco Bell? No thanks, I’m not hungry.
5. Good evening, officer. I...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
"Meet the fast-growing "patriot" group that's recruiting soldiers to resist the Obama administration."
"But beyond the predictable stereotypes, "the reality is a lot of them are fairly intelligent...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Orson Welles once wrote: "We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone." In addition to our daily...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
A federal appeals court says three Seattle police officers were justified when they used a stun gun on a pregnant mother who refused to sign a traffic ticket. The dissenting judge called the ruling "...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
The Noble physicist Richard Feynman once said "There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to cal...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Our Second Life intellectual discussion group is about bringing people together who like to think. We have wonderful discussions in group chat but, in an effort to constantly improve our discussions...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
What does it mean to be a "good" person? Is there an objective way to define good? Is there a specific procedure/method to evaluate something as good? Does defining the good in life even matter? Assu...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In his pamphlet The Law, French economist Frederick Bastiat stated "Since the law organizes justice, the socialists ask why the law should not also organize labor, education, and religion." Bastiat c...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Today I learned how cats and dogs drink water. The water sticks to their tongues and the upward pull creates a water column from inertia (the liquid continues to move in the direction pulled). Then,...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
The printing press: what a great invention... It fostered a rapid development in and dissemination of art and science through the production of books. But one wonders if Johannes Gutenberg would be a...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Many artists are concerned about copying, especially in the online world. It's a significant problem in Second Life where copybots can copy an artist's/owner's content without their permission. This...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
I believe that Adult Education is best described as a continuous learning process through which adults acquire desired knowledge to satisfy their needs at that time. Adult Education is not restricted...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Albert Einstein once said: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Although not supported by math or science, and certainly not an axiom of physics, Occam's Razor (or Ockh...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
It's the typical Catch-22. You can't get hired for a job because you have limited experience, and you can't get experience until you get a job. It appears there are many young people who are having ...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Let's assume for a moment that morality is a system of values that a group of individuals (i.e., society) must generally follow in order to live. Let's also assume that the closer individuals get to...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
More and more, schools are adopting zero-tolerance policies. High schools are now filled with armed police, metal detectors, and drug-sniffing dogs. Is that the environment in which children can pro...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Sadists are those who enjoy giving pain. Masochists are those who enjoy receiving pain. However, most of us attempt to avoid pain, especially emotional pain. In fact, research suggests that emotional...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Sigmund Freud famously said that "...we men... find reality generally quite unsatisfactory." Over the years, we have become less polite and more sloppy. Now-a-days, we say reality's a bitch. Regardle...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In Atlas Shrugged, Dr. Floyd Ferris states: "Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed? ...We want them broken... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Politics destroys all things, it's latest casualty being scientific truth. When the global warming science fraud didn't work out, the propoganda artists changed the name to climate change. Here's a s...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
On this July 4, when so many Americans are celebrating the so-called "Independence Day" by having picnics and shooting fireworks, there are others who think it's time to do it again. What do you thin...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
We did.
It's not every day that you meet people who encourage you to think deeply. You work so hard. You're running so fast. There is so much to do. And yet, you have more to offer. But wh...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
"For government [of conquered people] consists in nothing else but so controlling subjects that they shall neither be able to, nor have cause to, do you harm; which may be done either by making quite...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Alright, here's one for you ladies. A few nights ago I learned what the term "cougar" meant, and I also learned there were some women who considered the word MILF an insult rather than a compliment....
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
John Adams once wrote "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
All economic goods must be produced by someone. They aren't gifts of nature or something that can be conjured up by waiving a magic wand. Somehow, people have gotten the false idea that it is governm...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
FTA: "Do some soldiers enjoy killing? If so, why? ...The reluctance of ordinary men to kill can be overcome by intensified training, direct commands from officers, long-range weapons and propaganda t...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Today I learned that, despite the hype, bottled water typically isn't any cleaner or healthier than tap water, and often comes from the same public water supply that your tap water does. Having said...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
No, they aren't Nazi concentration camps. But they are similar (and very similar to when the US government rounded up 120,000 Americans citizens of Japanese descent during WWII, an action with which...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
How we do love eye-candy. And, after all, "since when is a woman dressing sexy in public a bad thing?"
By now, you've probably heard about the various "slut walks" that are happening all over the...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
The government knows better than you when it comes to most things, right? For example, they know what's best for your health, correct (putting aside for a moment their militaries and police that dest...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Although cutting edge research gives me reason for hope, pancreatic cancer is the fourth most deadly cancer known and THE most horrible and personal disease to me. Two years ago, I lost my mother to...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
There's a funny wedding tradition where the married couple eats the top layer of their wedding cake one year later. (How great to finally have the extra space in your freezer, right?) For about half...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Good etiquette facilitates relationships, and good relationships help us live better lives. We've previously discussed proper manners in communications. Continuing in our etiquette and manners series...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Sure, blame it on women and children.
FTA: "Every Google web search could be stored for up to two years under a controversial new EU plan that has the backing of more than 300 Euro-MEPs... The dec...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In group chat, we recently went on a tangent to discuss the effectiveness of charity. (To quote one of our Braincravers, "teach a man to fish and he'll stay drunk on a boat.") Benjamin Franklin obser...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Pastor Martin Niemöller criticized German intellectuals because they did nothing as the Nazis rose to power and eliminated anti-government groups. Please, learn from history. Please, don't ignore th...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Want to see a piece of paper that gives me the RIGHT to rob you? You don't believe there is such a thing? Are you SURE you don't believe it?
From the video: "If you believe this piece of pa...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Remember the guy who talked about change? Where'd he go?
In 2006, Obama said this:
The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Pause the music you're listening to for 5 minutes and listen to the cutest 911 emergency call you've ever heard. I'm not sure if being a father has anything to do with it, but this brought tears to m...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
It is said that bad habits die hard. How many times have you read in someone's dating profile: "I'm a positive person?" How often have you told someone to "think positive?" Psychology suggests this m...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
From the "you can't make this shit up" files... Through one of her villains, Ayn Rand wrote in Atlas Shrugged: "Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed? ...We want them broken......
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
France is well-known for its protests, one of its most famous being the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille. There was violence. There was bloodshed. The king was executed. The French...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
When I was much younger, I told my father I believed I would live forever. He asked how that would happen and gently reminded me that we all die sooner or later. I explained that I believed we would...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
It is claimed that women fake orgasms because of insecurities. But as women have a tremendous capacity for pleasure, perhaps men just aren't stimulating the right places. As scary as it might sound t...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Today I learned that 18 US veterans commit suicide every day and 1 million veterans are sitting in jail.
When Staff Sgt. Brad Eifert, 36, finally made his way to the woods behind his house with...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
From the court jester files, we find supreme stupidity in the Ohio Supreme Court. If you live in Ohio, get ready to see police pulling everyone over for "speeding." After all, police never lie, right...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Ron Paul famously said of neocons:
The neoconservative ethos, steeped in the teachings of Leo Strauss, cannot abide an America where individuals simply pursue their happy, peaceful, prosperous l...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Do a search on the web and you'll find all sorts of criteria for what makes an effective leader. People can't even seem to agree on the definition of leadership. As a result, theories abound. But wha...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
New research confirms scandal: not just anyone can be a supermodel. Such discrimination! Say the word discrimination and most immediately think of prejudice. In many countries, by law, employers cann...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
People who practice BDSM are mostly educated, successful people coming from emotional stable families according to a large professional survey (BDSM/Fetish Demographics Survey). Even students at an a...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
It is true that the welfare-statists are not socialists, that they never advocated or intended the socialization of private property, that they want to 'preserve' private property - with government c...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
OK, many of you know I don't support the military, though I know there are many here who do (and I also know we have at least one person who's in the military). I told you I that I don't like soldier...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
First, let me make this perfectly clear: I am an anarchist (or, more specifically, an anarcho-capitalist). I do not support any kind of government, including a president. The last election I voted in...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
FTA: "...14 privacy groups filed a unfair-trade complaint with the FTC against Facebook on Wednesday... Facebook thinks that your notions of privacy - meaning your ability to control information abou...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
The so-called rule of law in the US is a big joke. You really need more proof? Dick Cheney, former vice president to George Bush, went on TV on Feb 14 to assert he is "a big supporter of waterboardin...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
There's an adage in economics that goes: people do not walk barefoot because there aren't any government shoe factories. In markets where competition exists (not to be confused with free markets), bu...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
We deal with philosophy in one form or another, multiple times every day. For instance, every time we form an ethical viewpoint or act on such, we are forming a philosophical (ethical) idea or applyi...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
WikiLeaks has released a classified US military video depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad - including two Reuters news staff. FTA: "The impo...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Previously, Anna Victoria, who lives under the terror of socialist Hugo Chavez, facilitated a great discussion on demagoguery back on Nov 30 (http://www.braincrave.com/viewblog.php?id=17). Look now w...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
A teacher can present information, but there can be no transfer of learning... learners must "act" upon the information to learn it. Can anyone teach something to someone else?
DISCUSS!
Origina...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
If you have children in school, or if you are a teacher, you MUST watch this video. Pass it on to anyone who has children. It is THAT important. Why are so many children not learning in America's sch...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
The Road Not Taken (by Robert Frost)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To w...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In honor of Obama's state of the union address, I bring you Tim Hawkins VERY VERY FUNNY 3-minute video The Government Can which summarizes hundreds of hours of hard economic study:
https://w...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
"No taxation without representation" was a popular slogan that summarized a major grievance the British colonists had with England. The idea is simple enough to understand: if I don't get any substan...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Welcome to TIL (Today I Learned) Tuesdays, where we will discuss specific facts about something. Looking to learn about something new every day? Reddit.com has a wonderful and very active TIL communi...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Get out your barf bags for this one. FTA: "This points to a massive conspiracy to deprive innocent people of their rights by the U.S. on a scale not seen since the U.S. interned its own Japanese-Amer...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
Is this a brilliant idea that will make the world a better place to live, or a disaster waiting to happen? Can someone loan me $200,000? Come on - you know you want one! Everyone sing with me! Chitty...
editorial posted by
braincrave
in braincrave
In the movie Extreme Measures, a brilliant doctor attempts experimental surgeries on live patients (who eventually die), trying to find a way to help spinal cord victims walk again. I think most agre...